"Everyone asks me that," she says, amused by the question, as if there were some great mystery to it. "Just be happy that you're alive."

Mrs Moore now has a house full of birthday cards from across the world to commemorate her centenary, celebrated on Tuesday this week. There were some big names among them: The Queen was one ("Oh, she remembered me. How nice," Mrs Moore remarked), the Governor General, the Prime Minister, the NSW premier and governor, among many others. And last Saturday at mass, she received an apostolic blessing bestowed upon her on behalf of Pope Francis by Fr Troy at St Raphael's.

Mrs Moore's story is very much a Queanbeyan story, and she's lived her whole life in the region. She was born on January 20, 1915 at the local Queanbeyan maternity homestead, 'Yvonne,' on Campbell St.

She grew up on the land at Michelago, and married local grazier Noel Moore at St Patrick's, Michelago, in 1942. She and Noel have three children, Thomas, Clare and Janice. And Mrs Moore is now a grandmother of six, and great grandmother of seven.

She's been a keen sportswoman and played cricket, tennis and bowls, and was part of Michelago's first women's cricket team. Fellow Queanbeyan centenarian and friend Jim Woods taught her how to bowl in her retirement, and she took to the sport with enthusiasm.

She's lived in Crestwood for the last 43 years, and has a strong family connection in that area; her great grandfather, Garry Owen, farmed dairy cows where the current Campbell St Bowls club and tennis courts are. She's also been a long time member of Queanbeyan's Quota and Probus groups, and was a Show Society steward for 73 years.

Asked how it felt to reach her 100th birthday and celebrate it with loved ones, Mrs Moore said, "Wonderful. I've got a wonderful family."