BIOGRAPHY

Alfred Date was born in Hammersmith, London, England, on 8 November 1905. In his youth, he moved to Australia.

In 1926, at the age of 21, he married Muriel. He had seven children.

Date lived in Epping from 1937 to 1969 and maintained strong ties to the community throughout his life. In the 1940s, he served as secretary of the St Albans/Epping Cricket Club and was also a social member of the Epping RSL Sub-Branch, where he contributed by writing sports reports.

He began knitting in 1932 after his sister-in-law taught him how to knit a jumper for his newborn nephew. In 2015, he gained widespread media attention for creating tiny sweaters for the penguins of Phillip Island, who needed woolen jumpers to stay dry following an oil spill. The Phillip Island Penguin Foundation officially recognized Alfie as their “most senior little penguin jumper knitter.”

His advice to younger generations was to “look on the bright side of life,” and he often said that his secret to longevity was simply “waking up every morning.” He mentioned that although he tried smoking a pipe briefly, he was never a smoker and had always managed to maintain a steady weight. An avid sportsman, he played golf until the age of 90, football into his late 40s, and cricket well into his late 50s. At the age of 91, he even went white-water rafting in Canada. According to his son John, he was reluctant to use a walking stick and only began using a walking frame at the age of 107.

Date passed away in Umina Beach, New South Wales, Australia, on 2 May 2016, at the age of 110 years, 176 days.

RECOGNITION

Following the passing of 108-year-old Fred Lunghusen (5 July 1905 – 2 July 2014), he became the oldest living man in Australia. Upon his own passing, he was succeeded by Alfred Powell (16 September 1908 – 30 April 2017).

Date’s age was verified by Dr. Andrew Holmes and validated by the ESO on 23 July 2020.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Live every day like it’s your best: Pearls of wisdom from Alfred Date, Australia’s oldest man” – Daily Telegraph, 10 July 2014

* “Australia’s oldest man Alfie Date, 109, knits sweaters for penguins” – Daily Mail, 11 February 2015

* “110-year-old Alf Date dies peacefully at his Umina Beach nursing home” – Daily Telegraph, 3 May 2016

GALLERY