Community & Business
3 March, 2025
Eric Dorries emulates cousin Alf
Former local Eric Dorries celebrated his 102nd birthday at the Oakey RSL on Saturday February 22nd.
Eric and his wife of 71 years, Laurel, have strong ties to the Oakey region where Eric was born and raised.
The youngest son of John “Christy” and Charlotte Dorries (nee Diflo), Eric was born in Cherry Street and was raised on a dairy farm at Crosshill, between Biddeston and Oakey.
“Crosshill was a big place back in those days,” he said.
“It had a hotel and a racecourse.”
Both of Eric’s grandparents travelled to Australia in the mid-1800s from parts of southern Germany.
Eric had eight siblings: Alex, Florence (Mrs Byers), Violet (Mrs Wood), Norman, Pearl (Mrs Henry), Kenneth, Reginald and Dulcie (Mrs Henschell).
The last of his siblings died more than 30 years ago.
Growing up on the dairy farm, Eric said there was always something to do.
“It was seven days a week work,” he said.
“Whether it was raining, or real frosty mornings, or thundering, you still had to go out and get those cows in.”
When Eric was almost 16, his mother died at the age of 55.
He took on the role of cook, and often prepared meals for his siblings when they returned home.
Being an essential worker for the nation’s economy, and to help his ageing father with the dairy, Eric did not enlist in the Second World War but two of his brothers served.
In 1946, Eric bought his father’s farm at Crosshill.
Not long after, he met Laurel Short in Brisbane where she was working at the time. In July this year they will celebrate 72 years of marriage.
Laurel said no marriage is perfect, and Eric agreed they’ve had good and bad patches, but time itself is a testament to their union.
The pair raised four children: Linda, Keith, John and Valda at Crosshill.
Keith currently operates the family farm which he purchased from his parents.
When retirement called, Eric and Laurel moved into Glenvale Villas in Toowoomba for five years before relocating to Beauaraba Living in Pittsworth eight months ago.
The couple have ten grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
Eric said he could not attribute anything in particular to his longevity only, “I just keep on living.”
Eric’s cousin Alf Dorries also reached 102.
“They [family] were all looking to see whether I was going to get to 102 or not!”
