A last minute fix has ensured the Civic Merry-Go-Round will continue to spin for this weekend’s multicultural festival, after a mechanical fault threatened to bring the carousel to a standstill.
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Territory and Municipal services were able to fix a broken variable speed drive in the 98-year-old merry-go-round, despite an initial diagnosis that a new part was needed.
The diagnosis had caused some concern, as the part is no longer in production for the timber and steel structure, built by Australian motoring pioneer Herbert Thompson in 1915.
But within a day, the problem had been solved, and the carousel was spinning again.
It was welcome news for the Operators, LEAD, a community group which has employed people with disabilities to operate the merry-go-round since September last year.
“We’ve got our staff back on board, we’re ready to rock and roll in the morning,” spokesperson Keryl Neville said on Wednesday. “We’ll be looking to have extended opening hours on the weekend – probably until 9 o’clock on Friday night, and then probably from 9 o’clock through until 6 o’clock on the weekend.
“We look forward to making people go round and round all weekend.”
