General News
15 June, 2023
Centenarian expat shares
A CAMPERDOWN expat has been included in a special video project celebrating centenarians and their stories.
A CAMPERDOWN expat has been included in a special video project celebrating centenarians and their stories.
The video is part of the 100 Project, which shares stories of people aged 100 and over through videos and photos edited by filmmakers John Winter and Ros Walker.
Herbert Thompson, or Bert as he is commonly known, is 104 years old and was born in Camperdown in 1918.
In the video, Mr Thompson talks about his life in Camperdown where his father owned a tailor shop.
Uninterested in becoming a tailor, Mr Thompson enlisted in World War II and served in the Second Fourth Army Field Workshops in Tobruk and El Alamein.
Mr Thompson also spoke of his wife Yvonne, who he married in 1944, and his work with the State Electricity Commission in Gippsland after the war.
Camperdown and District Historical Society secretary Maree Belyea, and Mr Thompson’s youngest daughter Wendy Murray assisted in the provision of photos for the video.
Mr Thompson, who now lives in an aged care facility in Melbourne, said he was happy to be part of the 100 Project.
“It’s a bit sudden for me,” he said.
“I don’t know how they’d do it, but I hope people will learn a lot from it.
“It’s been interesting, I suppose.”
Ms Murray, who lives in South Australia, said she found out about the 100 Project when reading Seniors and decided to follow it up.
“I am happy for dad to be involved in the 100 Project, and I am sure he is too,” she said.
100 Project producer Ms Walker said her and Mr Winter love stories and believe everyone has a story.
“We haven’t been giving a voice to our elders; they’re rarely heard,” she said.
“100-year-olds have this through a century of extraordinary change.
“Most of our 100-year-olds started with no electricity in their homes, no cars, no telephones for many of them.”
Ms Walker said the 100-year-olds have experienced a different world.
“We think they’ve got fascinating stories, but they’ve also got really good insights into the world for people today as well,” she said.
“We feel there’s a lot to learn from them, and it’s really important to give a voice to our eldest.”
The video is now uploaded on the 100 Project website and can be viewed by going to www.the100project.com/centenarian/bert-thompson/.