On 16 June, the historic Dalgety Pub became the focal point of a centennial milestone when Jindabyne’s, June Weston, a local government trailblazer of the Snowy Mountains region, celebrated her 100th birthday.

Surrounded by a tight-knit circle of immediate family and lifelong friends, the venue was deeply personal as the pub sits only a short distance from the family home where June had been born, anchoring a century of life to the rural landscape she has called home since 1926.

Kathleen June Golby (known as June) was born in the sprawling rural district-village of Numbla Vale, roughly 30 minutes from Jindabyne where her life is a living map of the region’s history.

Apart from primary and secondary schooling in Sydney, June has lived her entire century in the rural stretches of this historical Snowy Monaro region.

Typically, her centenary celebrations began with a nostalgic re-visit to the now lucerne paddock remnants of her “once-upon-a-time” birthplace, “Alma” Numbla Vale.

In growing up as an only child (until 1935 when her only sibling arrived) her family upbringing was anything but solitary.

June’s father was the eldest in a family of the nine who survived birth, and June was a compatible age with the younger of her aunts and uncles.

This narrow age gap, as both families grew in age, meant she was often mistaken for her father’s sister...rather than his daughter.

Not surprisingly, this was the public perception as recently revealed to June when, in the comparative recent messages of sympathy being offered to her after her, Uncle Greg and Aunty Rose, died .......“we always thought you were Bob and Rose’s sister”.

Her 1939 path to adulthood was interrupted by a global conflict. With secondary schooling in Sydney and aspirations of doing either medicine (after great-grandmother Crawford) or law, June experienced disturbing emotional realities in 1942 when the Japanese submarines “silently crept into Sydney Harbour”.

“My father made me come home,” she recalled.

“He said, ‘It makes no sense for you to be in Sydney when all the other kids are being billeted out to the bush. I didn’t argue. I felt fear. I left immediately along with the rest of the students.”

Returning to the safety of the mountains, she later spent three years teaching at a subsidised school, where most lessons arrived via post and were supervised by her in a remote setting. However, she knew teaching wasn’t her calling.

Though she later considered nursing, the strict government contracts of the era - which required a four-year commitment - proved incompatible with her upcoming marriage and she decided against the career change.

On 19 November, 1947 - the same day Queen Elizabeth II wed the Duke of Edinburgh - June married Jindabyne local man, Bob Weston.

Bob, who affectionately nicknamed June, “Blondie”, after the popular comic strip character, saw in June a formidable intellect and a spirit for public service.

In 1974, June made history as the first woman elected to local government in the region. Swearing on the Bible to uphold the law, she became a third-generation councillor, following in the footsteps of her husband’s family.

Her grandfather-in-law, J.O. Weston, had served on the first local council.

Her tenure, which lasted more than a decade, was marked by a steadfast adherence to protocol and a refusal to be intimidated.

“It was memorable, to say the least,” June said.

Despite being the target of heckling and threats, she earned a reputation for sticking to her guns and ensuring things were done “as the law and the Act decreed”.

“I loved being a councillor, it was in my bloodline, and Leo Barry had married my father’s sister.”

The Weston name is linked to the physical layout of the Snowy Mountains after June’s father-in-law, nicknamed “Straw,” was a key figure in the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

While the town of Adaminaby was re-built away from the water, it was Bob’s father who insisted that the new Jindabyne be built on the edge of the lake, learning from previous planning errors.

The home June still occupies today on Kosciuszko Road where the “Michaels” property has been in the family for seven generations.

Though the flooding of the “Old Town” threatened to submerge the property, it was saved by Bob’s quick thinking and today, June enjoys the view from her deck - a favourite spot to watch the sunrise.

Beyond politics and farming, June’s greatest passion has been music. A talented organist and pianist, she served as the primary musician for the town’s weddings, funerals, and Sunday services for decades.

Her talent took her far beyond the Snowy River, she has performed in musical revues; church music for two premiers’ daughters, and even an organ in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome during one of her pilgrimage expeditions.

June recalled the private masses held in the side chapels of the historic Vatican site, while playing the organ at the iconic site.

While the COVID-19 pandemic eventually brought her public performances to a halt, her musical legacy remains a point of pride for the community.

Today, June is regarded as a matriarch of local history and a treasure trove of legal and political knowledge.

Members of the community would frequently call her for advice on local government matters.

As she reflects on ten decades, June cites her family as her greatest achievement.

With three children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, the family remains remarkably close, with two of her children still living locally.

“I’m proud of all my children, my grandkids, and my great grandkids,” June said.

“And I’m proud of my election to local government - I was the first Snowy River woman to have a go but I doubt that none know that it was Bob who actually got the nomination form filled in and said “now go and get elected and DO something”.

From the remote tracks of Numbla Vale to the halls of local government and the grand cathedrals of Europe, June Weston’s century has been defined by a commitment to her roots and a fearless approach to the unknown.

As she celebrated at the Dalgety Pub, the message from family and friends was clear.

“She is truly the smartest woman I have ever known,” family said.