Joan Hasse Celebrates a Century at Resthaven Marion

No matter what the activity, Resthaven Marion resident Mrs Alice (Joan) Hasse, always had a natural ability when it comes to pursuing her interests.

Joan, who turned 100 on 15 November, has tried her hand at China painting, dressmaking, gardening, gourmet cooking and painting – excelling at them all, each individually, in turn.

Often the feature artist at different art exhibitions, Joan’s paintings were well regarded by those in the Fleurieu art scene where she made a name for herself while living at Aldinga. Some of these pieces now hang in her room at Resthaven Marion.

But, long before Aldinga and art, Joan was doing well at school, and then at work – proving her abilities across subjects and circumstances.

Early years

Born in Birmingham, England, in 1924, Joan’s parents packed up their lives when she was just five-months old and moved to Australia.

Her father had fought in World War I, mostly in warmer countries, and on returning to the cold of England found that his respiratory problems were flaring up. The decision was made to move ‘Down Under,’ and the family settled in Griffith, New South Wales, where they took up dryland farming under the Soldier-Settlement Scheme. Not long afterwards, channel irrigation came to Griffith and the face of farming in the regional city was changed forever.

The family had fruit orchards – plums, peaches and apricots – and Joan remembers that Christmas Day was always the time when the apricots were cut in half, placed on large trays, and put out in the sun to dry.

The oldest of four children, Joan would ride her bike to Hanwood Primary School, sometimes meeting up with the neighbours who would ride their horse. Another neighbour was the McWilliams’ family, the sherry producers, and musical nights were held.

As a young girl, Joan learnt to play the piano from Mrs Whiting, and she took to it well.

‘My father used to sit in on the lessons,’ Joan says.

Times were tough on the farm, and with drought and market pressures putting a squeeze on the family finances, the family moved to Adelaide.

‘My father had been with Accles and Pollock (precision tube manufacturers) before the war, and they owned the British Tube Mills in Adelaide,’ Joan says. ‘We moved to South Australia and my father easily found a job with the firm.’

With the move, the family had to sell most of their furniture.

‘Our piano had not sold and was on the back of the truck ready to go,’ Joan says. ‘My dad said, “Go up there and play it so it sells.” So, I did and someone heard me playing and bought it from us!’

Playing mostly classical music, Joan continued to enjoy this pastime well into her 90s.

Joan continued her schooling at Adelaide High School, going on to complete her leaving certificate. Her favourite subject was English, and her father wanted her to be a lawyer. Instead, she found a job working at the T&G Building in Adelaide as a typist.

During the war years, Joan worked at the Islington Railway Workshop, where she calibrated bullets to be used for munitions for World War II. This work was very technical, and a high level of numerical accuracy was required. Joan made good friends here, keeping in touch with them for many years.

Joan and Ray

Towards the end of the war, Joan met her husband-to-be, Ray, at a dance at the Palais Royal. They fell in love and were married on 1 September, 1946. The next year their first daughter, Pam, was born and in 1950, their second daughter Judith (Jules).

The family moved from Nailsworth to Hazelwood Park, where they lived for many years. Built by Stokes Builders, the home still stands. The couple had one car, and most days Joan would pick Ray up from the city when he finished work at the Hoyts Regent Theatre where he was a manager.

The girls attended Linden Park Primary, before going on to Presbyterian Girls' College (now called Seymour College). 

Towards the end of the 1960s, Hoyts told Ray he could either take a promotion in Melbourne, or a demotion in Adelaide. He chose to move to Melbourne, but Joan stayed on with the girls until Pam was married. In 1969, she joined Ray in Toorak, Victoria.

‘I didn’t know anyone in Melbourne, but I walked along Toorak Road and door knocked to see if anyone wanted a typist,’ Joan says.

She found work at Brown Gouge, a specialist dry cleaning company. Later, Joan and Ray moved to Doncaster, and Joan found a new job, this time in the credit department at Myer where she was responsible for approving (or not) credit applications.  

‘I loved fashion, and if I had my time again, I’d love to have designed clothes,’ Joan says.

The credit office was on the top floor of the Myer store, and each day Joan would walk past all the dresses, keeping her eye on anything she liked the look of. Then, when things were put on sale, and with her Myer discount, Joan would snap them up.

‘I had a lovely time buying dresses,’ Joan laughs.

Joan worked there for 15 years. Ray retired from Hoyts, but then went on to work for an Italian cinema, as well as ACI Glass where he earnt the nickname ‘Ray-laxation’. The couple moved back to South Australia in 1987, and Joan began working for Myer in Adelaide.

‘We came back and lived in our newly built home at Aldinga,’ Joan says. ‘Ray always had a positive attitude, and it kept everyone else positive as well.’

For her part, Joan was always careful not to write down her birthdate on work forms, but one day someone from personnel came to see her.

‘He said to me “It’s come to our attention that you are three years over the retirement age, and you’ll need to leave.”,’ Joan says. 

Joan had to resign, but with her new leisure time, she took up oil and acrylic painting on canvas. Joan submitted her portfolio and was welcomed to the Willunga Hill Arts Group and the Port Noarlunga Art Centre. She was also involved in many Victor Harbor art shows.

When their property at Aldinga became too much to maintain, Joan and Ray moved to a smaller home at Jetty Road, Brighton, where Joan would often walk down to the beach and along the jetty.

For Ray’s 90^th birthday, the couple, and their daughter Pam, travelled to New Zealand. Sadly, Ray died in 2017, at the age of 94.

‘My years with Ray were the best of my life,’ Joan says.

Joan moved into Resthaven Marion in May 2023 and says the secret to her longevity was growing up on the farm.

‘Eating natural, healthy food has always been important to me,’ Joan says. ‘I used to grow my own salad and vegetable plants, and I would walk regularly to stay fit.’

Joan celebrated her 100^th birthday at Resthaven Marion with 38 friends and family joining her for a morning tea party. Happy Birthday Joan – congratulations on reaching 100!

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