It is all systems go for the Gunnedah Rural Museum appearance at AgQuip 2025 – one of the event’s earliest exhibitors.
Museum volunteers believe the organisation has hosted displays at the field days almost since its inception more than 50 years ago.
This year’s exhibit will include some of the museum’s fan-favourites including several tractors, a steam engine and World War II-era white scout car.
“It will be quite a collection,” museum volunteer Jim Noon said.
“It’s good for people to come and look at older equipment.”
One of the popular demonstrations will also be in action – the very public shower display complete with life-sized mannequin as the prop.
About 8-10 volunteers will man the museum display this year, including museum president Owen Tydd.
Mr Tydd will operate the steam engine for the duration of the event and is expecting crowds to fluctuate throughout.
He said the foot traffic can vary from virtually deserted to very busy in short amount of time.
“It could be vacant across a lane and all of a sudden it will be crowded at the sound of a few engine noises,” Mr Tydd said.
This year the steam engine operator will be protected from the occasionally temperamental AgQuip weather with a purpose-built shade ‘hut’.
Mr Tydd said in previous years the museum used modern shelters for this purpose but this time sought to “authenticise” the display in fitting with the era of the equipment on demonstration.
The pine hut was built by fellow volunteer Jim Noon and comes complete with a bench seat to rest weary legs.
AgQuip regularly welcomes up to 50,000 visitors over a three-day period and showcases more than 3000 products and services aimed at farming professionals, hobbyists and every market in between.
Three amigos: Under the new custom-built hut designed specifically for the AgQuip display and in fitting with the steam engine-era theme.
