Forest Hill twins have 99 reasons to celebrate

April 12, 2016

For almost 100 years, Uniting AgeWell residents Mary Mullarvey and Catherine Zimmer have done just about everything together.

Wednesday, April 13, will be no different - the identical twins will celebrate their 99th birthday with a joint celebration with family and friends at Strathdon Community in Forest Hill.

Since they were born, the sisters have shared a special bond and lived parallel lives, including getting married within a week of each other, having similar families, living in adjacent streets in Forest Hill since the 1970s and later moving into the Strathdon Community.

Both legally blind due to age-related macular degeneration, the sisters are both avid radio fans and speak to each other every night, reminiscing about past experiences and updating each other on family news.

Mary’s son, Brian Mullarvey, says his mum and “Aunty Kit” are so alike, they have confused people throughout their lives.  

“The pair often confuses people in shopping centres and during their early days at Strathdon, even the staff and other residents would get them mixed up,” he said. 

“Both mum and Kit have extremely positive outlooks and despite their disabilities, enjoy going out on day trips as much as they can.

“They’ve always had a healthy diet, eating plenty of fish, wild rabbits, local meat and home grown vegetables and fruits.

“They still have most of their own teeth and enjoy a good steak and plenty of seafood.”

Between Mary and Catherine, they have four children, 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

The Strathdon Community is holding a special brunch to celebrate the pair’s remarkable milestone. Friends and families from interstate and overseas will attend the special event. 

Interview and photograph opportunities are available.