‘It’s been a busy life’: centenarian Essie Nisbet

“I grew up on a farm about 10 miles out of Charlton, things were so different then,” she said.

“I was riding a horse to school when I was five, five miles.

“Sometimes I fell off!”

She married her late husband police officer, John, known as Jack, Nisbet in Bendigo. The couple had three children: Douglass, Meryl and Robert.

The family moved around a bit for Mr Nisbet’s job, but made their way to Echuca in 1972.

“I thought (Echuca) was lovely, and the river was very nice,” Mrs Nisbet said.

“I grew up on a farm where everything was dry ... came up here and the river and the trees and everything, I thought it was lovely.”

Working on the PS Canberra for 30 years, Mrs Nisbet made 20,360 trips in her time as hostess, serving under 32 captains during her tenure. She holds the record as the longest-serving deckhand on the vessel, retiring in 2006 at the impressive age of 82.

“I met a lot of people,” she said.

“There weren’t many cruises on the river years ago, we were the first ones.

“Then people could see that it was very popular, so they all started to come down with their boats.

“People started to come to Echuca, and their families and their friends, they’d all come on the river.

“Then they’d tell people about it and how good it was. So it got very popular.”

Mrs Nisbet has done one better than a letter from the king. She met Princess Diana and the then Prince Charles in 1983 during their visit to Echuca, welcoming them into town and on to the PS Canberra.

“She was coming down to the boats, and we were standing on each side as she walked down the pathway,” Mrs Nesbit said.

“The girls were all lined up on one side, and Prince Charles was walking down the other side.

“I said, ‘I hope they don’t switch over’ because we were going to meet her.

“Next thing I know, I was shaking hands with her, and I said to her, ‘it’s lovely to meet you, lovely you came to Echuca’, something like that, and she said ‘thank you’.”

Her role as hostess on the PS Canberra saw Mrs Nisbet included in The Women of the River Country travelling exhibition.

This exhibition featured 20 influential women of the Murray River, and was originally held in Mannum, South Australia, before showing at the Port of Echuca in 2016.

‘‘I’m very humbled to be recognised,’’ Mrs Nisbet said at the time.

“It’s a nice feeling.’’

Mrs Nisbet will have a party at Wharparilla Lodge on Thursday, July 25, with many of her family members, old colleagues and friends joining her for the celebration.

Her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be travelling into town for the occasion.

Echuca Uniting Church, where Mrs Nisbet was a parishioner, also advertised her birthday and the party in their newsletter.

“They’re coming (for the party),” she said.

“They’re coming from Melbourne and Geelong and all over the place.

“I used to go to the Uniting Church regularly, and they give me this every week.

“I opened it up and saw (the notice), so I don’t know how many’s going to come from that because they know me there.

“I was surprised to see that in the paper.”

She said she was impressed with herself to have reached such a milestone.

“I never thought I’d reach this age!” she said.

“Here I am.”

Mrs Nisbet has always enjoyed keeping herself occupied. She still participates regularly in the activities offered at her aged care facility.

“It’s been a busy life,” she said.

“I like being busy, I like meeting people and talking to people.

“I’m still enjoying life. I take part in the different things that are going on here, I like being active.

“I’m very grateful that I can walk and talk.”