Molly an Anzac Park icon

AVID Anzac Park walker Molly Hogan has celebrated her 94th birthday with her pack of park friends.

For more than two decades, Ms Hogan has visited Lindisfarne’s Anzac Park every morning at 10am to complete her six-lap walking routine.“I started walking a dog in the park after moving into the area in the early 2000s and within weeks I felt a part of the community,” she said.

Ms Hogan said it was the friendships and connections that brought her back day after day. “You enter a different world when you come into the park – you just know everyone is looking out for you,” she said.“At my age if I didn’t come here I don’t know what I would do. This park and this community give my life purpose.”

Ms Hogan was joined by more than 30 park regulars and their dogs to celebrate her birthday recently.

Lindisfarne resident Joanne Halliwell said Ms Hogan and her dog Toby were icons of Anzac Park. “The fact that we see Molly here walking her dog Toby in rain, hail or shine is a testament to this community and this park,” she said.

In 2001, the park almost became an on-lead dog area, but Ms Hogan and the community rallied in support of maintaining off-lead areas.“Our pets are quite sociable and help to create an environment where people and dog owners can come together and connect,” Ms Halliwell said. “The dogs are a conversation starter for someone that has come to the park on their own, making it a haven for those facing social isolation.”