The Griffin Social Club have officially handed over their much loved ‘Spirit of Collie’ train to the Collie Agricultural Society.
The social club wound down their operations this year after over 60 years in the Collie community due to a decline in membership and a change in banking processes.
Griffin Social Club president Greg Wheeler said the group wanted to see the ‘Spirit of Collie’ train stay within the Collie community.
“We built it for Collie and that’s where we want it to stay, it’s extremely important to the people who worked on it in the early days that it stays in Collie,” he said.
The Griffin Social Club put the call out earlier this year to community groups who were interested in taking on the train. “We did have a couple of people from out of town that wanted to take it on in Geraldton and Bunbury that wanted it and we discounted them,” Mr Wheeler said.
“The conditions were that it stays in Collie and that it is available to all other groups in Collie who wish to borrow it or use it. And that it remains with the sponsors names on it, it’s 31 years’ since we have had it so we would like it to stay with the sponsors names on it.
“This is the new era, the sponsors have all agreed to still help with it when needed.”
Collie Agricultural Society president Robert Ingram said they wanted to see the train stay in Collie and to be enjoyed for future generations.
Any groups who wish to book the train can contact the Collie Agricultural Society.
