While it was common knowledge that Australians who reached the age of 100 could expect a telegram from the Queen, on this day in 1987 it was a dog receiving congratulations for his century-long life.
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Beowulf, a Rhodesian ridgeback-boxer cross, was congratulated by Sadie Stephen, the distinguished Labrador to the Governor-General Sir Ninian Stephen.
This was not Beowulf's only celebration.
His minder, Polly Plowman, held an open house for him with all the works - birthday cake, bones, biscuits and champagne.
It was Ms Plowman who had written to the Labrador Sadie Stephen to advise her of the senior citizen's upcoming birthday, to which Sadie responded with a letter saying: "We Labradors tend to eat ourselves into early graves, so centenarians are rare among us!"
The letter continued, and said while Sadie was "not really the Corgi's representative in Australia" she did sympathise with their "clearance problems over broken ground".
Beowulf received a handful of birthday cards and was gifted two jumpers which were "half-price at Saint Vincent de Paul".
