By Ashleigh Fielding | posted on May 22, 2020
ALBANY Heritage Park volunteer Eric Corrigan has celebrated 30 years at his post this week and plans to continue working there for as long as he can.
The 90-year-old found himself volunteering at the Heritage Park in 1990 to cover a shift for his cousin, who had a softball game to get to.
Mr Corrigan ended up taking over the position permanently and never left.
For a few years, Mr Corrigan was volunteering at the Heritage Park seven days a week but has now reduced his workload to just Sundays.
He said his wife threatened to bring his bed up to the Park because he was there so much.
“I love my wife but coming up here on Sundays gives her space,” Mr Corrigan laughed.
He reminisced on some of his favourite memories made at the Heritage Park. One in particular was while touring with a group of visitors through the underground magazine, he released a surprise party popper and got a huge reaction from the group.
“I would wait until it was completely silent and a little bit eerie then I’d pull the party popper,” Mr Corrigan laughed.
“It was always the highlight of my tour and added an element of surprise which the visitors enjoyed afterwards, and of course we made sure there were no existing medical conditions!”
City of Albany CEO Andrew Sharpe said Mr Corrigan’s dedication to the Albany Heritage Park could not be faulted.
“His knowledge of Australian military history means visitors that have been fortunate enough to tour the site with him are left with a deeper understanding of the site’s significance,” he said.
“Eric’s friendly demeanor and approachability has made him a go-to for training new volunteers, a source of captivating stories and a local treasure among our Albany community.”
Mr Corrigan’s 30-year volunteer service will be celebrated with a small ceremony at the Princess Royal Fortress next week.
