But the resident of Whiddon Laurieton on the Mid-North Coast insists otherwise, saying she was just "ordinary" when it came to preparing meals for her late husband and five children.

So she relished the opportunity to learn a few tricks and try out a few dishes as part of the age-care facility's new Cooking Club program.

Meeting fortnightly, the club gives residents the opportunity to connect over cuisine and celebrate food traditions together.

It was developed based on research that found cooking as a group can foster a deep sense of community and belonging. It can also be a powerful positive reminder of family get-togethers and traditions.

Dale Feeney, deputy director care services at Whiddon Laurieton, said residents get together once a month to cook the same sweet and savoury dishes.

All have been contributed by residents for Whiddon's own cookbook, which contains 60 special recipes with a personal connection or linked to a special memory for the resident.

The program has found a big supporter in June.

"I love it, because I'm just an ordinary, plain cook. My favourite meals are roast dinners and barbecues.

"I leave anything fancy to my daughter and granddaughter!

"So I'm learning new things here."

June is perhaps being a little modest about her abilities. Club members have cooked two of her standby recipes so far.

"One was curried prawns and rice and one was jam drops last week. A jam drop is a little biscuit with a hole in the middle and jam in the centre. It's a very old recipe."

Despite a full life of cooking, June is always open to new ideas.

"One of my daughters makes, oh what do you call it - yes, vegetarian meals. They're beautiful."

But as with most people, there's always an exception. "Parsnips! I've never liked them."

June was born at Bundarra in the Northern Tablelands - she, too, one of five children - but moved with her family to Grafton when she was three.

She well remembers mealtimes during the Depression.

Asked how people got by, she said: "We lived in the bush and if anyone killed a sheep, they would share it. It was the same with rabbits. If you caught a lot, everyone would share.

"We had a lot of rabbit. You could barely taste the difference between chicken and rabbit.

"Mum used to do a rabbit fricassee - don't ask me how she did it! It was absolutely beautiful and served with home-grown veggies."

Australians' food tastes have changed enormously since June was a lass.

"Oh, yes, chicken was a delicacy as a child. During the war we lived with my grandparents and Grandma had a lot of chooks. But it was a big thing to have roast chicken chicken for Sunday dinner."

A degree self-sufficiency was always important. "Grandma used to milk a cow every day. Actually, she died in a cow yard at 85-and-a-half, God love her - she was doing what she had always done."

June speaks fondly about her childhood in Grafton and later life.

"I lived in Prince Street and started school at St Mary's right on the river.

"I danced around the maypole at the first Jacaranda Festival [October 29, 1935]. It was very popular in the schools around Grafton and St Mary's won."

She said her happy life continued into adulthood and counts her blessings.

"I've got three sons and two daughters and a great granddaughter and great grandson.

"We spent of most my married life in the Parramatta area and the children all went to school locally.

"My husband Rex was a wonderful man. He died about seven years ago.

"My kids are amazing. My sons are all plumbers like their father was."

June has kept busy throughout her life, and has been a volunteer for 60 years, including on hospital auxiliaries.

Devoted to her Catholic faith, she did a diploma in grief counselling in and taught scripture in state schools. .

June and Rex moved to Laurieton 30 years ago, where both of them remained active in the local community, especially their church

After Rex died, June moved into Whiddon Laurieton.

She said it makes her happy to know that her children aren't worried about her living on her own.

"You're spoilt rotten here - well, I am. And I have a wonderful room. Yes, I've had a very fulfilling life," she said.

This includes eating together, which she agrees is something special.

At every meal she shares a table with a lady who is 101 years old.

"We've been friends for 18 years, so it's lovely."