Catherina van der Linden believed to be Australia’s oldest person has died aged 111.
According to her funeral notice, Ms van der Linden died on Australia Day at Southern Cross Care’s West Beach Residential Care home in South Australia.
Image: Catherina van der Linden (Source: Southern Cross Care)
Southern Cross Care released a statement saying Ms van der Linden died “gently” at night surrounded by her family. The funeral notice read:
“[Catherina] passed away peacefully on Australia Day January 26, 2024 at West Beach Residential. Beloved wife of John (deceased). Cherished mother of Mariella and Bob, Jerome and Robyn, Garrath and Thawanrat (Nop), Margherita and Carl.”
Ms van der Linden was born in the Netherlands on 26 August 1912 and migrated to Australia with her husband and young family in 1955.
She went on to hold a variety of jobs, including nursing assistant, clerical assistant and a season of grape picking.
South Australia’s Premier Peter Malinauskas who met Mrs van der Linden last year on her 111th birthday said on X that his thoughts were with the family.
On her 111th birthday, she told AAP she continued her exercise “to see that you still have that energy that you did before”.
Ms van der Linden also formerly held the distinction of being the oldest Dutch person in the world.
The notice said Ms van der Linden’s body would be donated to the University of Adelaide’s Body Donation Program to “advance medical science through research”.
She is survived by her four children, 10 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
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