By Lachlan Ellis<\/p>\n
A vintage tractor, believed to be around 50 years old and the only one left of its model in Australia, has been generously donated to a local vintage machinery club.<\/p>\n
Former Ballan farmer Arthur Ranken donated his International Harvester Cub Cadet Garden Tractor to the Ballan District Vintage Machinery and Vehicle Club (BDVMVC) in May, and said the tractor, a similar style to a ride on lawn mower, was one of just two ever brought to Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis tractor was one of two that International Harvester company imported from the America in the early 1970s for evaluation with the thought of importing them as part of that company\u2019s range of tractors at that time. They didn\u2019t proceed with that plan,\u201d Mr Ranken told the Moorabool News.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf the two that were imported, one was destroyed, and this one remained in private use by an IH senior executive for a number of years, until I acquired it also some years ago. Now to preserve it, I\u2019ve put it in the hands of an organisation where it may possibly be restored, and will certainly be preserved for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Ranken\u2019s hopes that the tractor can be \u201crestored to its former glory\u201d are shared by President of the BDVMVC, Perc Robinson, who thanked Mr Ranken for his generosity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very happy with the donation. It\u2019s a very rare tractor, it\u2019s a prototype that was brought over by International Harvester before they went broke back in the 80\u2019s. Arthur saw us at the Tractor Pull last year and said he had the tractor, so I went and picked it up. It\u2019ll be restored in due time and put up on display,\u201d Mr Robinson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Arthur got it, it had been left outside for a lot of years and it deteriorated a lot. But we\u2019ve got it undercover, and it\u2019s on the list to be restored. I don\u2019t think it\u2019ll take much to get it going.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very thankful to Arthur for that donation.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the BDVMVC is \u201cgetting stronger every month\u201d, Mr Robinson said it\u2019s always after new junior members.<\/p>\n
\u201cUs old guys aren\u2019t going to last forever, if we don\u2019t pass our knowledge of old machinery on to the younger generation, all that old knowledge will be lost,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
To express your interest in joining the BDVMVC, contact Perc Robinson on 0428 829 274, or Ray Meadows on 0400 816 176.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Lachlan Ellis A vintage tractor, believed to be around 50 years old and the only one left of its model in Australia, has been generously donated to a local vintage machinery club. Former Ballan farmer Arthur Ranken donated his International Harvester Cub Cadet Garden Tractor to the Ballan District Vintage Machinery and Vehicle Club […]<\/p>\n