Longevity expert Stephen Cave talked to Guyon Espiner about how living to the age of 150 could soon be a reality. Video / RNZ
Despite broadcasting a message to King George VI, and being the first cover girl of The Listener magazine, Ngaire Darby says her proudest accomplishment in her 100 years is her marriage and raising her children in a happy home.
Born and bred in Wellington in 1924, Ngaire Darby (formerly McKenzie) will celebrate her 100th birthday today – October 7.
She lives in a villa at the Taradale Masonic Village and said she had a good upbringing with her parents, who immigrated from Scotland after World War I, and three sisters.
Ngaire became involved with 2YA radio station through her sisters who would sing on air; however, she opted to read children’s books instead.
“I was all right at reading, but I was no singer, and that’s how they knew my voice came over the air satisfactory.”
Ngaire Darby celebrates her 100th birthday on October 7. Photo / Michaela Gower
At the age of 14, she was enlisted to record a message to be played to King George VI on Empire Day, the annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations, where each country was invited to send a greeting.
“He made a state visit to Canada in May 1939 and somebody woke up to the fact that he was going to be there on Empire Day, and they had the bright idea of linking all the countries in the Empire to send greetings.”
She said the day she recorded the message “it was all done in a bit of a hurry” and the overseas broadcasters could not pronounce her name so they used her middle name Joyce instead.
“They sent a government car with a chauffeur to pick me up from my home and took me down to the studios and when it was all over they took me back home again.”
“I said ‘For all the people in New Zealand I send greetings, love and loyalty to Your Majesty’.”
She also got the chance to tell the King about herself. She informed him she was a schoolgirl, studying for university entrance, that she wanted to be a school teacher, and what sports she played.
“He probably wasn’t remotely interested.”
Following the gig, she returned a short time later to be photographed by Spencer Digby for the very first cover of The Listener magazine.
“He photographed all the the high and mighty, including me.”
She went on to leave school and work in the family insurance business.
“Things up to then had been pretty grim ... but I had no trouble getting a job.”
Despite all her prior achievements at such a young age, she found herself conforming to societal standards and was required to leave work.
“When I got married, I had to resign because they didn’t employ married women.”
She returned to the workforce during World War II and worked as a clerk auditing books.
“We were allowed back as temporary staff and I think now how the workplace would get on without married women.”
A few years later, at the age of 22, Ngaire married sweetheart Ian Darby after he returned from World War II where he was a prisoner of war in the last month of combat.
She said her husband was a tall man, standing 6′4″ (1.93m) to her 5′1″ (1.56m), and described him as lovely.
“We must have looked a bit peculiar together.”
The pair had two sons, John and David, and Ian’s work as a radiographer took the family around the country before settling in Central Hawke’s Bay and retiring in Taradale.
As for turning 100, Ngaire said she felt the same as she had always done and was grateful to still have good health and mobility.
Her advice to the “young ones” was to always be willing to learn with an open mind.
“Learn as much as you can because it always stands [you] in good stead in your life... set your goals – it is good to have an aim and view, and be prepared to change if necessary because life doesn’t flow on an even field.”
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.
