Hale and Hearty at 100

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 286, 3 December 1942, Page 2

Hale and Hearty at 100

Mi’s. Martha Jane Diamond, wno is living with her daughter, Mrs. John McKenzie, Carterton, celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday, States a Wellington exchange. She is still hale and heart)’, and follows all current events closely. She can read without glasses and till recently was an industrious knitter. Mrs. Diamond was born on December 2, 1842, m County Waterford, li’eland, of Cornish parentage, in 1856, at the age of 14 years, sue sailed ior Melbourne with hexparents in one of the old windjammers, and it is a tribute to a remarkably retentive memory that she can still recall events which occurred during that voyage. The family arrived at Ballarat two years after the Eureka Stockade incident, Mrs. Diamond's father continuing his work there as a mining engineer, it was there she met and married Joseph Diamond, a gold-mining engineer, and she, her husband, and young family came to New Zealand in 1577. They travelled by builoca-wagon from Wellington to the property at Carterton which Mr. Diamond had taken up, and spent the greater part of their married life there. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Diamond went to live with her daughter, Mrs. McKenzie; and a family gathering was held there yesterday. Mrs. Diamond’s family are: Mesdamea M. Hart (Palmerston North), H. Hall (Wellington), John McKenzie (Carterton), A. E. Hall (Carterton), E. M. Gold.er (Wellington), and Mr. Charles .pianiond (Hastings).