LongeviQuest is delighted to announce that New Zealand’s oldest known living man turned 107 years old. James Easton celebrated his birthday on 12 December 2023 surrounded by his extended family and with two Australian Army representatives at St Heliers, Auckland village. Easton is believed to be New Zealand’s oldest living man and Australia’s oldest-surviving World War II veteran.
James Easton’s 107th Birthday
(Source: https://www.rymanhealthcare.co.nz/ryman-news/ww2-pow-celebrates-107th-birthday)
James Easton was born in Kirkintilloch Scotland on 12 December 1916. His family arrived in Canada when he was 3 and then emigrated to Australia at 11. After quitting school at 14, he roamed the country by train, taking odd jobs. He became a street photographer and then joined the army in 1940. Captured by Japan, he spent 3 years as a POW (prisoner of war) in Burma. Weighing just 103 pounds after release, he managed showgrounds in New Zealand. Married with one daughter, he now lives in a retirement home in Saint Heliers, Auckland, New Zealand.
