World's oldest blogger, Olive Riley, dies at 108

Renowned as the world's oldest blogger, Riley of Woy Woy, a small town near Sydney posted her last blog expressing concerns about her health.

However, she signed off on a cheerful note, saying how she still sings a happy song every day.

Born on October 20, 1899, Riley began blogging since February last year, sharing stories of her life on her blog or "her blob" as she jokingly calls it, of how she survived the two world wars, raised three children on her own and worked as a station cook in the ranch.

According to her great-grandson Darren Stone of Brisbane, Riley loved blogging as it kept her mind alert despite her frail health.

At an age when people show aversion to the internet and similar means of modern day forms of communications, Riley found blogging "mind-blowing" and "enjoyed the notoriety," Stone said.

"What kept her going was the memories she had, and being able to recall those memories so strongly. It kept her mind fresh. She had people communicating with her from as far away as Russia and America on a continual basis, not just once in a while," he said, adding how she won an international audience with her blog, The Life of Riley (www.allaboutolive.com.au), and series of videos posted on YouTube with her talking and singing.

"She had a wonderful memory, and an amazing zest for life," her friend Eric Shackle said. "Just two weeks ago, she recalled the words of a song that was popular before World War II, and sang the chorus with me. ... The thousands of loving messages she received from fellow bloggers in such places as Iceland, India, Iran, North and South America and Australia helped keep her alive in her final year. Her only regret was that she couldn't reply to them."

In her last and 74th post (http://worldsoldestblogger.blogspot.com) on June 26, Riley said she was had moved into a nursing home on account of her poor health. "I can't believe I've been here in this nursing home for more than a week. How the days have flown, even though I've been in bed most of the time. I still feel weak and can't shake off that bad cough," her post read.

She also spoke about singing "a happy song" with a visitor to the home as she did every day and said she had "read a whole swag of email messages and comments from my internet friends today, and I was so pleased to hear from you. Thank you, one and all."

Since then there has been two more posts: one informing readers that Olive is ill and the last a notification of her peaceful passing away.

Riley died in the nursing home on Saturday.

Scores of tributes were posted by well-wishers on the blog over the weekend on news of her passing away. "A great loss to Australian blogging and to blogging the world over," one comment read.

"It was very moving to read this," said another. "I am 57 and Olive has given my hope that maybe I'm only halfway."

"Thanks so much Ollie, for inspiring my parents to get active, and overcome their fear of computers," read another.

Spain's Marie Amelia Lopez, 12 years younger than Riley, held the record as the world's oldest blogger, before Riley took up blogging after being spurred on by a documentary maker.