Australia’s Oldest Man Turns 113 and Shares a Birthday With the World’s Oldest Man

Ken Weeks has celebrated his 113th birthday in Grafton, New South Wales, marking an extraordinary milestone in a life spent almost entirely in the same Australian community.

A Remarkable 113th Birthday

Weeks was born in Grafton on October 5, 1913, and is now recognised as Australia’s oldest living man. LongeviQuest lists him as the second-oldest living man in the world, behind Brazil’s João Marinho Neto, who turned 114 on the same day.

For his birthday, Weeks was taken on a special drive through Grafton in a vintage car, allowing him to revisit places connected to his long life. Family members and residents at his care home joined in celebrating the occasion.

A Life Rooted in One Community

Weeks grew up in the Clarence Valley and spent most of his life in the Grafton area. Over the decades, he worked in a variety of jobs, including building roads, driving vehicles and running local businesses.

During World War II, he was unable to join the Royal Australian Air Force for medical reasons, but later helped build wartime airfields. He married Jean McPhee in 1941, and they had two sons together.

Independence Has Remained Important

Even after moving into residential care shortly before his 105th birthday, Weeks has continued to value doing things for himself. His granddaughter Eunice Weeks said he still likes choosing his own clothes, organising his belongings and feeding himself whenever possible.

His family has described his resilience and independent nature as important parts of his character. Before moving into care, he remained active in his community and was still walking into town to do his shopping after turning 100.

A Birthday Connection Across 14,000 Kilometres

Weeks’ 113th birthday had an unusual connection. João Marinho Neto, the world’s oldest living man, was born exactly one year earlier, also on October 5.

The two men exchanged birthday messages across more than 14,000 kilometres, each celebrating the other’s remarkable milestone. Guinness World Records described the exchange as a special friendship between the world’s two oldest living men.

A Milestone for Australia

Reaching 113 makes Weeks the first Australian man known to have reached that age. His story has attracted attention not simply because of his longevity, but because he has remained closely connected to the same town, family and routines throughout an exceptionally long life.

Source: ABC News, AAP, Guinness World Records.