General News
3 April, 2026
Family flies across Australia for Norma's 90th
Horsham resident Norma Mund marked a major milestone with a 90th birthday celebration surrounded by family and friends at the Lutheran Homes Village community centre on Sunday, March 29.
Although her actual birthday fell on Monday, March 30, Norma celebrated a day early with 55 guests, including relatives who travelled from interstate to be with her.
Norma said seeing her family together made the occasion especially meaningful.
“I love to see them,” she said.
“All the children came yesterday.”
“We’re all here, and through the whole family, there was only one missing.”
Family members travelled from regional New South Wales, Sydney, Queensland, Tasmania and the Northern Territory to join the celebration.
Born in Rupanyup, Norma grew up in the district and fondly remembered her childhood on a wheat farm.
“My childhood was very good,” she said.
“It was always wheat.”
She said she helped her family with farm work as a girl, from milking cows to occasionally driving the tractor.
Norma later married in 1957 and spent different chapters of her life in Mount Gambier, Darwin, Melbourne, and Quirindi near Tamworth, before returning to Horsham 11 years ago.
These days, she keeps busy with crafts, especially making stuffed dogs and other animals, a hobby she has enjoyed for many years.
She’s been doing cake decoration from home for the last 15 years, a small business she started while in Darwin.
“Now it is my hobby,” she said.
“I make stuffed animals for family and people.
“Anybody wants a dog, they just have to give me a photo of the side and the front.
“I also do knitting and cake decoration.”
Norma said the highlight of turning 90 was the effort her children put into organising the celebration.
“Oh, the highs were that party yesterday,” she said.
“One of them did the catering, another one did the decorating.”
“How can I thank those kids for doing such a terrific job?”
She said a slideshow of family photos playing throughout the afternoon added to the atmosphere and made the day even more special.
Reflecting on life at 90, Norma had experienced ups and downs.
“Becoming a parent or becoming a mother was definitely one of the highs in my life,” she said.
“Losing my boy at the age of 21 was the low.
“Another low was the passing of my husband, but Trevor’s pain still hurts me.
“Now, I’ve got a routine, you know, and I keep to that.”
The celebration honoured the strong family ties and treasured memories that have shaped her life.