The Maitland councillor was humbled when a park within the recreation area was given his name in a ceremony on the weekend.

“It’s a tremendous place, I still receive letters from people saying how beautiful and relaxing it is,” he said. “I get great enjoyment out of working at Walka and I appreciate this honour very much.”

Cr Fairweather has been part of countless initiatives at Walka, including the construction of the mini railway, the caretaker’s cottage and the workshop. He also helped hundreds of unemployed people gain skills to boost their chances of finding a job through the facility.

“I used to provide job skills there for the unemployed because there was a tremendous amount of work available, and most of the work that was done there was completed through that,” he said.

“Over 900 unemployed people went through the program and $1.6 million in funding has been given to it over the time.”

Cr Fairweather said Walka provided a place for picnics, train rides, weddings and other functions.

Cr Fairweather was chairman of the Walka Water Works Advisory Group for several years.