‘West was best’ for Ruth Watson who celebrated her 100th birthday with family, friends and two tea parties

A ten-pound Pom who struck out with her family for Australia 60 years ago celebrated her 100th birthday in style on Tuesday.

Born in Leeds, Ruth Watson was a nurse at St Thomas’ Hospital in London before she and husband David decided to emigrate, along with their four young children.

With a commemorative message from King Charles and Queen Camilla taking pride of place in her sunroom which overlooks the King George Sound, she was ready for a big day which included morning tea, afternoon tea and a nap in between.

She was expecting about a dozen friends to pop in for each celebration.

With son Abdul unable to travel from Perth, daughters Ros, Cathy and Giz, the former parliamentarian and leader of the WA Greens, organised the proceedings with Ruth taking centre stage.

She said she and David had decided to leave the UK because they were unhappy with the medical provisions there.

“David was a doctor, and he wasn’t satisfied with the way the health service was being run in England,” she said.

“We thought about going to Canada or Australia, so we got a geography book and decided on Australia.

“Then we made the decision that west was best.

“We were ten-pound Poms,” she added joyfully.

She was a ward sister at the prestigious London hospital and, unusually for the time, she continued nursing after she got married.

“I was one of the few who carried on working after getting married,” she said.

“When we emigrated, we decided to fly rather than come by ship — with four small children, we wanted to get the journey over with as quickly as possible.”

Albany has changed much in her time, she admitted.

“It has certainly changed a lot since we arrived here in 1967,” she said.

“I am sorry to see so many shops closing.”

With cards and gifts which encompassed “all sorts of things” — despite ordering that there should be no presents — and a jigsaw on the go, she said she was still enjoying herself.

“I’ve had a healthy life and I am very happy here,” she said.