Australia's oldest man, Frank Mawer of Tilba, has died aged 110 after COVID-19 complications

Frank had celebrated his 110^th birthday with his family on August 15.

"He was happy with how his life turned out," his son Philip, who lives in Tilba said.

"He had a large family and a lot of support in the latter stages of his life so he was not isolated."

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Another of his sons, Barry, said, "he lived life to the full even in recent months. He insisted on sitting up for meals, he did his exercises every day, and had plenty of visitors."

The final days were a roller coaster for Philip as his father seemed to pick up a bit on Friday morning after a course of antibiotics for a chest infection.

However Frank deteriorated later in the day and while he was very comfortable with all the medication "Saturday was rugged for us," Philip said. "It was a shock."

"He didn't leave here until Monday so it was good to have him here for two days to come to terms with his passing."

Frank certainly had a long life but it was not always easy.

Born in 1912, he experienced two pandemics (Spanish flu and COVID-19), two world wars and the Great Depression.

At the tender age of 14, he lost his mother, left school and he and his three youngest sisters became wards of the state.

Their father, 20 years older than Frank's mother, was too old to look after them.

He married his sweetheart Elizabeth, an Irish immigrant, in 1939 and together they raised six children.

Elizabeth passed away in 2011, aged 92.

"It was a long marriage to a lovely girl," he said.

In 2020, Frank said his advice for living to a grand age was simple - no smoking, no drinking and no gambling.

"These are three things you can choose. The way you live makes a difference. And the schooling costs of my six children was a worthy investment," Frank said at the time.

Frank joined the Pentecostal Church when he was 18 and during WWII was a conscientious objector for religious reasons.

He spent most of his life in Sydney and was living independently in his own apartment in Gymea in Sydney's south until November last year.

He then moved to Central Tilba to be with his son Philip, a nurse, and his partner following a fall.

His extended family has grown to 13 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and 2 great, great grandchildren.

"He could tolerate a lot," Philip said. "He seemed to roll with the punches."

Frank will be cremated in Broulee and a memorial service will be held in Sydney early in October, Philip said.

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