Tom Lord is helping Geelong youngsters see into Australia’s manufacturing and farming history, a craze which started for him at age 17.
“I like presenting how things were done in the past,” he said.
“The kids are always fascinated by how the parts move.”
In 2002, the former Norlane local joined Royal Geelong Show’s vintage machinery section, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
“There were guys younger than me – aged 10 to 12 – that were working there and getting involved,” he said.
“But it’s mainly old guys and farmers who used to work with this gear back when they were young.”
Tom’s late father Kevin inspired him to join the group.
“My father bought his first steam engine in 1960 and I’ve been basically born into the culture,” he said.
Tom’s fellow volunteers have been busily cleaning and oiling machinery up to 150 years old every Tuesday night for the show, like their Hornsby oil engine.
“It’s been in the collection for about 40 years I think – it was used for different tasks like pumping and running a chaff cutter or thrasher,” he said.
“Anything you can turn an electrical engine to now that old oil engine would have done it back in the day.”
Tom’s fiancee Angela Reynolds, who lives with him in Gippsland, is a show committee member.
“She keeps Skyping into committee meetings with new technology while I’m tinkering with rusty iron,” he said.
“I come back to Geelong once every two to three weeks to work on this stuff.”
Geelong Indy is giving away 30 passes to the Royal Geelong Show. Visit the Indy’s website or Facebook page for more details.
