You may know Elda (Ella) Bortolin as the lady who zipped around Ballina on her little red mobility scooter. Or, perhaps you've spotted her at one of her favourite haunts, the Ballina RSL Club. Maybe, you remember her smiling face behind the counter at the Ballina bait shop she ran with husband Peter.
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But for the family and friends gathered around Ella to celebrate her 99th birthday at St Andrews Village on Wednesday, she is a much loved matriarch.
Ella shares her birthday with granddaughter Lisa Love, 54, and niece Debbie Elliott, 60, and as the family celebrated, they reminisced about her extraordinary life.
She was just 7-years-old when she arrived in Australia to live on the Northern Rivers from Italy, meeting her dad for the first time.
Life at Rosebank was quite different for the family of Amelia and Francesco Bazzana, and they worked hard growing bananas and forging a life in their new country.
Going to school for the first time was an ordeal for Ella and her brother Valentino, who spoke little English.
As Terania Creek School was closest to where they lived, it meant a 2km walk over the hills. And back at the end of the day.
One person who made an impression on a young Ella was Peter Bortolin, who knew at first sight he would marry her. Despite her mother's plans for her to marry someone else, their love prevailed.
Ironically, it was strict reporting regulations for Italians during World War II that sealed the couple's fate. That and a flat tyre.
Italian families were required to report to Lismore Police Station during the war, and it became a day of socialising for them as they gathered supplies in town.
It was on one such trip that Peter persuaded Ella's mum to allow her to travel home with him. She insisted, however, he drove in front of the bus so she could "keep an eye on the couple".
But fate intervened with a flat tyre, romance blossomed, and the couple married on September 18, 1948 in front of 160 people at St Carthages, followed by a reception at Repentance Creek Hall. The celebrations carried on into the next day.
There was no honeymoon for the couple, and they were soon back at work.
Together, they worked on banana farms at Minyon Falls and Nimbin. It was hard work, but that didn't deter Ella.
They battled cyclonic weather, but they were able to make a success of banana farming, and were able to offer work to migrating Italians.
Their first child, Ida, was born in 1950, and three more children followed, Dianne, Giovanni, and Linda.
The family had a successful year of farming in 1955, and it led to the first family holiday to Ballina.
Here, a love of fishing was sparked that led to Peter co-owning a trawler.
It seemed a better prospect than banana farming, so the family sold their farms and moved to the coast.
Ella and Peter bought a bait and tackle shop on River Street in the 1970s, with Dave's Bait Shop eventually becoming Peter's Bait Shop.
Life in Ballina was easier for Ella after years of hard work on banana farms.
Ella was outgoing and was known for always being impeccably dressed.
She never learnt to drive and would zip about town on her little red mobility scooter.
While Peter spent his days fishing, Ella could be found at her "second home", the Ballina RSL, where she enjoyed playing the pokies.
After spending almost 60 years together, Peter died on January 25, 2007.
Ella led a full life, and was attending aqua aerobics into her 90s. She moved into St Andrews Aged Care five years ago, where she remains, as always, surrounded by family.
