19/05/2026
I’ve been fortunate to experience a lot of interesting things during my four years as Mayor, but Saturday was definitely a first!
The Adelaide Miniature Steam Railway Society, true stalwarts of City of Prospect — were celebrating their 50th anniversary. When the park first opened all those years ago, the Mayor of the day drove the first miniature steam engine through a ceremonial banner… and I was invited to do the same.
It was a fantastic experience. In fact, they practically had to prise me off the engine after an hour of learning the ropes and thoroughly enjoying myself.
What really stood out to me though was the camaraderie amongst the (mostly older) blokes proudly showing off their engines.
There was plenty of banter, but underneath it all was genuine respect and friendship. You could feel how much the organisation (and the occasion) meant to them.
It was a wonderful day bringing generations together through engineering, community, and shared passion. That sense of community is at the heart of what councils across the state help support and create every day.
As Brenton Ragless once said, “you can’t be unhappy around trains”, and looking around Railway Park that Saturday, it was hard to disagree. There were smiles everywhere, old memories being revisited, and friendships being strengthened.
And to the shock jocks and social media commentators who love to tear councils apart and call for their abolition, come down to Railway Park one weekend and see what local government is really about. I can assure you, it’s a lot more than roads, rates and rubbish.
