Ms Lee celebrated her birthday on Wednesday, and was surrounded by family and friends who turned out to honour the popular community member.

Born in Lidcombe in 1921, she was the daughter or Ruby Ruth and Stan Graham.

At the age of 21, on October 24 1942, she married Raymond Lee; they went on to have three children named Alan, Graham and Jennifer.

Ms Lee has eight grandchildren and a further nine great-grandchildren, with two more on the way.

Despite her age, the centenarian is still involved with the Gunnedah Country Women's Association, having received a life membership to the organisation for thirty years of dedicated service in late November last year.

The citation that was prepared for her life membership described her as an "immensely popular member, well-respected by our younger members and our more mature members alike".

Across the years, she has held the roles of president, vice-president, treasurer, international officer, cultural officer, land officer and cookery officer.

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Now, at 100, she will have an opportunity to make new friends given her decision to move out of home and into an aged care facility in Boggabri.

While most people her age would be intimidated by the thought of having to move, Ms Lee said she was looking forward to the new experience.

"Everybody is happy there, no one says as bad word against it, and I've come to the stage where I need constant care and I'm sensible enough to know that," she said.

Of course her fellow CWA members are not the only people who have benefited from her hard work and general presence throughout the years.

Ever since moving to Gunnedah, she has been a valued member of the community and performed a number of different jobs and volunteer roles.

She taught Secretarial Skills at TAFE and was a secretary at the Roads and Traffic Authority, while also donating her time to fill positions as an Art Gallery attendant, Bible Shop attendant, and treasurer at the Uniting Church.

In terms of sharing her secret to enjoying full, healthy life, Ms Lee said caring for family is the thing that has kept her going.

She stated her father helped teach her that lesson, as he was the 13^th of 14 children. Her mother also emphasised the importance of family, having taken in Ms Lee's grandmother - who lived to 99 - and cared for her in the later years.

Me Lee did the same thing when her mother needed looking after, and she is thankful for the care which has been provided by her children over the past few years.

"When my father died my mother came to me because there's no way I wouldn't look after her," she said.

"She worshiped the ground I walked on and she said 'look after your own, that's what matters'."