Keating
Park is situated 5 km west of Christchurch Airport in the McLeans Island Recreation
area, close to Orana Park. Neighbours on the city side are Kustom Car Club, Canterbury
Vintage Car Club and Steam Scene. Keating
Park was established by the Club in 2003 and encompasses a 14 ha block of land
which we lease from Environment Canterbury. The block is an old riverbed and was
in very rough condition with gorse, broom, lots of tree stumps and required clearing
and leveling. Considerable work has been put in by members with their tractors,
trucks, dozers, graders, chainsaws along with blood and sweat to clear, level
and sow grass, erect fences and put in a water system.
Two
sheds have been erected by volunteers to house the Club's equipment. We have two
tractors, forklift and loader, IH 62 Header, welder, generator, several implements
and a Rushton Proctor wooden threshing mill which was donated to the Club.
The
Club has relocated a building which will be our new Club rooms. It is well fitted
out with kitchen and toilet facilities, and we will establish a library in it
as well - we already have a collection of books, magazines, tractor, truck, and
machinery manuals and parts books - all available for member's reference. We welcome
donations of books and memorabilia. Since the building was re-located we have
also installed a septic tank and effluent system.
The
first major event the Club held at Keating Park was the New Zealand Made Rally
in April 2005, and on 9th & 10th September 2006 the Club ran the Keating Park
Heritage Spring Fair featuring Ferguson.
Open
days are to be held several times a year, and a Boot Sale of parts and bits in
late January, along with an end of year function Christmas at the Park.
A
number of members have containers to store their tractors in at the Park and are
able to take them out and play at their leisure.
Projects
planned for the near future are -
Completion of Club rooms
Fitting storage shelving in shed
Re-building
of Mill wagon
Tree planting and landscaping including trickle irrigation
The grounds are open each Thursday when our regular team of volunteers enjoy
a day of work and camaraderie - you are welcome to come for a look around and
may be you'll see a project you may like to help with. On the first Saturday of
each month we have a Club working bee - come along and join us sometime.
The
grounds are available for use by other groups by arrangement.
Members
from out of town, other vintage enthusiasts, and overseas visitors, please give
us a call if you wish to visit - it could also be made your base for a day or
two.
Contact people
for Keating Park - Gary Frazer, phone 0274 324 128 (day) 03 323 6000 (evenings)
or Martin Condon phone 03 352 1337
NZ VINTAGE MACHINERY CLUB 
