Port Kembla's Max Barry had a close call with death in his youth but today he marks a milestone few people reach - his 100th birthday.
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Born on June 24, 1924, Max grew up with his older brother Des and parents Jessie and Rae on a small dairy farm in the town of Elliminyt, south-west of Melbourne.
Max was a keen athlete in his youth, at one point claiming a record for the 220-yard race - which he said he held for about 20 years.
He became a trainee teacher but at 18 enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II and became the rear gunner in a Lancaster bomber.
Two weeks before his 20th birthday, his plane went down over France.
It was just the beginning of an ordeal in which he was captured by the Nazis, imprisoned in camps and forced to march for more than two weeks in the bitter cold, before he could get back to safety.
Decades later, he was awarded France's Legion of Honour for his role in freeing the country from Nazi occupation.
After the war Max wanted to establish a poultry farm but there was a dearth of materials, so he took up a government scheme to study veterinary science in Sydney.
It was there that he met a young woman who would become his wife, a medical student named Ruth.
"It was a lovely time at the university really, post-war," Ruth said.
They married in 1952 and in Newcastle the following year the couple welcomed their first child, a girl they named Katherine.
The Barrys later moved to Albury - where they would remain another 35 years - and in 1958 their second daughter Christina was born.
Max worked for the Pastures Protection Board, advising farmers on how to keep their stock healthy, while Ruth had a medical practice.
During his career Max was involved in eradicating the diseases brucellosis and tuberculosis in cattle, the latter of which enabled the export of stock to certain countries.
Outside of work he had a seemingly tireless appetite for serving the community, spending almost 16 years as a councillor in Albury, including a stint as mayor.
"I was interested in community activity, and being on council was one way of knowing what was going on in the community," he said.
He was involved in the administration of TAFE, which earned him the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), and in the Rotary Club.
Max was also on the local committee running the ambulance service, volunteered with Anglicare, and served as a church warden for his local Anglican church, helping rebuild it after it was gutted by fire.
"I seemed to fit everything in," he said.
In 2007 Max and Ruth moved to Port Kembla to be closer to Katherine and her family.
He might have changed cities but Max's involvement in the community continued and to this day he is a member of the Blackbutt Flinders Probus Club.
His role is to tell a joke at each month's meeting, to the delight of his fellow members.
"I enjoy being involved in things, being involved with people," he said.
Max has fit a lot into his life, but he quickly identifies a highlight.
"My marriage, and the birth of my daughters," he said.
"We've been a good family. Family's very important."
His daughter Christina said she valued her father's "wisdom and his support through my life".
"I think that we were also fortunate to have family who valued education for girls," Katherine added.
Today Max is also grandfather to five - Alexander, Anna, Shelley, Bronwen and Andrew - and great-grandfather to Maggie, Sophie and little Max.
He said genetics played a role in his longevity, as did a good diet and exercise - but being active in the community was important, too.
"Being involved in things keeps you mentally alert," Max said.
Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
