Myra Nicholson

Myra Nicholson
Born	14 December 1894 Clark's Hill, Ballarat, Victoria Australia
Died	20 September 2007 (aged &10000000000000112000000112 years, &10000000000000280000000280 days) Box Hill, Blackburn, Victoria, Australia
Title	Oldest Australian upon death

Myra Leviston "Nicky" Nicholson (14 December 1894 – 20 September 2007) was the oldest living Australian and the eleventh-oldest validated person in the world following the death of French doyenne Marie-Simone Capony on 15 September 2007.

Biography

Nicholson came from Blackburn, Victoria, but was born at Clarkes Hill, near Ballarat on 14 December 1894. She descended from a family with a history of longevity – many lived well into their 90, and a distant relative,^[1] Vera Labbett, lived to 109^[2] Her husband, Harold, died in 1971.

She was still enjoying life at age 100 and described her centennial in 1994 as "lovely".^[3] However, shortly before her death, Nicholson was confined to her bed and said quote "I can't do anything by myself. I get sick of it".^[3]

Nicholson shopped independently until in her 90s. She lived on her own until the age of 102, and she became Australia's oldest person at the age of 109, upon the death of 111 year old Alice Lindsay, on 1 July 2004. In July 2006 she was the subject of a controversy in which she had to move out of the closing Blackburn Aged Care Facility and into her family's home.^[4]

On 28 August 2006, the death the previous day of the world's oldest person, María Capovilla of Ecuador, left Nicholson as the oldest person from the Southern Hemisphere at the age of 111. British immigrant Florence Finch was still living in New Zealand, but her death on 10 April 2007 gave Nicholson the overall title at 112.

She died on 20 September 2007 due to a mild case of bronchitis.^[5] Nicholson left one son, three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

See also

• List of Australian supercentenarians
• Longevity
• Oldest people
• Supercentenarian

References

1. ^ "Vera almost Australia's oldest person". The Courier. 10 November 2004. http://www.thecourier.com.au/news/local/news/general/vera-almost-australias-oldest-person/188397.aspx. Retrieved 22 October 2009. 
2. ^ Woolmore, Deborah (22 August 2006). "LABBETT. – Vera.". Herald Sun. http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/th/read/AUS-NEWSPAPER-EXTRACTS/2006-10/1160804340. Retrieved 22 October 2009. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Shtargot, Sasha (11 February 2006). "Journey from cradle to grave gets ever longer". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/journey-from-cradle-to-grave-gets-ever-longer/2006/02/10/1139542406302.html. Retrieved 14 March 2007. 
4. ^ "The Blackburn Aged Care Facility Dispute". University of Wollongong. 2006-09. http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/dissent/documents/health/nh_blackburn.html. Retrieved 20 September 2007. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ "Oldest Aussie dead at 112". Herald Sun. 22 September 2007. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22460453-662,00.html. Retrieved 22 September 2007. 

External links

• Validated Supercentenarian Cases (Public List)
• The Oldest Human Beings

Persondata
Name	Nicholson, Myra
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	14 December 1894
Place of birth	Clark's Hill, Ballarat, Victoria Australia
Date of death	20 September 2007
Place of death	Box Hill, Blackburn, Victoria, Australia