DESPITE a recent health scare, Midland’s Cliff Whiteman celebrated his 100th birthday on December 10.

“It’s good to be alive,” is one of Mr Whiteman’s favourite mottos and he is amazed when people mention his milestone as he has never placed much store on birthdays.

“But if it puts a smile on people’s faces, I am happy,” he said.

His daughter Alison Whiteman said Mr Whiteman believes age is a label leading to perceptions of what you should and shouldn’t be like.

She added that turning 100 was a special occasion and Cliff had spent his whole life - from being born at West Midland Hospital and growing up in Midland Junction - in the same area.

“Cliff would have experienced the first steam locomotives used until 1957 and the first bus transport to Geraldton in 1946,” she said.

“He has been watching with interest the development of the new station and bus terminal which he says, is way beyond his imagination.

“He remembers the first terminal which was on a dual-gauge line and opened in October 1968, coinciding with the birth of his second daughter.

“You could also go through the tunnel on the train in Swan View.”

Ms Whiteman said Mr Whiteman grew up in Victoria Street in a house long since demolished.

“In those days you didn’t need to know the time since the workshop whistle would blow at 4:53pm (washup) and 5pm for knock off time,” she said.

“Growing up, Cliff felt Midland was a place of families and small stores. Everyone knew each other and people would go out of their way to help one another.

“There were lots of Italians and Slavs in the area and he has fond memories of the Pitsikas and Machetes to name a few families.”

She said Mr Whiteman also remembered the Walthos who were his neighbours and started a cool drink factory in 1933.

Growing up, Mr Whiteman went to St Brigid’s Convent School - run by nuns for children aged 5 to 7 years.

At Midland Junction State School Mr Whiteman excelled at woodwork and metalwork before taking a job at Kent’s garage on the corner of Morrison Road and Great Northern Highway, Midland after leaving school.

He also spent a lot of time in his early life sailing with his uncle and aunty on their yacht in South Perth.

A keen lacrosse player, his team won the B-grade premiership division in 1949 but always said it was his brothers who were the talented ones.

“Cliff has had the same hair style since he was a young man with his hair always cut by Armando’s Hairdressers in The Crescent, Midland until this day,” Ms Whiteman said.

“He investigated working at the Midland brickyards for a short spell, remembering his cousin ‘young’ Lew owned Mussel Pool (now Whiteman Park), before bequesting his wealth to the people of WA in 1994.”

Mr Whiteman married Val (nee Rodda) in 1964 and they celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary last year.

They met at the Embassy Ballroom where he loved dancing.

“Val was a triple certificate nurse working in the country who grew up in Nedlands and went to PLC,” Ms Whiteman said.

“On the weekends Cliff would visit and bring his goat to be tethered on the lawns of the manicured greens.

“Val means everything to him and he is in awe of her quilting masterpieces.

“He really appreciates his wife and praises her every day.”

Ms Whiteman said one of his favourite mottos was, ‘Why be nasty when it is so easy to be kind and nice’.

She said when he was a boy, Centrepoint Shopping Centre had not yet been built and the local circus would put their big tent up there.

“Old Lew Whiteman would often pull up in his great big car, parking on the curb and one day Cliff aged eight, couldn’t resist taking it for a spin around the block or two, never to be detected,” Ms Whiteman said.

“In those days you didn’t need a key you just turned the engine. Recently, his nephew, Bruce said they did the same with Cliff’s first car!”

A non-smoker and non-drinker, Cliff served in Darwin during WWII and remembers giving his ‘ciggy’ and ‘beer’ rations away.

“He travelled to Darwin on troop trains, going via Adelaide during the war, which meant a ‘cattle carriage’ on straw/barn mattresses,” she said.

She said to try and make himself more comfortable, Mr Whiteman attached his blanket to the rafters to make a makeshift hammock.

“He swung no doubt from side to side but it was much better than the vibrating thump of the railway tracks. He slept but ended up being bruised all the way down one side.”

She said he was recognised for his service with a medal on the 75th anniversary of WWII, presented to him by Ken Wyatt (the then Liberal minister) at his home.”

Today, Mr Whiteman enjoys listening to current events and talk back radio where he reflects sadly on the state of conflicts still happening today.

A lifelong goat lover, he raised Saanen goats and participated in shows from Kelmscott to Gidgegannup.

“He remembers one occasion when his wife piled the goats into the back of the station wagon and they descended the Gidgegannup hill with three young children in the back, and the goats started climbing over the seat,” Ms Whiteman said.

Mr Whiteman has always enjoyed collecting, from old tools, wheels and more recently teapots and clowns.

“After retirement he would help at the Salvation Army’s jumble shop and loved their band,” Ms Whiteman said.

“Holidays were at Rottnest Island where he rode his bike well into his 80s.”

She said he was also a keen carpenter and enjoyed having little projects on the go.

“He also enjoys a good chat, laugh and a joke! He has travelled overseas, even winning a trip to Malaysia and Singapore, but still thinks Australia is the best.

“‘Why would you live anywhere else!’ he declared.”

Lastly, she said Cliff wanted to thank the incredible staff at St John of God Midland who did such a wonderful job nursing him back to health.