Australia’s oldest living person has marked his 113th birthday alongside the only man in the world older than him, with the pair sharing birthday wishes despite being thousands of kilometres apart.
Ken Weeks, who lives in Grafton, northern New South Wales, reached the remarkable age on October 5 — the same day João Marinho Neto of Maranguape, Ceará, Brazil, celebrated turning 114.
The two men not only have the same birthday but are recognised as the world’s two oldest living men. They are separated by roughly 14,000 kilometres.
Mr Weeks, a resident of Whiddon aged care in Grafton, was delighted to receive a birthday message from Mr Neto. He responded with a video of his own, thanking the Brazilian centenarian and wishing him a happy birthday.
“Ken’s 113th birthday is an extraordinary milestone,” Whiddon chief executive Chris Mamarelis said.
“But for us, it was never about the number. It’s about Ken and the life he has lived to get here.
“Today, he connects with the only man on earth older than him. Two men, born a year and 14,000 kilometres apart, exchanging messages on the one day that belongs to both of them. That is not something we can plan for. It is a privilege to witness.
“I don’t believe we will ever see this again. The world’s two oldest men — one turning 113 and the other 114 on the same day — wishing each other a happy birthday from opposite sides of the world.
Australia’s oldest living person celebrated his 113th birthday on the same day as the only man in the world older than him
Ken Weeks (pictured), from Grafton in New South Wales, reached the extraordinary milestone on October 5, the same day as the world’s oldest living man
“That is not rare. That is special, and it may be the only time it ever happens.”
Mr Weeks has lived at the aged-care home since 2018, moving there shortly before his 105th birthday. Until then, he had lived independently for decades and was still walking into town to shop when he was 100.
He has spent more than a century in the Northern Rivers region of north-eastern New South Wales. The eldest of five children, he grew up on a farm beside the river at Swan Creek.
During World War II, Mr Weeks was unable to enlist in the Royal Australian Air Force. Instead, he contributed to the war effort by helping build airfields.
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A lifelong builder and tinkerer, he worked in construction and repairs before operating several small businesses, including a service station, milk bar and repair shop.
Mr Weeks married Jean McPhee in 1941, and they had two sons, Ian and Noel. Their marriage lasted 45 years, until Jean died in 1986.
His son Ian said his father had followed a straightforward lifestyle, without many of the modern health habits often linked to exceptional longevity.
“He lived a plain, simple life; no drinking, no smoking, though he ate white bread,” he said.
João Marinho Neto, from Maranguape, Ceará, Brazil, turned 114 and exchanged birthday messages with Mr Weeks (pictured)
Mr Weeks has been living at Whiddon Grafton nursing home since 2018
His son Ian said the key to his father’s long life was simple, ‘no drinking, no smoking, although he did eat white bread’
‘He wasn’t into today’s health stuff, not very much sweet stuff, but it was all plain simple food.’
While Mr Weeks remains physically fit and relatively agile, his age has impacted his voice.
‘He has trouble talking [and] he doesn’t speak very well,’ Ian said.
His granddaughter Eunice described him as a ‘gentle’ and ‘kind’ man.
‘Grandpa’s resilience, determination, and independence combined with his faith in God have given him a remarkable and long life,’ she said.
‘And while he is remarkable, I also love that he has lived a simple ordinary life of industrious hard work.
‘To me he is a typical Aussie battler, that just happens to be my grandad.’
LongeviQuest, a global longevity research organisation, recognises Mr Neto as the world’s oldest living man and Mr Weeks as the second-oldest living man.