Joan celebrates 90th in style

Bethanie Esprit resident Joan Newbon blew out the candles for an important milestone at the weekend.

Mrs Newbon celebrated her 90th birthday, one year after her husband Dudley had reached the same age.

The pair, who have lived at Bethanie Esprit since May 2010, are the oldest couple living at the centre.

Mrs Newbon said she was humbled to reach the milestone and pleased to celebrate it with family and friends.

"I'm happy I'm here in good health and I'm enjoying my time at Bethanie Esprit. They are good to us and the people here are like a family," she said.

"I'm happy I could spend my birthday with family and the residents here, who are my friends."

Mrs Newbon said she had been married to her husband for nearly 70 years after meeting in the Huon Valley in Tasmania before moving to Melbourne.

"We both liked dancing and so we met at a dance. From there our friendship continued," she said.

"We raised our children in Melbourne and were a happy family and that's how we've been all our lives."

Mrs Newbon said they shared a passion for breeding dogs - specifically dachshunds - which they did for a number of years.

"We exhibited in three States around Australia and had a number of champions," she said.

"The idea behind doing it was because we loved animals and we wanted to leave a mark and improve the breed.

"We've had a really busy life, sometimes even we are surprised about the things we've done and people have asked us to write books about our lives."