September 1 2019

Late August brought the news that Australia lost Tim Fischer.

It has taken a couple of days to figure out what to write, it is easy to write about public figures but you want to make what is written count.

Tim Fischer was perhaps the best Nationals leader that Australia ever had, his leadership in the 1990’s put the party on the map, they looked after Rural Australia and the Liberals looked after the cities and the suburbs.

He was the most recognizable politician in the land, all he needed was a hat.

He was likely the last politician to use a public telephone on the campaign trail even when mobile phones were pretty common back in the late 90’s.

He brought in an era of added safety after Port Arthur, his belief in gun control put him at risk of political oblivion but he knew what guns can protect people and their livelihoods and what destruction high powered and fast shooting guns could do in the wrong hands.

Deniliquin was lucky because for 14 years he was the member for Farrer, a seat that was suitable for his talents and the people wanted nobody else to lead them no matter the fortunes of the Liberals and the Nationals.

In 1998 he got to open the rail turntable in Deniliquin that was relocated from Inglewood in Victoria and given a new home in Poictiers Street.

Politicians open things all the time but for Mr Fischer this opening was important because he loved rail, so much so that it would be hard to find somebody who could match it.

Sadly the turntable like Tim Fischer is gone from town, just like Deniliquin taken it away from Inglewood, another town has ours but the memory will remain of the years the town had another turntable and the man who opened it to the public.