QHWMA member John Donnan operating a stripper pulled by a tractor driven by Ian Fisher.
The Quambatook Heritage Working Machinery Association will once again stage its Harvest Working Days and Vintage Tractor Pull on Australia Day weekend.
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Club members have been working to prepare items from their extensive collection of tractors, harvesting machinery and old trucks.
As well as demonstrating club-owned machines, organisers welcome all machinery enthusiasts and collectors who bring and put their harvesters to work or enter tractors in the vintage tractor-pull.
The next generation of farm machinery enthusiasts are participating in field days such as Quambatook’s January event.
A growing number of young people are bringing items from their own collections.
“I have been mucking around with tractors since I was 16,” 28-year-old Rochester man Hugh Macague said.
He also collects harvesters, and his collection includes an early Sunshine Auto header, a Sunshine HST, a Horwood Bagshaw OH, a David Shearer XP88, an IH A83 self-propelled and a very unusual machine that Hugh plans to bring this year, a Massey Ferguson 31.
Another unusual machine Mr Macague plans to demonstrate at this year’s event is a homemade tractor.
In 1960 two brothers from Forbes, NSW needed a bigger tractor for their farm than was available.
George Holmberg with a John Deere 4010 that has returned to his family after purchasing it in 1963.
At the time, the army was selling off its fleet of ‘General Grant’ tanks.
They were powered by two 6v71 GM diesel engines, the brothers acquired several and built two tractors from the drive trains and later each brother built another one.
Mr Macague has acquired the original he calls ‘Harry’s Horse’.
Vaughan Glass, from Nanneella, has a collection of tractors too. They are mostly John Deeres — Vaughan has JD models 3020, 4020, 4620, 4230, 4430 and 4240 as well as a Case 400 Hyclear diesel.
The Case is a relatively rare machine, as only 67 diesel models and 58 petrol models were made.
Mr Glass and Mr Macague will bring some of their machines, whether a harvester to demonstrate or tractors to compete in the vintage tractor-pull.
Mr Glass has organised the return to the Holmberg family of a tractor father George purchased new in 1963.
Brothers Andrew and Colin Holmberg with their father, George, from Elmore and a tractor that has returned to their family after George purchased it in 1963.
The JD 4010 was purchased from Grogans, which was a John Deere dealer in Elmore. The tractor was later traded in on a JD 4440, and the 4010 ended up on a farm at Rand, NSW.
Many years later, Mr Glass saw the tractor advertised and purchased it to add to his collection.
The 4010 came with its original owner’s manual and on getting it home and opening the manual, Mr Glass saw the original owner’s name, George Holmberg.
Mr Glass was happy to re-sell the tractor to the Holmberg family, so it has gone full circle.
George is now 97, and was thrilled to see his old tractor coming back to Elmore.
The Quambatook event is to be held on the Australia Day weekend, with gates open at 10am.
There will be working demonstrations of harvesting machinery, including strippers, harvesters and headers, on both days and the tractor-pull will be staged around 3pm Saturday.
The event is fully catered, including a roast meal Saturday evening.
For more information, contact Doug on 0427 346 634 or Graeme on 0429 346 110.
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