Vintage farm machines rally

Press, 11 March 1983, Page 22

Vintage farm machines rally

The largest vintage agricultural machinery rally to be held in New Zealand will take place at Prebbleton, near Christchurch, on the week-end of March 19 and 20. The Case and Vintage Farm Machinery Club is organising the rally and it will be held on the property of Mr E. J. Smith, Springs Road, Prebbleton. The event has drawn machinery from Australia, and Dargaville in the North Island to Invercargill in the South Island. It is hoped to have about 25 traction engines and 130 tractors with all types of farm machinery, including oil engines, water pumps, threshing mills plus chaff cutters on display. Tractors that will be on display will include a 1919 Samson Sieve Grip, Cross Engine Case, Hart-Parr, Peterbro, John Deere, McCormick Deering, Allis-Chalmers

and Caterpillar. These tractors will be of all ages and sizes to give a very good display. Five traction engines are being driven up from Cave, Waimate and Timaru before the event. This display will feature Burrell, McLaren, Robey and Fowler machines and should create a lot of interest. It is hoped that all machinery will be giving demonstrations at different times. The oldest threshing mill listed is a 1900 Foden, still in good working order. A 1912 Clayton-Shuttleworth threshing mill will also be there, along with the Foden and McCormick-Deering Tin Mills giving demonstrations of how threshing was done in the past. A Lanz Bulldog tractor is being driven from Invercargill by Mr Tom Parks and has already started on its trip up to Christchurch.