That wasn't good enough for Norm Rowland, one of the founders of the aged care provider which now cares for thousands of older residents at nine locations across NSW.

On Thursday Mr Rowland celebrated his 100^th birthday at the original aged care home at Mount Warrigal; surrounded by family and friends as well as CEO Mark Sewell and Shellharbour Mayor Marianne Saliba.

He told the Mercury that helping set up Warrigal was one of two career highlights.

"At the time there wasn't any aged care home from here to the Victorian border," he said.

"In the '60s I was president of the local Lions Club and along with others - from Rotary and Apex clubs - we helped establish a nursing home of 10 beds in Shellharbour. And it's just grown from there."

Mr Rowland moved from Sydney to Wollongong in the 1950s, to take over as Superintendent of the Tallawarra Power Station.

"I also consider it an achievement that at Tallawarra we created the fabric filters to stop the pollution from the power stacks," he said.

The father of two, and grandfather of four, still lives independently - with home support from Warrigal. He puts his good health down to three things.

"A wise choice of ancestors, the medical profession and the fact I've been a non-smoker my whole life," he said.

Daughter Robyn said his "kindness and great sense of humour" also kept him going - while a "whiskey each night" didn't go astray.