The Quambatook Heritage Working Machinery Association will once again stage its Harvest Working Days and Vintage Tractor-pull on this Australia Day weekend.

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, all machinery enthusiasts and collectors who bring and put their harvesters to work or enter tractors in the vintage tractor-pull will be welcomed.

Not all machinery collectors are old men!

A growing number of young people are bringing items from their own collections.

Hugh Macague, from Rochester, is twenty-eight years old and says, “I have been mucking around with tractors since I was sixteen.”

He also collects harvesters and his collection includes an early Sunshine Auto header, a Sunshine HST, a Horwood Bagshaw OH, a David Shearer XP88, a IH A83 self-propelled and a very unusual machine which Hugh plans to bring this year, a Massey Ferguson 31. This is a small German-built machine, only 1.7 metres wide with three straw walkers.

Home-made tractor

Another unusual machine which Hugh plans to demonstrate at this year’s event is a home-made tractor.

In 1960 two brothers from Forbes NSW needed a bigger tractor for their farm than was available. 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. Hugh has acquired the original he calls “Harry’s Horse”.

Vaughan Glass, from Naneela has a collection of tractors too. 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. Vaughan and Hugh will bring some of their machines, whether a harvester to demonstrate or tractors to compete in the vintage tractor-pull.

This Saturday and Sunday

The Quambatook event is to be held on the Australia Day weekend, 24th and 25th of January, gates open at 10 a.m..

There will be working demonstration of harvesting machinery including strippers, harvester and headers on both days and the tractor-pull will be staged around 3.00 p.m. Saturday.

The event is fully catered, including a roast meal Saturday evening.

For more information contact Doug on 0427 346634 or Graeme on 0429 346110.

Vintage tractor returns home

Vintage tractor collector Vaughan Glass of Naneella, near Echuca has organized the return to the Holmberg family of a tractor father George purchased new in 1963.

The JD 4010 was purchased from Grogans, who were John Deere dealers 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 Vaughan 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, Vaughan saw the original owner’s name, George Holmberg! Vaughan was happy to re-sell the tractor to the Holmberg family, so it has gone full circle!

George is now 97 years old and was thrilled to see his old tractor coming back to Elmore! 

This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 22 January 2026.