Bessie Conomos OAM, a resident of Carinity Wishart Gardens who was previously recognised in the Australia Day Honours List for her volunteer work, celebrated her 100th birthday on the 20th of April 2021.
Bessie, born Vasilike Gianniois, hails from Kythira, Greece. She’d moved to Australia at the age of seven with her family, living in rural New South Wales where she met her husband, Theo Megaloconomos. The two raised four children together, moving from city to city.
Throughout her life, Bessie would volunteer for numerous organisations and operations such as Meals on Wheels, or the St Nicholas aged care home in Highgate Hill. Her cooking helped raise funds for numerous charities, and she’d remained a consistent and helpful member of whatever community she’d found herself in.
When Bessie was 87, her services to the Greek community in Brisbane were recognised by the Australian Government, and she was awarded with a Medal of the Order of Australia. The award was also given in part to her contributions to the Carinda community as an active member of the Country Women’s Association and the Bush Nursing Association.
In 2021, five years after moving into Carinity Wishart Gardens in 2016, Bessie Conomos officially joined the Carinity 100 club. To this day, she remains a resident of the aged care community and spends her days relaxing and receiving visits from her family.