The date was September 27, 1922, and in the small country town of South Grafton, little Barbara Jean was born.

Maitland's newest centenarian celebrated alongside fellow residents, family and friends at the retirement community at Oakhampton.

"The party was most unexpected," Mrs Guilfoyle said.

Mrs Guilfoyle who enjoys playing bingo and trivia said she never actually thought about turning 100. "I get the normal aches and pains like everyone else," she said.

She has one daughter, Christine Beadle, and married her late husband Bernard (who she called Billy) in August 1944.

Mrs Guilfoyle said she met Billy at the Five Dock picture show. "I would go there every Monday night with a friend and Billy went with a few boys," she said.

Mrs Beadle shares a close relationship with her mum and said it was great to see her mum turn 100. "I thought she probably would hit 100, she's been very fortunate with her health," Mrs Beadle said.

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Mrs Guilfoyle spent majority of her life in Sydney before moving to Maitland three years ago.

She and Billy did a lot of travelling throughout the years, including Alaska and Canada.

"We went just about everywhere," Mrs Guilfoyle said.

An animal lover with a great sense of humour, Mrs Guilfoyle once owned a Pekingese, who she called Samantha Elizabeth after the sitcom Bewitched.

"My husband said 'You spend half your life with that bloody dog', and I said 'What's wrong with you, it could be another bloke'," she said.

With an eye for fashion, Mrs Guilfoyle loves the colour pink and misses her younger days when she would walk from her home to the shops.

Mrs Guilfoyle, who is a royalist, hasn't yet received a letter from the Royal Family about her 100^th birthday but hopes to soon.

"I was really looking forward to receiving something," she said.