Showcasing vintage machines

By Lachlan Ellis

The world’s biggest Ronaldson Tippett machinery museum is hosting its annual rally this weekend, and it’s located in Ballan.
The Ballan District Vintage Machinery and Vehicle Club will run its 35th ‘Great Vintage Rally’ on Sunday 20 February, and there’s a wide range of things to see and do.
From vintage engines, classic cars and motorbikes, sheep shearing demos, beautiful handcrafts along with stallholder displays and more, there will be something at the Rally for kids and adults alike at the Old Ballan Racecourse.
And of course, the famous vintage tractor pull will be on again, with an assortment of tractors competing to see which has the most grunt, pulling a huge trailer with a water barrel on it.
President of the Club, Perc Robinson, said they were proud of its collection, and the work that had gone into it.
“We’ve got about 160 members, ranging in ages from our youngest, Lucas, who’s 10…to our oldest member in his 90s. We’re basically a big men’s shed, we’re very active on Wednesdays,” Mr Robinson told the Moorabool News.
“Our members are very enthusiastic and proud of our collection. Thousands of hours have been put into the collection and restoration, and there are lots more buildings out the back to come.”
A faithfully restored Ronaldson Tippett tractor, believed to be from 1928, will also be on display for the first time.
Club members Bill Buist and George Boyes spent 12 months restoring the tractor, which hadn’t been going for a decade.
If not for the old-fashioned design, you wouldn’t know it was almost a century old.
“I’ve been working with tractors all my life. The steam box was all full of water and rust, I had to dismantle it and clear it out…had to renew all the panels and tin work. Had to make a cowl for the radiator too, that was missing,” Mr Buist said.

To read the full story – Simply click on the following link

https://issuu.com/themooraboolnews/docs/mn_2022-02-15/1

in the 15 February 2022 edition
OR
pick up a paper around your town.