One of three police officers stationed in Trentham, Sergeant Gardiner was joined by past and present members of the force on Friday as the town celebrated the station’s 150^th anniversary on Friday.

Ballarat Superintendent Andrew Allen and Ballarat MP Catherine King were also on hand for the milestone. 

The original station was built in 1866 in Camp Street, before moving to the current Greendale Trentham Forest Road site in the 1980s.

Sergeant Gardiner described the force’s relationship with the people of Trentham as a “unique connection”.

“In larger regional areas like Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong or even Melbourne, police can just be people dressed in blue, whereas here with many of the locals we’re on a first-name basis, and we call some of them friends.

“A lot of the time you’re working in isolation… so it’s good to know that you’ve got the community’s support.”