Croppa Creek Classic Harvest Festival
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Vintage harvesters come to life for 2020 Croppa Creek classic harvest
Video: ABC New England North West
Article: Sophie Harris, The Moree Champion
The familiar rumble of old machinery once again sounded at Croppa Creek last week for the village's annual vintage harvesting demonstration.
The collection of old machinery stripped a 60-acre crop of flanker wheat, grown by Angus and John Forsyth, from Monday, November 9 until Saturday, November 14.
Rain on Friday halted the harvest, but organiser Lawrie Timmins said this year's crop was certainly better than the previous few years.
"The older headers found it a bit difficult to get through it," he said.
"It was a heavier crop - those old headers weren't designed for those heavy crops. The ones from the '30s and '40s were trying to hang on. But the later models, from the '50s and '60s were a lot better."
Much of the old harvesters, which have been lovingly restored by Mr Timmins, dated back to the 1950s and 1960s, although some were as old as 1930s models.
This was the first year that a 1940s Massey Harris No.7 PDO header took part in the harvest and Mr Timmins said it "did a marvellous job".
The 1950s model Sunshine No.4 also did a "real good" job.
"She struggled a little bit but a few more adjustments and we got her going," Mr Timmins said.
The Allis Chalmers All-crop didn't fare as well, with a conveyor belt causing a breakdown.
The other harvesters included a 1930s Sunshine ground-drive header; two 1960s models Massey Ferguson 585s; an early 1970s International 711; a 1940s John Deere 25 Beetle Back; and a 1940s/1950s Sunshine No.6 reaper and binder.
The tractors included a little grey Massey Ferguson, an old Chamberlain, an old John Deere, Allis Chalmers and a Massey Ferguson 135.
Also part of the vintage demonstration was a 1930s/40s Sunshine corn husker/sheller, a Federal grain cleaner from the 1940s/50s and an Alf Hannaford seed cleaner from the 1950s.
There was also an old Cockshutt 528 part of the static display, as well as hay-making equipment and a New Holland 69 baling hay, while Clyde Gardiner brought his horse-drawn buggy for show.
"We had a fair bit there," Mr Timmins said.
About 160 people came out throughout the week to watch the vintage harvest, including children from Croppa Creek Public School and Tulloona Public School.
People came from as far as Queanbeyan, Grafton and west of Walgett to watch the demonstration, which wasn't just for show.
The crop yielded about a tonne and a quarter to the acre.
Mr Timmins thanked Moree Tyrepower for helping out with a few puncture repairs and Mooney Auto Electrical in Goondiwindi for helping start some engines, as well as the Croppa Creek Store for providing refreshments throughout the week.
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