MONA Carson has 100 reasons to celebrate this Christmas.
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The oldest member of Gloucester’s Carson family turns 100 on Christmas Day, though family and friends will gather to celebrate the occasion on December 21 as Mona has decreed her actual birth date as “far too important to impinge upon”.
Mona Grace Carson (nee Bradley) was born on December 25, 1914, to Thomas Cantrell Bradley and Emily Grace Bradley (nee Greentree) at Wyong Creek on the Central Coast.
She was the eldest of four siblings with two brothers Reginald and Horrace (both deceased) and a sister Enid.
Mona left school at 14 and, although she dreamed of being a school teacher, family needs came first.
She helped her mother with domestic duties and was also a companion to her aunt who was raising a young family.
Mona married Eric Carson on December 19, 1936, at Yarramalong.
Not long after, Eric’s father heard there was plentiful timber at Berrico near Gloucester and relocated the family along with his workers and sawmill to a location 19 miles from Gloucester.
The family soon established a small settlement which became known as Carsonville.
The village consisted of the timber mill, an office, the workers’ houses and combined post office and shop, run by Mona’s sisters-in-law Mavis and Dorothy.
There was also a tennis court and a hall for dances.
To access Gloucester, the villagers had to negotiate 13 creek crossings, which became impassable during times of flood.
While living at Carsonville, Mona and Eric welcomed their first child Max, who was closely followed by a second son Terry.
There was then a break of seven years before the birth of their daughter Iris.
When Terry was four, the family moved into a home on Queen St.
A new mill was built on the corner of Manning and Northgate streets.
Mona and Eric established the first motel in Gloucester, the Bucketts Motel, and the first road over the mountain to Nowendoc was built by Eric and his sons along with employees of Carson’s Northern Timber Company.
The road opened up a new era of opportunity for timber cutting and eventually paved the way for the construction of a link between the coast and the tablelands.
In 2000, the road was officially renamed Thunderbolts Way. As matriarch of the family, Mona officiated at the opening of Carson’s Pioneer Lookout (a Rotary project) overlooking the Giro valley, Eric having passed away in 1999.
In 1965, Mona and Eric retired to a waterfront home at Tuncurry, the same year they undertook a nine-month trip around the world.
Among the many amazing places they visited, Mona was struck by the beauty of a small bay off the Isle of Capri.
The small hamlet of Marina Piccola on the island (home of singer Gracie Fields) caught the couple’s eye, so on their return to Tuncurry they renamed their new home Marina Piccola.
On their departure from Gloucester, a farewell dinner for Mona and Eric was hosted by the Gloucester Uniting Church with an address given by Dr Neville Channon.
Dr Channon said Gloucester would be poorer for their absence and would continue to value the significant contribution they had made to the local area.
Mona was an untiring worker for the church and other organisations in Gloucester and continues to be a contributing member of the Tuncurry Uniting Church to this day, attending regular services.
She attributes her strong faith to seeing her through many of life’s challenges. Mona’s unwavering faith has helped her survive the loss of two of her children, one granddaughter and one great-granddaughter.
At the age of 70, Mona underwent major surgery for stomach and throat cancer.
She said it was a miracle she never needed chemotherapy.
Mona believes her longevity is due to God’s plan and not smoking or drinking alcohol.
She said a diet of plenty of fruit and vegetables and “some lollies, but I don’t like chocolate”, has kept her healthy throughout her life.
Mona still manages to live at home with the help of friends and tradesmen that come at her call. She loves her garden and always has lots of visitors.
Her family and friends will celebrate her 100th birthday at the Forster Uniting Church on Sunday, December 21 not on December 25 because, as Mona said, “you can’t have it on Jesus’ birthday”.
The church celebrations will be followed by a gathering at Mona’s home.
Mona has received tributes from the Queen, the Prime Minister, Members of Parliament and friends on reaching her centenary milestone and expressed her heartfelt thanks for the accolades.