{"id":22673,"date":"2026-02-10T09:31:51","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T22:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673"},"modified":"2026-02-10T09:31:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T22:31:51","slug":"story-of-an-everyday-hero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673","title":{"rendered":"Story of an everyday hero"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Marina Williams<\/strong><\/p>\n

At his Launceston home, Craig Osborne pauses as kookaburras call through the trees.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s four of them hanging around lately,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

That same ease shapes how Craig approaches life and faith.<\/p>\n

Each Sunday he plays piano at Launceston South Uniting Church, where he has worshipped for more than three decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get a bit adventurous with the melody lines,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople tell me they like what I do with the tunes.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne said, \u2018sometimes I wonder where the melody\u2019s gone and then there it is again\u2019. It just comes from the heart. I\u2019m just being me.\u201d<\/p>\n

That steady authenticity has guided his faith and work.<\/p>\n

As congregation chairperson and pianist, and as TasRail\u2019s longest-serving trainer after 45 years on the railway, he has earned quiet respect for the way he helps others learn and belong.<\/p>\n

Craig grew up in the church and returned to regular worship in the early 1990s after remarrying.<\/p>\n

It was his late wife, Bronwyn, who \u201cdobbed him in\u201d to play piano.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey must have been short of musicians,\u201d he says, smiling at the memory.<\/p>\n

Music, though, was already part of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandmother was gifted, Dad plays too, and a local teacher got me started,\u201d Craig says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI stopped lessons in Year 10 but never stopped playing. It\u2019s good for the soul.\u201d<\/p>\n

The church\u2019s inclusive spirit, he says, has kept him connected.<\/p>\n

Through the years, Launceston South has welcomed people from Nepal, Bosnia and other communities seeking a place of belonging.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople have told us we\u2019re a friendly church and I feel that vibe too. It matters,\u201d Craig says.<\/p>\n

Faith, for Craig, is as much about curiosity as conviction.<\/p>\n

He reflects on how meaning in scripture can turn on a single word.<\/p>\n

\"Picture

Craig Osborne is a vital member of the Launceston South congregation and is also a legend in the Tasmanian rail industry.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cTake \u2018forgive us our sins as we forgive those\u2019,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe word \u2018as\u2019 can mean \u2018because\u2019 or \u2018in the same way as\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I forgive but haven\u2019t really let go, can I expect the same forgiveness?<\/p>\n

\u201cI prefer to read it as \u2018in the same way as\u2019. It keeps me honest.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Bronwyn died in 2006, that habit of reflection took on new depth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen my wife died, she was well,\u201d he says. \u201cShe was just appallingly sick.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pauses.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a difference between being healed and being well,\u201d Craig says.<\/p>\n

Faith helps him sit with that complexity.<\/p>\n

Craig became sole parent to their then 11-year-old daughter, Hannah; his two older children, Michael and Emma, were already close to adulthood.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t part of our life plan,\u201d he says plainly.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking back, I\u2019m happy to have raised Hannah.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat makes her isn\u2019t just me. It\u2019s her mum, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kids are decent human beings and, for me, that\u2019s what matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Family is central to Craig\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

His parents and Michael live not far away, while his daughters are based in Melbourne. Grandchildren also keep him busy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s wonderful to enjoy time with them all and I am very grateful for my life,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Craig also enjoys travelling, including recently to Morocco which was, he says, a reminder \u201cof how big and fascinating the world is\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Picture

A recent visit to Morocco was a reminder of “how big and fascinating the world is”, says Craig.<\/p><\/div>\n

At TasRail, Craig is described as a \u201cliving legend\u201d.<\/p>\n

Starting as a trainee driver in 1980, he later moved into training, working with everyone from track labourers to managers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like seeing people learn and seeing that moment they realise they can do something they didn\u2019t think they could \u2013 the \u2018ahh\u2019 moment\u201d, he says.<\/p>\n

In 2025 Craig received the Tasmanian Transport Association\u2019s \u2018Everyday Hero Award\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe feedback\u2019s been overwhelming, with people saying well done, well deserved,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cReading the testimonials was touching. I do my best and I don\u2019t try to be anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

At church, the same steady approach guides his leadership.<\/p>\n

In 2017 the congregation made the difficult decision to leave its Balfour Street building, where Craig had baptised Hannah, farewelled Bronwyn and saw Emma marry, and move to more sustainable premises.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had an emotional attachment there, as did others, who had been going there longer than me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I realised we\u2019d eventually go broke if we stayed, it became about the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not about me, it\u2019s about my grandchildren\u2019s grandchildren and what\u2019s the best path for the congregation to endure?\u201d<\/p>\n

He helped the congregation navigate that transition with care.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s make a decision,\u201d he says simply.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s do what gives us the best chance of serving people far into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now in his 60s, Craig is one of \u201cthe youngest\u201d in his congregation.<\/p>\n

He still arrives early to set up for worship and stays to help pack away.<\/p>\n

He supports local missions, mentors younger members, and offers practical help when needed, but never sees it as exceptional.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t imagine I\u2019m anybody special,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just do what I do the way I\u2019m wired. I\u2019m happy that I\u2019m able to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

His contribution\u00a0to church, community and workplace is not defined by awards or titles, he says.<\/p>\n

It rests in presence: a steady hand, a thoughtful word, a piece of music that lifts the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just try to be me.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For Launceston South Uniting Church member Craig Osborne, service is found in small, steady acts of music, mentoring and showing up for others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[155],"class_list":["post-22673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-congregation-leadership"],"yoast_head":"\nStory of an everyday hero - Synod Main Website<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Story of an everyday hero - Synod Main Website\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For Launceston South Uniting Church member Craig Osborne, service is found in small, steady acts of music, mentoring and showing up for others.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Synod Main Website\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-09T22:31:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Craig-three.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/cef8aa8d2a4ea1f900a1026a8a355f7d\"},\"headline\":\"Story of an everyday hero\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-09T22:31:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673\"},\"wordCount\":938,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Craig-three.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Congregation leadership\"],\"articleSection\":[\"People\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673\",\"name\":\"Story of an everyday hero - Synod Main Website\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Craig-three.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-09T22:31:51+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/cef8aa8d2a4ea1f900a1026a8a355f7d\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Craig-three.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Craig-three.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":900,\"caption\":\"Craig three\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Story of an everyday hero\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/\",\"name\":\"Synod Main Website\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/cef8aa8d2a4ea1f900a1026a8a355f7d\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a4514e363e1b13b783d9feaa0c835e1fa285f052b8d64b40fbbf5ec5ccab51b2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a4514e363e1b13b783d9feaa0c835e1fa285f052b8d64b40fbbf5ec5ccab51b2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Story of an everyday hero - Synod Main Website","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Story of an everyday hero - Synod Main Website","og_description":"For Launceston South Uniting Church member Craig Osborne, service is found in small, steady acts of music, mentoring and showing up for others.","og_url":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673","og_site_name":"Synod Main Website","article_published_time":"2026-02-09T22:31:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Craig-three.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/cef8aa8d2a4ea1f900a1026a8a355f7d"},"headline":"Story of an everyday hero","datePublished":"2026-02-09T22:31:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673"},"wordCount":938,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Craig-three.jpg","keywords":["Congregation leadership"],"articleSection":["People"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673","url":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673","name":"Story of an everyday hero - Synod Main Website","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Craig-three.jpg","datePublished":"2026-02-09T22:31:51+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/cef8aa8d2a4ea1f900a1026a8a355f7d"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Craig-three.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Craig-three.jpg","width":1200,"height":900,"caption":"Craig three"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?p=22673#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Story of an everyday hero"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/#website","url":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/","name":"Synod Main Website","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/cef8aa8d2a4ea1f900a1026a8a355f7d","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a4514e363e1b13b783d9feaa0c835e1fa285f052b8d64b40fbbf5ec5ccab51b2?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a4514e363e1b13b783d9feaa0c835e1fa285f052b8d64b40fbbf5ec5ccab51b2?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au"],"url":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22673\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/synod.debug.victas.uca.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}