"Can't do much about it," he said.

Mr Hannett's family are devastated they can't throw a party to celebrate the birthday to remember.

Born in St Arnaud to Tom and Minnie, Mr Hannett was one of six children - Tom, Ben, Syd, Laurie, Jean and Barney.

The family lived just out of Navarre, later moving into the township.

The children all attended Navarre Primary school by walking, riding a horse or bike or whatever was available at the time.

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"There were about 50 odd students at that time," he said.

Mr Hannett left school at the end of grade eight with no opportunity to attend high school. He said the best thing the Government ever did for Navarre was to bring a school bus from Stawell to Navarre so the children had an opportunity to attend secondary school in Stawell.

When Mr Hannett left school he helped around the home. He went rouse-abouting at a variety of places; Minnimite, Ararat and St Arnaud then Colac and Caramut.

One year he went to Shepparton, Tocamul and Berrigan. For four years in a row, six of them piled into an Austin ute and went working in shearing sheds.

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Mr Hannett has always been described as a 'doer'. He bought his first mob of sheep for his new farm from a farm between Marnoo and Glenorchy - riding there on a pushbike with his dog and bringing them all home.

Mr Hannett has clear memories of his time at war. His family has said Mr Hannett kept his wartime memories very much to himself, never living in the past but willing to talk about factual information when asked.

What Mr Hannett did love talking about, was football.

He had fond memories of winning premierships and playing for his beloved Navarre Football Club.

He first remembers playing football in 1936.

"We got to the football in a truck which had some sort of a frame over it," he said.

"It had a tarpaulin made of manure bags.

"When the year had finished they threw it in the back shed."

Mr Hannett said the team were always late getting to the football.

"We'd be waiting at the Post Office and Alan Clark, who owned the truck, would pick us up," he said.

"We'd be expecting to turn up St Arnaud Road but we'd have to go back and get Alan's wife - it happened quite regularly.

"All the players travelled in the back of the truck. We sat on the truck and as we were going down the street I remember I was trying to steady myself as we would go around the corner at 30 miles an hour."

Mr Hannett played his football at the half-forward flank.

He was involved in premierships at Navarre in 1949, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1958.

Highlights for that time were the 100 goals he kicked in the 1949 season, captained the 1950 team and winning the best and fairest in 1951.

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"One particular time I got back to St Arnaud at 3.00am and slept in the car in the carpark," he said.

"I played football on the Saturday after that."

Mr Hannett is both a life member of the Navarre Football Club and Navarre Cricket Club.

Another highlight to the '50s was when he married Norma in November 1951.

They have two children, Sandra and Gary.

Five grandchildren came next - Talia, Zana, Tessa, Gena and Tom.

And the next generation keeps growing with four great-grandchildren Greta, Clova, Theodore and Ceda.

Mr Hannett spends his time at home, in Navarre where his wife Norma and daughter-in-law Lisa support him in daily activities.

Turning 100 hasn't meant Mr Hannett will slow down.

He still tends to his garden every morning and in particular cutting and pruning and mowing the lawns, growing some vegetables and flowers.

He also visits his only sister Jean who he has a special rapport with, who lives in Navarre just down the road.

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Mr Hannett still enjoys going to the football and cricket in Navarre.

"We don't go to away games anymore," he said.

"I used to go down to the farm as well but I've slowed down a bit.

"Besides a couple of hip operations, I've been pretty healthy in my old age."

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