We’ve been dropping into the homes of our machinery catalogue pursuers to find out what’s in their backyards: vintage vehicles, antique trinkets, multifarious machinery and curious curios.
This week we headed into the backyard of William Davies at Camden. And he showed us three of his best.
Thing no. 1: 1964 International AB150
“We purchased this truck as a project as it was complete and running… bring your own battery for loading. It took just over a year to pull apart, respray and put back together, with the help of my wife and teenage daughters who followed my ‘hold this’, ‘push that’ requests perfectly. The truck is registered on historic plates, and goes out on runs with the Western Sydney Historical Truck Club,” Will said.
“We have retired the truck from its old feed carting days, retaining the original sign writing on the drivers door J L Sone and co. ‘Morvada’ Cookardinia, I am a big believer in trying to maintain a vehicle's history where possible.”
“The truck's most important job these days is to be used as a stage for the band at a friends Octoberfest party every year.”
Thing no. 2: TEA20 Grey Ferguson Tractor
“When I finished school, I was able to participate in an agricultural exchange to the UK. Whilst there, I visited the Massey Ferguson factory where there was an original grey Fergie on display. From that trip I have always been amazed by this little tractor, and how many were made and sold around the world, having their own impact on advancing agriculture,” Will said.
“We came across this Fergie as a sort of package deal with an old connor shea seed drill. It was painted blue, which always bothered me, however it ran beautifully so it was used for collecting firewood and small jobs around the house yard.”
“A recent Covid lockdown period gave me the time to pull it apart and respray it the correct colour, with the addition of a red racing grill for a bit of fun. The tractor has earnt its semi-retirement, but acts as an amazing piece of agricultural history.”
Thing no. 3: “Miss Louise” the ski boat
“When my mother, Louise, was a kid, her two older brothers bought this Chickadee ski boat hull in Sydney, and took it back to the family farm at Grenfell,” Will explains.
“They then set about putting the rest of the boat together.”
“Having found a wrecked Ford customline in town, they transplanted the 272 Y Block V8 in, and fabricated the steering gear and rudder in the farm shed on ‘quiet’ days.”
“The boat was named after their little sister Louise, and over the years, most of the extended family learnt to ski behind ‘Miss Louise’ on Wyangala dam. The boat was sold years ago, but did not go far, where my eldest cousin found it at Gooloogong. Following a telephone game of ‘rock, paper, scissors’ it was decided I should buy it back, and we have been slowly bringing it back to its former glory ever since.”
“The excitement from my mother and uncles that it was back in the family was fantastic. I am looking forward to dragging my kids around behind it on skis in the not too distant future.”