Bringing to life the stories of Aotearoa’s centenarians…
…the people who have shaped our nation’s culture, values and identity over the past century.
Century of Stories is a celebration of New Zealanders aged 100 and over. Through personal storytelling, we are capturing the voices, memories and life experiences of a remarkable generation, preserving them before they are lost, and sharing them with generations to come.
These stories will be captured and shared through:
- A beautifully produced book featuring the lives of 25–30 centenarians
- An interactive exhibition featuring photographs and recorded voices, bringing each story to life
Why this project matters
This project is about more than history — it’s about connection, understanding, and valuing the people who came before us.
Through Century of Stories, we aim to:
- Preserve and share the rich history of Kiwi centenarians
- Celebrate our past through deeply personal narratives
- Strengthen connections between generations and communities
- Advocate for older people, highlighting their ongoing value in our society
A legacy for all generations
Each story offers a window into a century of change — from world events to everyday life in Aotearoa. These are stories of resilience, humour, hardship, love and contribution.
By sharing them through print, audio and visual formats, we are creating a lasting legacy that honours the wisdom, experience and lessons of our older generation, and ensures their voices continue to inspire long into the future.
You can help make it possible
Make a gift to help bring this special 50th anniversary project to life.
Your support will help us capture these extraordinary stories, honour the lives of our oldest New Zealanders, and ensure their voices are heard for generations to come.
HILDA’S STORY
Hilda speaks in a voice that hovers just above a whisper – soft, endearing, with a faint burr at the edges, like the rasp of a match on coarse paper. There’s a very slight lisp, too, the kind that make her words shorten just enough to charm. She is very small, and her smile, smaller still, always waits at the corners of her mouth. She looks like she has just stepped out of some gentle dream. Life seems to please her quietly, perpetually.
The room is warm and Hilda slips off her cardigan. Her skin, pale and papery, leaves a trace – a delicate dusting – on the cushions, like the whisper of winter beneath a windowpane.
Hilda came into the world as the child of Eva and Robert Strong. In 1923, her parents had left England behind. Her Scottish father had been seriously affected by mustard gas during the Great War and carried the long shadow of the war in his lungs. The air of England was thick with fog and coal smoke, and unforgiving to damaged lungs. To stay was to die, slowly but surely.
They had set their sights on Australia, where his sisters awaited them. But the sea, indifferent to plans, had no ship sailing that way. Instead, there was one bound for New Zealand. So they took it, crossing oceans and arriving in Wellington aboard the Remuera.
You will be able to read more of Hilda’s story in Century of Stories when it is published.