"I don't believe it," he said.

He will be visited by friends and family at Footscray Aged Care, where he has lived for four years.

"I am going to dance rock 'n' roll," he joked.

Mr Werboweski has experienced a lot in the past century.

He fled Ukraine after World War II, arriving on his own in Australia in 1949.

He was separated from his wife and children, who remained in Ukraine, and was able to visit them only once, in 1987.

He has lived in Footscray for 24 years, working at the Ford factory and becoming a familiar face in the local Ukraine community.

Two of Mr Werboweski's grandsons now live in Melbourne, and he is regularly visited by his great-granddaughters.

His grandson Vasil Verbov

etski said longevity was a family trait.

"Apparently, Wasyl's grandmother lived 102 years."

Mr Werboweski's great-granddaughter Sofia, 14, said she also hoped to live to 100.

"I am very proud [of Mr Werboweski]. He can still understand stuff."