Gordon Smith was embracing the pioneering spirit when he wheeled into AgQuip with the first car to circumnavigate the country.

Mr Smith, who hails from Nambucca Heads, was in Gunnedah to showcase the 1923 Citroën 5CV tourer.

In 1925, it was the first car to drive around Australia – a 14,000km journey. The epic, five-month trip took Nevill Westwood and his co-driver Greg Davies, from Perth across the Northern Territory to Brisbane, then to Sydney and back over the Nullarbor to Perth.

“They opened the doors so others could follow their tracks,” Mr Smith said.

He was touring the car “from town-to-town” through inland NSW when he saw the AgQuip event advertised.

Mr Smith thought it would be a great place to tell the story of Nevill Westwood’s historic journey to the rest of Australia.

“I took the car through North Queensland because I worked there and knew the towns,” he said.

“Friends asked if I could take it down the New England Highway.

“We have two identical cars, one is pristine and it’s going down the coast road.

“This one was used for filming and will be on Channel 9 soon.

“The original car that went around Australia is in a museum in Canberra.

“About 2000 of them came into Australia in the early 1920s.”

Mr Smith said Nevill’s original journey was not only about discovery, it was also to help their fellow Australian.

“The reason for going was to help and see people, and see if they had needs,” he said.

“They sold books as a way to pay for their journey as they went.”

The 20th century adventurers navigated unchartered, crocodile-infested territory through northern Australia.

“Once they got beyond Broome and Derby (in Western Australia), nobody had ever driven or walked east across the border into Northern Territory, and these guys drove it,” Mr Smith said.

“Sometimes they had to build a little raft and some aboriginal folk from nearby would come and help support the raft while they balanced the raft and drove the car on.

“Mind you these were rivers that had crocodiles in them.

“If there was nobody nearby, (Nevill) had a spade and would dig himself an approach into the river to get across.

“I think it was amazing the resilience and the adventure in the hearts of these guys that were willing to go.”

Nevill Westwood crossing the Northern Territory-Queensland border during his journey around Australia in the 1920s. The original car which took part in this journey is on display at a museum in Canberra.