by Noreen Burns
On Saturday, March 3rd, 2001 there was a celebration to mark the event of 75 years since Electric trains started operating in Australia.
With Bettye Ross, our esteemed President, I arrived at Platform 1 at Central Station to be greeted (with lost of others) with a delicious morning tea, a rousing repertoire from a very good band, a speech from our new Governor General, Professor Marie Bashir, and a short talk from Mrs. Beryl Godfrey of Oatley who, as a young girl, had been a passenger on the first electric train to Oatley. She recalled that with much determination she had got the much desired window seat.
We departed on the, now restored first electric train, which, compared with modern trains was extremely comfortable, airy and with a Traditional Jazz Band serenading us all the way to Oatley I enjoyed an extremely pleasant journey.
On arrival at Oatley we were ushered across the road to the Park by an accommodating Policeman, who stopped all the traffic for us, which chuffed us up no end.
From here in the Park we encountered other members of the St. George Historical Society and there was plenty of eating, drinking and merrying. ‘hic’
A splendid day was had by all.
This article was first published in the April 2001 edition of our magazine.
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