Twins celebrate century of sisterhood

Alison Hunt and Audrey Duthie celebrate their hundredth birthday this week. Photos / Alan Gibson, Richard Robinson

Identical twins Alison and Audrey were born 100 years ago, the day before the world's first automated washing machine was patented.

Alison was first out of the womb - though Audrey claims there was pushing.

Audrey lost the first tooth; Alison was the first to walk.

A century of experiences later, Alison Hunt and Audrey Duthie, nee Pees, celebrate their hundredth birthday this week.

"I don't feel any different. Except I don't like all the fuss," said Mrs Hunt from a rest home in Auckland.

"It isn't as if I'm important; there's been plenty of people who have been 100."

Both women are still alert and healthy as they head towards their second century, just hard of hearing and less mobile.

They also look incredibly youthful for their age - something Mrs Hunt puts down to plenty of "good soap and water, none of this fancy stuff".

"I think people put too much stuff on their face [these days] and it's a costly thing too."

Mrs Duthie, in Whakatane, could not believe so much time had passed.

"I don't know where it's gone," she said.

The twins were born on August 8, 1910, the year Jack Lovelock was born, Marie Curie published her treatise on radioactivity and United States inventor Alva Fisher patented the "Thor" - the world's first electric washing machine.

For 25 years - including World War I - the sisters lived together in Palmerston North, doing everything together and eventually both working as government shorthand-typists.

"We were always together, until I got married at 25," Mrs Hunt said. "We walked to work and again at lunchtime. We always did a lot of walking."

The sisters have always been quick and active doers. "When we were born, our English doctor said he had never seen babies with so much vitality," Mrs Duthie said.

Mrs Hunt, who lived on her own and continued to drive until she was 98, now lives at Aria Park Retirement Village in Epsom. Mrs Duthie is at Mary Shapley Village in Whakatane.

They remain in constant contact.

"We both write letters everyweek and I ring her up and sherings me," said Mrs Hunt.

However, a trip to celebrate this week was a bit much and after a discussion, their families decided to have two celebrations in different places - but the possibility of a Skype computer link is being investigated.

When the Herald visited this week, Mrs Duthie was sitting by a window in her small room, her hair done just that morning and her toenails being pampered by staff.

"I don't like curtains over a window. I like looking at everything beautiful," she said.

A secret to long life was eating wholesome food - like fat, she said.

"I like fat. There's no fat on the blessed meat now. And butter. Everyone used to say, 'Look, the butter eater's home!' I'd leave teeth marks in the butter."

Otherwise, she said, it was being grateful for the blessings of good health and appreciating things of beauty.