Former teacher and principal Joan Palmer is turning 100 on February 4, 2023

Joan Palmer is still bursting with enthusiasm for her many passions, has a buoyant social calendar and is an avid conversationalist.

The East Maitland woman has gained an extensive repertoire of experiences so far - from taking part in the Sydney University Land Army during World War II, to inspecting the education system in Canada and America and even meeting the late Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace and attending Royal Ascot and the Trooping of the Colour.

An impromptu conversation with Transport Minister and Maitland MP Milton Morris, where she jokingly said her life ambition was to go to Trooping of the Colour and see the Queen ride sidesaddle, landed her a formal invitation to attend those three royal events.

Mrs Palmer, nee Bornhalt, can easily recall memories throughout her life and hopes her 100th birthday on February 4 isn't her last. She cannot wait to celebrate the milestone with her friends and family.

In other news:

She has seen so many technological advancements since she was a child growing up in the Riverina in NSW and there's one thing that stands out the most.

"The best thing to happen to me in 100 years is this Alexa. I love music and I have records and things but I don't need them anymore, with this I don't have to get up and put a disc in," she said.

"I'll say Alexa, play Nat King Cole, and on it comes."

Love of golf through the decades

Mrs Palmer is a life member and patron of Maitland Golf Club and a patron of Easts Leisure and Golf Club.

She gave up going to the gym and playing golf a few years ago.

"You can't swing a club around forever," she said.

"I was once the B-grade champion. I became an A-grade golfer and I only played on weekends because I worked."

She's still involved in the club and will attend the season opener next week.

Contribution to education

She joined in 1947, soon after she moved to Maitland as a young teacher. Initially she worked at East Maitland Public School.

When women were allowed to become school principals in 1965 she took her first principal role at Vacy Public School.

She then moved to Morpeth Public School before taking on a school in Newcastle and then one in Scone. She retired at 60.

"As a child I wanted to be a teacher, I enjoyed the job. I liked children and being around people. In my day children had respect for their teachers and their parents and old people," she said.

"We had the cane in those days but I didn't like it, I thought it was child abuse giving the cane. Thankfully we didn't have to do it too much."