A life well lived
The community bid a sad farewell to the much loved Sylvia Carter, who was Rhyll’s oldest resident.
Sylvia Carter, Rhyll’s oldest resident passed away on July 3 aged 103.
Sylvia had a remarkable life, born at Leongatha in 1919 at the time of the Spanish Flu.
She grew up on family farms at Tarwin Meadows, Gunya and Ryton with her parents and after leaving school, worked at the Boolarra Store and at the “Kia Ora Café” at Warragul.
It was at the Kia Ora Café where she first met her husband to be Clive Carter.
However, war was declared. Clive enlisted in the RAAF and Sylvia worked in the war effort, at the Government Aircraft Factory in Melbourne, riveting wings onto the Beaufort Bombers. She said that at the time she and her fellow workers had to work around the clock, and she remembers going to sleep at her bench.
Her family now wonder how those wings stayed on the planes.
Sylvia and Clive married at Williamstown in 1943. After the war they sharefarmed at Molesworth, trapping rabbits as well, before buying their farm at Rhyll in 1945.
They milked cows, fattened pigs and grew chicory; and had three children, Shirley, Colin and Leonard.
Sylvia always worked hard on the farm. Just as he had in the war years, packing food parcels in the Rhyll Hall to send to England.
She was a great supporter of Moonya, helping out with their fund raising efforts, and in more recent times, knitted rugs for the Red Cross and the Salvation Army and more recently The Cottage by the Sea at Queenscliff.
She had knitted hundreds; but no-one kept count..
Sylvia loved farm life at Rhyll, and drives through the Gippsland hills, barbecues, picnics, her garden, cooking, clothes, shopping and her regular coffee catchups at the Cowes Bakery. A major highlight was her 100th birthday party at the Rhyll Hall, before the onset of the pandemic.
Sylvia saw and gave so much in her life to others, in her 103 years.
She leaves behind her daughter, Shirley, son Colin, eight grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren.
She is remembered for a wonderful life well lived, sadly missed but cherished and loved by all.
