Showing off their vintage at Karaka

Graham Hogan from Motat demonstrating the 1927 Ruston Excavator. Photo: Keely Muir.

Workhorses of the 20th Century – in the form of tractors, machinery and vehicles of every shape and colour – were on show at the 10th Karaka Vintage Day recently.

Coast and Country News’ Keely Muir went to see what all the fuss is about – and was blown away by the “long line up of everything tractors greeted me, and I was soon to learn the enthusiasm of the owners of this equipment is catching”.

Unsure of what to expect, Keely says the exhibitors’ desire for their pieces of yesteryear are evident – they are “keen to tell you all about their pride and joy”.

This year’s theme, on March 18, was a tribute to A&G Price Ltd. In 1868, brothers Alfred and George Price from Stroud, Gloucestershire, started their engineering business in Onehunga, Auckland.

In 1871, they opened a foundry and engineering works in Thames. Here they manufactured Ore Stampers, crushers and feeders, steam engines, boilers, timber jacks and Pelton wheels for the gold industry. In the late-1800s the company designed and built a steam locomotive for the NZ rail.

They won several contracts on the ANZAC frigate, and the 1995 and 2000 America’s Cup campaigns. In both years, all winners and challengers for the cup were fitted with keels and bulbs manufactured in Thames by A&G Price. The business operated in Thames until closing in July 2017, just short of 150 years since it founded.

“We got to see some of this machinery proudly on display with its owner Bill Darbyshire pointing out that ‘many people don’t realise that this good machinery was made right here in New Zealand’.

“We got to see Motat’s 1927 No. 4 Ruston Excavator in action. This piece of machinery is one of only four in the world that is still operational.

“It was the workhorse of the 20th Century, digging trenches and tearing up tramlines. It worked on American army camp sites during WWII, and assisted in installing gun defences on North Head.”

Keely also met some Clydesdale horses – with the breed once used for working land – plus vintage cars and trucks.


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