After a number of false starts, the official opening of the Tangambalanga police station took place yesterday with a number of dignitaries in tow.
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Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton, Police Association Secretary Wayne Gatt, former and current station officers and community members attended the opening.
COVID-19 was attributed to to the absence of Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes and to the three-year delay of the station's official opening.
Including a dedicated interview room, extra space and artwork by Wiradjuri man David Dunn, the single-member station is the second home of Leading Senior Constable Lisa Lorenz.
"It's so wonderful to have an updated facility," she said.
"The last police station was seven metres by eight metres, and once you added in things like computers, chairs and a bench, there was not much room left."
In 2017, Senior Constable Lorenz became the first female in the Victoria Police eastern region, and the second statewide, to run a single-member station.
She worked out of her car while the station was being built and Chief Commissioner Shane Patton acknowledged her dedication, noting she had changed holiday plans to be at Wednesday's opening.
"I was very worried this day would never arrive but it is important, because these are very symbolic days," he said.
"How we use police stations has certainly changed - we create an environment that's as supportive as possible."
Wodonga Local Area Commander Inspector Paul Hargreaves also thanked Senior Constable Lorenz.
Inspector Hargreaves will conduct his fourth station opening in as many years at Rutherglen today and provided a brief history of the Tangambalanga station.
"In 1862, Thomas Mitchell cut 640 acres of land to make an Aboriginal reserve ... the land we have built on is part of that," he said.
"The closest police at the time were the mounted troops stationed at Dederang.
"In 1881, the Chief Commissioner of the day, (Hussey Malone) Chomley, asked that a new station be built and staffed by one of those mounted members.
"A police station was built in four months."
Subsequent stations were built in Tangam in 1930 and 1975 - the latter being the workplace of Laurie Walsh.
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Mr Walsh, who attended the opening, was the station officer from 1988 to 2005.
"There wasn't much done to it but it was a good station," he said.
"It's been a long time coming and the town is growing."