Not a day older: Faye Ure cuts the cake at her 90th birthday party in Nagambie. Photo: Supplied
Faye Ure has lived in Seymour since 1971 and has seen Mitchell Shire Council form into what it is today.
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She was a public servant, working for what was then the Rural City of Seymour before the establishment of Mitchell Shire Council and serving as mayor.
Mrs Ure, who now lives quietly in her cottage at Whiteheads Creek, celebrated her 90th birthday at Nagambie Rowing Club on Monday, March 11.
“I had no idea,” she said of the surprise celebration.
“The family took me up (to Nagambie) and they were all there, except for my daughter Sally, of course, but her husband and son, they were able to come up from Melbourne.
“It was lovely to have them there with each of the family and the grandchildren and then, of course, great-grandchildren there.”
“It was really lovely and I’d not been to that place in Nagambie before.”
Celebrating life: Faye Ure's big family came together at the Nagambie Rowing Club to celebrate her 90th birthday. Photo: Supplied.
Sally, Mrs Ure’s only daughter, died from a rare genetic condition called Huntington’s disease.
“It came from my late husband, Jim, her father, came from his side of the family,” Mrs Ure said.
“I will always remember him when he was told (about the diagnosis).
“We were in Delatite Rd, and then he was sitting there saying he felt so guilty, but as I said, what can you do about it? It’s in your genes ... not your problem.”
Mrs Ure’s three sons Wesley, Andrew, and Carlyle were at the celebration.
“The boys have each got properties here in Seymour, which keeps us on the job,” Mrs Ure said.
“We built a house in Delatite Rd when we first moved here.”
The Ures moved to the Seymour in 1971 because it was the middle point from where she grew up in the Shepparton region and where her parents moved to the Yarra Valley.
She worked at what is now known as Doug’s Bakery in Anzac Ave when she first came to Seymour.
“They set up the Doug’s Hot Bread, which is in south, and so my first job in 1973 was in Doug’s Hot Bread,” Mrs Ure said.
“I did have a lovely photo (at Doug’s bakery), and it blew out of the car one day.
“I don’t have that original photo of me in Doug’s Hot Bread any more.”
After that, she started working for the first federal member of Mitchell Shire, and from there, she worked through the then Seymour Council to the Mitchell Shire Council.
She said that working at the council as a woman at the time was interesting.
“I remember walking into our first meeting, and I think it was held in Kilmore ... I think I wasn’t the only female, but I’ve forgotten because I’m so old,” she said.
“One of the male councillors I remember walking beside, he and this fellow said, ‘well, you can be the minister for prams’.
“He was referring to councillors as ministers for babies because I was old, because I was female.
“He couldn’t see me doing anything.”
Mama's boys: Faye Ure's sons (from left) Wesley, Andrew and Carlyle at their mother's 90th birthday celebration. Photo: Supplied
The Mitchell Shire Council was formed in 1994 and Mrs Ure continued to work there until 2005, when she decided to retire.
“We managed to get through those early days on council,” she said.
“I’m not quite sure what year it was now as time has gone by and one does age.”
Mrs Ure’s cottage is filled with collections of Seymour and the Goulburn Valley’s history.
At the age of 90, she said trying to remember back was hard, so having those physical reminders of her life story was helpful.
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