Ormondville Rail Preservation Group Inc.
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Traditionally Ormondville Rail Preservation Group Inc. celebrates the station's birthday (9 August) on the closest Saturday each year. This provides the chance for a more organised function than our usual Saturday night 'after-working bee' meals.
The year 2000, however, was special for other reasons too. Obviously the station was celebrating its 120th birthday - and rather more people were present than the handful who showed up on the big day in 1880 when the decision to stop building the next stage of the line had only just been announced. There was, of course, no big opening ceremony that time.
In addition, we were celebrating ORPG winning the National Federation of Rail Societies' Paul Heighton Trophy for "excellence," and this was the first time most of us had seen it. Rather than risk leaving it unattended at the station in our absence, during our time of holding it, the trophy is spending little one-month holidays in the homes of various members - in order to spread around the satisfaction of having achieved it.
The third big reason to celebrate was the launch of our book From the Station Platform, which presents the contents of our newsletter, The Station Platform. For further information on that visit our 'Souvenirs' page (see hyperlink above).
The main function was held in the restaurant at the Makotuku Pub. Then we adjourned to the public bar to watch ourselves - as Doug Scott's ever-sneaky video camera has frequently seen us over the past few years. This was not too traumatic!! A great time was had by all (some forty people), while someone's decision to replace a hanging pot plant with the station bell ensured that speeches weren't too long and that the railway station atmosphere had followed us from nearby Ormondville.
Members of ORPG Inc. pose for the media with the Paul Heighton Trophy, on the afternoon of the 120th Birthday function. They are: (back row, from left) Paul Mahoney, Alan Flaus, Bob Brooking, John Marshall, Alan Brabender and Eddie Veale, (middle row) Daniel Read, Karen Israelsen, Murray Frater, Kay Brabender, Val Burr and Beth Burlace, (front row) Cecily Charlton-Jones, Delores Frater, Alva McAdam, Zelma Reid and Shirley Flaus. (Photo: Taken by the Dannevirke Evening News' photographer on Bob Brooking's camera.)
The birthday cake in close-up. (Photo: Bob Brooking)
