Australia's Oldest Man Knits Mini Jumpers for Injured Penguins

At 109 years old, Alfred ‘Alfie’ Date is Australia’s oldest man. Living in a retirement home on the New South Wales Central Coast, Alfie was asked by two nurses to help make the sweaters – putting his 80 years of knitting skills to good use. 

Pictured above: Alfred 'Alife' Date

In 2013, Victoria’s Phillip Island Penguin Foundation requested knitted jumpers to assist the survival of Little penguins after an oil spill. Little penguins are a species of penguin only found in southern Australia and New Zealand, with a lone colony of around 32’000 remaining on Phillip Island.

Alfie is a self-taught knitter, who refined his skills after making a baby jacket for his nephew in the 1930s. He has seven children and 20 grandchildren and “about the same amount” of great grandchildren and in 2014, he told The Daily Telegraph that his secret to a long life is simply “waking up every morning.”

The Phillip Island Penguin Foundation received knitted jumper donations from people all over the world and says they have been a huge help in the rehabilitation of the penguins. Oil can make their feathers stick together, allowing water to get to their inner layers. This causes the penguins to get cold and not be able to hunt due to heaviness.

When penguins affected by oil spills arrive at the foundation, they are given one of the knitted jumpers to wear so they don’t consume the toxins or preen their feathers. In 2001, 438 penguins were affected in an oil spill at Phillip Island and by using the knitted outfits, 96% of the penguins were rehabilitated at the centre and released back into the wild.

Today, Alfie keeps his ageing hands active by knitting scarves for friends and beanies for premature babies.