Ken holds the current titles of Australia’s oldest living person and the oldest man ever, as verified by the global authority on supercentenarians, LongeviQuest.
Whiddon Grafton, Media Release and photos, 3 October 2025
He’s lived through two World Wars, the Great Depression, five global pandemics, the arrival of television, the internet, and even AI—and now Kenneth (Ken) Weeks is set to celebrate his 112th birthday on Sunday, 5 October 2025.
Ken will mark the milestone surrounded by family, friends, and the team at Whiddon Grafton, the aged care home he’s called home since 2018. To celebrate, Whiddon will present him with a special gift and a plaque recognising his record-breaking longevity.
At 112, Ken is not only Australia’s current oldest living person but also the oldest man ever recorded in the nation’s history, surpassing the record set by Dexter Kruger at 111 years and 188 days. Over his life, Ken has now lived an incredible 5,844 weeks, witnessing more history than most of us could imagine.
Born in Grafton in 1913, Ken has lived through a century of seismic change but has never strayed far from the Clarence Valley.
He grew up as the eldest of five children and spent his early years on a riverside farm in Swan Creek, attending Carrs Creek Primary School and Grafton High School.
In 1941, Ken married Jean McPhee (1911-1986). The couple had two sons, Ian and Noel. They were married for 45 years before Jean’s passing in 1986.
During World War II, Ken applied to join the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Despite his determination, his application was unsuccessful due to hypertension. Not to be deterred from serving, he assisted by constructing access to airfields.
Throughout his remarkable life, Ken turned his hand to many professions—from road construction and truck driving to running a radio and electrical repair business, a milk bar, and later co-owning a car dealership while also driving a bus.
He went on to serve as a clerk at the electoral office before retiring at 65. A passionate designer and builder, Ken also created two trucks, a sailboat, a fishing boat, a campervan, and even made modifications to his own home.
Ken was an active member of the Grafton Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia, attending weekly services, helping with maintenance and was a treasurer.
Incredibly, Ken lived independently in the same home for 65 years before moving into care at Whiddon Grafton shortly before his 105th birthday. Ken’s active lifestyle has kept him remarkably fit well into his later years. He walked into town for shopping even after turning 100 and later adopted an electric tricycle to maintain his independence. He continues to walk at Whiddon, keeping abreast of what’s happening in his home.
Ken’s milestone birthday has sparked a global outpouring of well-wishes, coordinated by LongeviQuest, as people around the world join in celebrating his remarkable longevity.
The wishes included a touching note from the granddaughter of British supercentenarian John Tinniswood, who achieved the title of the World’s Oldest Man aged 112 before his passing in November 2024.
Across his 112 years, Ken has seen it all and is proudly still going strong. Out of respect for his wishes, Ken and the Weeks family will not be giving interviews, but he’ll be celebrating in classic Ken style: quietly, with family and friends.
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