The name definitely fit the bill on Saturday as visitors to the Henry Parkes Museum were greeted by rhythmic chugging of engines and puffs of smoke as they walked through the museum’s wooden doors. Smoke, Rust and Noise was the theme for the day and the 25 volunteers at the museum definitely delivered, showcasing a huge range of tractors, headers, stationery engines and even a little fully working train. “Some of these engines haven’t been
running for years!” said Bruce, a museum volunteer; “I was surprised that most of them started first time.” Visitors entered a foggy shed full of engines piping out smoke before heading across the grass to view tractors from all over the world.
“We’ve got CASE from America, Ferguson, Nuffield and Fordson are British and the Sunshine headers were made in a suburb of Melbourne” said Bruce. Before the mayhem began a much quieter men’s breakfast was held for 25 members of the Anglican Church in the morning. In the afternoon people came from all over to enjoy the spectacle, with some retired farmers arriving to view a Hanomag tractor to relive their rural working days. Visitors also tucked into a delicious barbecue under a white canopy before continuing to explore what the museum had to offer.
“It’s been such a lovely day” said Yvonne Hutton, Museum President; “Around 150 people have come through the doors and we started up more tractors today than we have in the past four years!” The next big event planned for the museum will be all about Tom Emmanuel, a classic guitarist, in June.