An introduction to our Club

Our Club was formed in 1998 as a family club to foster the knowledge and interest in vintage machinery, associated memorabilia (rural and household equipment) and models, and to promote the restoration and retention of vintage machinery, associated memorabilia and historical literature in New Zealand.

We are very active with displays at shows and rallies throughout Canterbury, with some members travelling to rallies throughout the South Island. Wheels 98 was the first of three such events that the club was involved in organising at the Christchurch Show grounds. In 2001 we held an "Iron in Action" rally near Christchurch Airport, followed by the big "100 Years of International" rally at Kirwee in 2002. At ANZAC weekend 2003 we ran a "100 Years of Ford" rally at McLeans Island, Christchurch, with a large number of cars, trucks and tractors and the only Ford T railcar in the world. March 2004 saw us running the "Kirwee Country Fair and Rally" celebrating 100 years of the tractor in New Zealand. This was the largest vintage machinery rally ever run in New Zealand with over 1000 entries. A large number were seen working - harvesting, ploughing, saw milling, hay baling, chaff cutting, stationary engines and steam engines. The rally also incorporated a tractor trek and a ploughing match. In April 2005 we ran our Inaugural Keating Park "New Zealand Made" rally, which featured all things New Zealand Made. Exhibits ranged from ploughs to Trekkas, windmills to jet boats, fry pans to stone pickers, electric fences to milking machines, Fun Ho toys to "Taranaki" gates, plus many more.

Keating Park is a 14ha block at McLeans Island, Christchurch, which the Club has leased since 2003 and has been busy developing it into our Club grounds. All the work so far to create these magnificent surroundings has been totally voluntary by Club Members. Due to the endeavours of one of our Club Members we were informed of the availability of an unused Scout Hall in Hoon Hay. The subsequent relocation of the building to our club grounds has given the new Club "Rooms" years before our expectations. In the future we hope to have a museum building and workshop.

The Club has a large Ruston Proctor wooden threshing mill, an International 62 header, a Sunshine self propelled header and an Austin Western road grader, which have all been donated. Keating Park will be a great place where all our members and friends can enjoy themselves and play with our vintage equipment.

We run ploughing matches, workshop evenings where we learn about things to help our restorations such as panel beating, while the ladies enjoy a variety of craft evenings. Every effort is made to cater for the interests of all the family. A number of members take part in tractor treks and recently a club member organised a trek, which travelled through the Rainbow Valley, Wairau Valley and Molesworth.

Our membership started at approximately 60 and has grown to around 550 family subscriptions, which gives us over 700 members spread around NZ and overseas.

Our monthly magazine "New Zealand Vintage News" is very informative and covers an outline of coming vintage events both here and overseas, reports on rallies and other events, and articles of various vintage machines and companies that made them, the people who worked them and those who have restored and display them. A ladies section is included and they are encouraged to take part in all activities.

A very active committee is appointed annually to run the Club and the Club has its club meeting at Christchurch on the fourth Wednesday of each month. This usually includes an interesting speaker on a variety of subjects followed by supper and refreshments.