MOUNT Isa’s Sandra McGrady celebrated her 70th birthday in Brisbane last Saturday night with family and friends.
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“I don’t feel anywhere near 70,” Mrs McGrady said.
“I kept saying to people ‘it’s just a special birthday, don’t mention 7-0.”
She celebrated at the Urbane restaurant with friends, family, and 60s music in the background.
The Beatles was an obvious choice on the soundtrack considering Mrs McGrady and her husband, mayor Tony McGrady, come from Liverpool, England.
Their daughter Susan and son Paul and his wife Melissa were among those celebrating, as well as Mount Isa Australian Workers Union organiser Bede Harding, parish priest Father Mick Lowcock, former police commissioner Bob Atkinson, and the Gillic family.
Fr Lowcock said Mrs McGrady had greatly contributed to many community organisations and she had done it not because she was the mayor’s wife, but because she cared about people.
Mrs McGrady has contributed to many community organisations in Mount Isa since she first called the city home 48 years ago including Meals on Wheels, Red Cross, the Prostate Cancer Support Group and the hospital auxiliary.
“To me she is a very humble person who does what the ordinary person does,” Fr Lowcock said.
“Certainly over the years she’s been one of the caring faces in Mount Isa.”
Mrs McGrady moved to Mount Isa 48 years ago with her newly wed husband, who had already lived in the city a short time.
“We got married and he wanted to come back,” she said.
“When I stepped off the plane my words were ‘oh my god, this is the end of the earth.’”
But then, like so many others before and after, Mrs McGrady fell in love with Mount Isa.
“I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, it’s home to us, it’s been good to our family,” she said.
“I love the people, the people in Mount Isa are beautiful people.”
Councillor McGrady said Mrs McGrady had been his backbone in almost 50 years they had been married.
He said they never had an argument or shouting match, although acknowledged it was difficult to believe.
When Cr McGrady was a state cabinet minister the duties of the electorate fell to Mrs McGrady.
“She worked in my electorate office every day, open every day and close at a night time. People (still) ring the house phone and ask for Sandra if they have any problems.”
Premier Peter Beattie once said in Parliament that the only person who could defeat Cr McGrady in the electorate was Mrs McGrady.
