Auto club enjoys a weekend at the Riverland Field Days

This article was contributed by Liz Minge.

Some months ago the Auto Collectors Club of Murray Bridge received an invitation from the administration department of the Riverland Field Days.

Vice president Claude Minge invited members and their classic cars to attend and display at the 65th Riverland Field Expo on September 13-14.

The field days are a very popular annual two-day event and this year proved no exception, with a purposely built site covering a huge area and attracting more than 15,000 people throughout the weekend.

With a display of more 350 exhibitors showcasing agricultural products and services, cars, caravans, tools, clothing and demonstrations, there was something for everyone.

An abundance of the region’s food and beverages were available for enjoyment and some very talented students and musicians performed, promoting their skills for the appreciative crowds.

Four vehicles and seven members from the Murraylands travelled to Barmera via Karoonda and Loxton in sunny weather early on the Friday morning.

It was a picturesque drive, with wattles in full flower displaying plenty of colour along the roadside, some land having been cropped, but most in poor condition and others distinctly struggling from the very dry season being experienced.

For a large percentage of the drive, it was evident that native vegetation appeared to have been recently trimmed, making it ready for the dry, hot summer conditions ahead.

Throughout the Friday and in glorious spring weather, visitors enjoyed watching the various demonstrations and some spectators even took advantage of the $50 helicopter joy flights around the perimeter.

It offered a bird’s eye view of the action below, while others preferred to simply sit quietly, relaxing and basking in the ambience and fun of the day’s events.

The classic car displays were visited and admired by many passers-by and owners were very appreciative of the positive comments received.

Members and their cares on display included:

• Grahame and Dianne Harris (1987 Mitsubishi Triton)
• Bruce and Marcia Eldridge (1993 C Class Mercedes)
• Han Robat (1985 Toyota Coaster)
• Peter and Yvonne Mach (1939 Packard)
• Ian and Lyn Buchanan and their family dog (1967 Chevrolet Camaro)
• Graham and Maureen Edwards (1961 Ford Zephyr)

All were set up and organised by 9am at designated sites on Friday.

Noel, Julie and Jeremy Jackson joined later in their 1988 VH Commodore Sedan on Saturday.

Because of the size and area of the field day, members wandered off at leisure and in all directions during the day.

Fortunately, there were hundreds of exhibits to see-ranging from farm animals for children and some adults who shall remain nameless, seen patting and getting up close and personal with a polar and grizzly bear at Jamie and Kim’s mobile zoo.

If you were looking for a new caravan, boat, car, truck, 4x4, trailer, dirt bike, tools or accessories to tackle repairs, it was all on display and for purchase.

There was even a monster drone to use for spraying crops.

The pavilions were packed with people trying out new beds, having massages for their arthritic aches and pains, alternative power supply salesmen, pest control, new schools for students, government departments such as fisheries and land management.

It was all in your face … providing you had a pocket full of money.

It had to be the greatest place to find a new pair of woolen socks, with thousands of pairs of all shapes, colours and sizes, along with a myriad of hats, belts, scarves and other clothing accessories.

If you were in the market for machinery, which included farm crops, orchards, vineyards, almonds and in fact, almost any form of machinery you could possibly want, this Riverland Field Day had it all.

Undeniably impressive, with millions of dollars worth of machinery, one wonders however, with the lack of rain and very few crops more than a couple of inches high, just how many of these machines will be left unsold and how many dealers will be in financial trouble?

One dealer even had a hair drier accessory attached to his machine as standard
equipment to try to attract a lady buyer.

As the day progressed, many trips to the few food vans took place and it was not difficult to fill the hours between arrival before departure time, with so much to see and do and many thousands of steps counted on the step counter.

Other car clubs in the Riverland had their respective vehicle displays, with many Riverland Vintage and Classic Car Club members enjoying the camaraderie and banter so often heard around like-minded vehicle enthusiasts and owner/drivers.

With Saturday starting to draw to a close, one of the last static displays took place with the Airtime Freestyle Motocross team of motor cyclists pushing the limits in an action packed display.

These riders seemed to have no fear and certainly entertained spectators with their thrilling feats.

One of the last areas of interest took visitors past the blacksmith artists-consisting of a working blacksmith who was manufacturing all things metal, much to the appreciation of both young and old.

It was like stepping into a living history book, the air humming with the rhythmic clanging hammer and the smell of hot metal and smoke, intertwining with the earthiness of the glowing red coal.

This was more than just a glimpse into a foregone trade; it was an experience of transformation of metal and of self.

The art of making intricately delicate products from a raw material to functional beauty left onlookers mesmerised.

The Riverland Vintage Tractors and Machinery stand with its large display of old stationary engines, along with a replica quadricycle built by Henry Ford in 1896 was also of particular interest and it is a credit to John Morrison of Henley Beach who built it.

As the late afternoon air began to cool down, it was time to pack up club flags and other paraphernalia.

The group to extend their thanks to each other for a great weekend away and wished each other a safe journey home on Sunday.

Perhaps, if the ACCMB are invited again to attend in 2025, more members, family and friends will think ahead and make the effort to attend this tried and proven event, which has been running from 1958.