We are looking forward to our next Open Day on Sunday, January 26, Australia Day. Our district has come through the recent bushfire emergencies unscathed, but our thoughts are with those who have been directly impacted. It is hard to imagine what it would be like to find one’s lifetime possessions all gone, as has happened to so many. Fagan Park is affected like everywhere else by the hot, dry conditions and the staff have been trying to maintain the gardens from the dams on the property.
A recent project has been the restoration of the Pyramid Auto Truck donated to us last year by a local family. It had been used to transport bags of poultry feed on a farm at Berrilee. Shown is our member, Chris Stevens, looking a little nervous during its first run in early January. There are a few small jobs remaining, but it has come up a treat, wouldn’t you agree?
Work on the International truck continues. Focus is on refitting the springs and axles back onto the chassis in readiness for the wheels which we expect to be ready soon. We had a recent breakthrough when we discovered the rear axle assembly we had obtained from Bonegilla (near Albury) right at the beginning of the project, had a number of better brake components than we had been wrestling with. So, these were raided and have saved considerable work.
Our new lathe finally arrived just before Christmas, and the first job was to get it properly levelled and set up. There is a backlog of work for it, as the old one had failed some time ago.
The Fagan Park museums and Netherby Homestead are open every Tuesday, our volunteering day, and we open the museums on the second Sunday each month during the afternoon. All visitors are welcome.
Contact me at the park on a Tuesday or phone anytime if you would like to join us. Ian Browning, Honorary Curator, 0419 435 475.
