A vintage tractor's restoration has united four generations and celebrated an 87-year-old grandfather's long-standing passion to bring his family tractor back to life.
About 35 family members from across four generations met in Yarroweyah on Sunday, April 7, to unveil a restored family heirloom.
Jim Sutton, Yarroweyah, has spent the past three years rebuilding an early 1950's Massey Harris Diesel 744 tractor.
He said he urged his father as a young diesel mechanic to purchase the tractor for their Mywee family farm.
"I found the tractor for [Dad], he said 'if you ask the man if he'll trade a couple of diesel engines I'll buy it'," he said.
The tractor was the family's first diesel, bought at Numurkah for £1500, and serviced their farm's many jobs for several years.
The tractor was used for ploughing, sowing, fencing and more, paired with a post hole digger Jim built himself in 1953.
Jim, his brother and father used the tractor and digger to travel across the district installing fences.
After its use, the tractor then sat as scrap for four decades before Jim, with a 70-year-long career, decided to begin the restoration process.
"I finally got it done," he said.
"It's been a family heirloom for over 70 years."
Jim said he started the process when he went to the scrap heap, at his brother's property in Katamatite, to retrieve the pieces.
"I went and picked up all the bits and brought them home and scrounged around to find any that were missing," he said.
"I'm always fixing something up, I'm still working when I can."
He said the final 12-18 months of the restoration process were the most intensive, but it felt "really good" to see the final product.
One of Jim's eight children, Mark Sutton, who is a boiler, maker, welder by trade, helped finish the tractor once Jim presented to hospital about one week ago.
"He did spend five days in hospital and it didn't look like he was going to finish it," Mark said.
He said he spent about 60 hours putting the finishing touches on the tractor, fitting lights, stickers and decal, and its bonnet.
"Dad was in hospital and I had a video of it running when we had it going again," Mark said.
"He had a grin from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat."
One of the grandchildren and Mark's daughter, Brittany Sutton, decided to bring the four generations together to celebrate the tractor's restoration completion.
Jim made it home from the hospital in time to be reunited with his family at Yarroweyah, and take the tractor for "a few spins" around the driveway.
"Dad's cancer was advancing fairly quickly now so we weren't sure how much time we do have," Mark said.
"Dad had this dream and passion to restore it to bring it back to its glory.
"To see an 87-year-old man working, lifting, sanding wheels and wheel weights, it was really impressive and inspiring to watch."
Mark said he had plans to take the tractor around Victoria to agricultural shows for his father.
Rachel Simmonds
Rachel is an agricultural journalist for Australian Community Media's Stock & Land. She covers all aspects of Victoria's farming community and industry. To get in contact, email rachel.simmonds@stockandland.com.au
Rachel is an agricultural journalist for Australian Community Media's Stock & Land. She covers all aspects of Victoria's farming community and industry. To get in contact, email rachel.simmonds@stockandland.com.au
