Eric keeps age at bay with work

Most Australians look forward to retirement, but one Ballarat man is refusing to take it easy, despite turning 97.

Eric Carthy celebrated his 97th birthday this week by heading into work – and he has no plans to call it quits.

“Some days I feel like 21, but when I go over to pick up something I know damned well I'm not,” he said.

The Ballarat mechanic has been fixing cars and pumping petrol at the 'Caledonian Garage' for 50 years.

Work has kept him busy after wife Laura passed away nine years ago.

“You only get one partner in life as far as I'm concerned and she was it,” he said.

His co-workers said his age does not phase him at all.

“He just doesn't realise he's 97 that's what keeps him going,” Malcolm Macdonald said.

“Eric always loves a good chat and the customers love it too.”

There are 600,000 Australians who plan never to retire - and for good reason.

Research shows working beyond retirement age is good for your health - in fact for each additional year worked, the risk of dementia is reduced by three per cent.

“I think that sometimes people work towards the old retirement age of 60 for women and 65 for men as if it's inevitable and we should retire, but the good evidence is that people can work beyond that if they want to,” Dr Darryl Dymock from Griffith University said.

He says working longer can make you live longer.

“There is some suggestion the cognitive and social simulation that you get from working, apart from the income, actually keeps you hooked into society if you like,” he said.

It is certainly working for Eric.

“I don't think I'm going to have time to stop,” he said.