FARM VEHICLES & MACHINERY

Article by Spot Lamont

Things started to improve price wise after the war ended and in 1946 and we bought our first new Fordson Major Tractor on pneumatic rubber tyres.

At this time a new Bank Manager came to the ANZ Bank in Gnowangerup, which was my Bank. The new Manager was a Mr. C. Breeze a conservative, elderly man, who turned out to become a great friend as well as a good Banker for us in the years ahead.

Cecil Breeze advanced us a further two hundred pounds on our overdraft to make the first payment on the Fordson Tractor.

Within the next few years we were debt free.

Thanks to Cecil Breeze for his part.

During and just after the war all machinery and vehicles were very hard to get. When a clearing sale was held, fixed prices were put on most machinery. The auctioneer when about to sell a tractor would announce the fixed price and then call for interested buyers.

The names would be taken by the Tally clerk, then put into a hat and someone called to pull the name out. It was through this method that I purchased the 1941-42 Chev truck at a clearing sale at ‘Glengarry’, Gnowangerup.

It was at this sale my good cricketing friend Tom Wallwork approached me, he wanted a tractor and I wanted the Chev truck at this sale. At his suggestion, he would put his name in for the truck and I would put my name in for the tractor, this way we had two chances with our own names.

This may seem to be cheating but at that time it was common practice at all sales. As it turned out, his name came out for the truck but mine didn’t come out for the tractor. Tom handed me over the truck after paying the stock firm, and I paid Tom back the same price.

As I write this part of my story I realised how lucky I was to have had the Chevrolet truck. It was a great asset at that time and it gave wonderful service for many years. When we first got it approximately 1946 it had sides about 2'6" high and a tail board.

I once took our Gnowangerup District cricket team to Albany to play that town's team.
 

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References:                 Article:      Spot Lamont

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Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2023