| Mabel Crosby | |
 Crosby pictured with her great-great-grandson, Cameron Moriarty | |
| Birth: | 7 September 1909 Kent, England, UK |
| Death: | 30 December 2020 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Age: | 111 years, 114 days |
| Country: |  UK  AUS
|
| Unvalidated | |
Mabel Jesse Irene Crosby (7 September 1909 – 29 December 2020) was a British-born Australian supercentenarian who was the oldest known living person in Australia. Furthermore, she was the last known person living in Australia who was born in the 1900s decade. Her age is currently unvalidated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG).
Biography
Early Life
Mabel Crosby was born in Kent, England, UK, on 7 September 1909. Her parents were called John and Janet. She had three siblings: Janet, Hilda, and Stuart. In 1913, when she was four years old, her family moved to Australia and bought a farm near Newcastle, New South Wales. Crosby worked as an apprentice dress maker before getting married.
In 1931, Crosby married Norwegian Ernulf Crosby, and they initially moved to Port Kembla, south of Sydney, New South Wales. However, after suffering from respiratory problems due to the nearby steelworks, they moved to Narara, north of Sydney, where they ran a small citrus and poultry farm. The couple had four children, three of whom were still living as of September 2019. They were married until Ernulf died of a heart attack in 1970. In 1984, Crosby moved to Brisbane, Queensland to be closer to her family.
Later Life
Crosby described the secret to living a long life as "staying active". A keen gardener, she was still mowing her own lawn at the age of 100, and she also enjoyed bowling. At the age of 107, she took a trip to Fiji.
Crosby lived in a care home in Sunnybank Hills, an outer suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. At the time of her 110th birthday, she had 10 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren.
Crosby had been the oldest known living person in Australia since the death of Agnes Kluckhenn on 24 November 2019. In an interview in May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Crosby said that she was "coping relatively well" due to her experience living through two world wars and the Great Depression.
Crosby died in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on 29 December 2020 at the age of 111 years, 113 days.
Gallery
References
- Mabel now has 104 reasons to smile Sunshine Coast Daily, 18 September 2013
- Queensland's oldest resident celebrates 109th birthday 9 News, 7 September 2018
- Qld's oldest person Mabel Crosby wants Fiji cruise for her 110th The Courier-Mail, 5 September 2019
- Mighty Mabel turns 110 The Courier-Mail, 6 September 2019
- 110th birthday Facebook, 7 September 2019
- How this 110-year-old Aussie mum is celebrating Mother's Day during coronavirus Yahoo!, 7 May 2020
- A very happy 111th birthday to Mabel Crosby who is the oldest person in Qld!... Duncan Pegg - Member for Stretton on Facebook, 7 September 2020
- Happy birthday to Queenslander Mabel Crosby, who is now officially Australia’s oldest living person!... Annastacia Palaszczuk MP on Facebook, 7 September 2020
- Death mention Facebook, 29 December 2020
| Australia's Oldest Living Person Titleholders (V • T • E) |
|
Helen Dunbar • Jessie Pearce • Clara Byrne • Ada Sharp • Honora Corrigan • Mary Keefer • Josephine Gasse • Elizabeth Swatton • Samuel Rowe • Sarah Potter • Jane Piercy • Mary Nixon • Caroline Mockridge • Agnes Dodds • Mary Hurley • Ada Whitfield • Beatrice Pollock • Gertie Nesbitt • Kit St. Clair • Ada Cleggett • Ada Stockdale • Mary MacPherson • Christina Cock • Jessie Hurley • Alice Lindsay • Sarah Davey • Myra Nicholson • E. Beatrice Riley • John Campbell Ross • Miriam Schmierer • Eva McConnell • Jane Gray • Vi Robbins • Ethel Farrell • Mary Whitehurst • Marjorie Cooke • Margaret Vivian • Wilhelmina Overall • Agnes Kluckhenn • Mabel Crosby • Dexter Kruger • Ivy Tate • Ina Reid • Gwen Moore • Catherina van der Linden • Marija Ruljancich |