General News
29 July, 2024
Mallee Field Days continue to bring together families, locals and friends
The Mallee Machinery Field Days gathers over 8000 attendees, more than 350 exhibitors and vendors, and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of machinery and equipment in just two days, every year.
But to most, the field days are more than that:
The value of the annual reunion of Southern Mallee residents, or former residents, cannot be measured.
Les Down has a long history with Speed's Mallee Machinery Field Days as a charter member of the Speed Lions Club, and has been involved in the event's organisation and operation every year, except one.
Mr Down's father was 11 when his father took up land at Speed after WWI when blocks, like his 640-acres, were keenly sought.
His father left school at 14, after only three years' schooling, and Mr Down, who was attending school in Speed and Ouyen, was keen to follow in his footsteps and leave school for a life on the farm as soon as possible.
Mr Down was always community-minded, playing football, becoming part of the local fire brigade. and being involved in the local church before he was one of the foundation members of the Speed Lions Club.
"We had about 17 or 18 members, and wanted to do something for the community," Mr Down said.
"To raise money we tried lots of things, including selling mallee stumps, when one member suggested a tractor field-test day."
This was the beginning of the Mallee Machinery Field Days, in 1979, and in that time, Mr Down said he has only missed attending once, when the family was on holidays in Western Australia.
It took time for the club to gain the support of local dealers, offering them a chance to liase directly with farmers, on the land, to market their machinery..
After the first particularly wet year, a new site was chosen on higher ground, and as the event grew and the landscape changed, the club trialled other locations unwil they finally settled two kilometres south of Speed on the sunraysia Highway.
It was Mr Down's brother-in-law Graham Mott who suggested the now trademarked circular layout.
"At the start, toilets were just a hole in the ground with bag shelters around them," Mr Down said.
Eventually permanent structures were erected.
The former Speed Railway Station, set to be bulldozed, was relocated to the site where it served as the event headquarters and office until repairs became too much to keep up with.
"At the start, the other sole surviving Lions Club charter member Kevin Emonson did all the bookwork, for the first 20 years," Mr Down said.
"And of course there were no computers, so it was all on paper."
Mr Down's son, Phil, has been involved in the field days for as long as he can remember, keeping the event close to home and family.
He served as secretary for nine years and is the current treasurer.
He was the person responsible for computerising all of the field days material, and his wife Tanya is not far from the action.
"Things have changed now," Mr Down said.
"I did the toilets for 12 year, but now I just take morning and afternoon tea to the people on the gate and carpark attendants.
"We have 24 members, and the younger ones are trained to use forklifts and do other specialist jobs.
"And we have the biggest and the best machinery that money can buy on show."