It’s a labour of love for Bruce Jackson restoring his dad’s 1960 Massey Ferguson 65HP tractor, hopefully in time to join the parade of vintage tractors and stationary engines at this year’s Tenterfield Show.
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Jackson Snr operated a dairy farm in the hilly climbs of Nerrschaum Vale down the coast near Alstonville, and Bruce well remembers riding on the slide being pulled by his dad’s first ‘tractor’, a draught horse.
“It was one horsepower,” Bruce said.
The farm operation progressed onto using a WWII Willys jeep to pull the harrows, then the grey ‘Fergie’ that Bruce learned to drive on.
Next was a 35HP Massey Ferguson before Mr Jackson Snr purchased the tractor now undergoing restoration in Bruce’s shed. This was in the mid-1960s, and the tractor was then near-new.
Bruce said he was never one for milking or feeding the pigs, but the tractor had some fond memories and he didn’t want to see it go to the tip or abandoned in a paddock with grass growing up through it.
When his brother took over the family property six months ago he offered Bruce the old tractor.
“It was not in good repair,” Bruce said.
“There was a lot of rust.”
“It took me 10 minutes to pull apart, and six months to put it back together again.”
A few parts need replacing, but Bruce hasn’t had any difficulting sourcing the replacements. The motor had already been reconditioned but the tractor had no brakes, which Bruce quickly rectified.
This is his first tractor restoration, but any passing interest in vintage farm machinery is quickly jumped on by Peter Chittick who coordinates the exhibition of old equipment each year at the show.
He has roped in Bruce to help with the display this year, and is keen to encourage property owners to uncover the old machines lurking in the back of the shed and give them an outing at the show.
There will be some new exhibitors this year, and Mr Chittick said the display always draws interest from those with a family history of farming.
“People come along to relive the way their parents used to farm,” Mr Chittick said.
“It brings back a lot of memories.”
This will be the fourth year the vintage farming equipment has been on display, and Mr Chittick promised a good range of vintages stretches back to a 1948 model.
Anyone keen to contribute their antique machine can contact Peter Chittick or Bruce Jackson, particularly if they need help with transportation.
Working around his show duties and busy lawn mowing business, the pressure is now on for Bruce to have his dad’s tractor completed in time for the show, and to take his place in the grand parade.
