In midwestern Western Australia, a striking new landmark has taken shape. This giant red tractor statue, measuring 11.5 meters tall and 16 meters long, now dominates the skyline of Carnamah, located three hours north of Perth. As the world’s largest tractor statue, it is a remarkable addition to Australia’s collection of “Big Things.”
The statue, a replica of the Chamberlain 40K tractor built to five times its original scale, was unveiled to over 2,000 attendees recently. This event marked a significant milestone for the local community.
Bob Lukins, a retired farmer and one of the project’s leaders, highlighted the major challenge in constructing this statue: the tyres.
Measuring 7.8 meters in diameter, they surpass the largest commercially available tyres. “When people saw it, they asked, ‘Where’d you find tyres that size?’” Lukins explained. “They look like tyres, until you tap them. They are not tyres; they are fabricated steel.”
Lukins is also a founding member of the WA Vintage Tractor and Machinery Association (Tracmach), established in 1981. In 1986, discussions began about building a giant tractor to showcase Western Australia’s agricultural history and promote Tracmach’s machinery field days. However, the project faced financial and governmental obstacles for years.
Six years ago, a retired machinery dealer in Carnamah connected them with the local historical society, paving the way for support from the local shire. Despite these advancements, funding was still lacking. “We applied for every grant there was,” Lukins remarked. “We got every one knocked back.”
Eventually, they collaborated with engineer Frank Kidman, who agreed to waive his $20,000 design fee in exchange for technical equipment needed for the project. “We got a Chamberlain 40K and put it outside his back door,” Lukins said. Kidman measured every component and scaled it up using advanced technology, dedicating over 400 hours to the task.
The Chamberlain 40K was chosen due to its significance in Western Australian agriculture. Developed in the 1930s by Victorian tractor mechanic Bob Chamberlain, this tractor was designed specifically for large landholdings in regions like the wheatbelt.
The original tractors were manufactured in a former munitions factory in Welshpool, with the first models debuting in 1949.
At 40 horsepower and weighing one tonne, these tractors were larger and more suitable for local conditions compared to their contemporaries.
The statue serves as a tribute to the hard work of previous generations who laid the foundations of the farming community. “The sheer hard work that those men and women did in those early days, firstly with horses and then with those early tractors, helped to get us to the stage we are now,” Lukins noted.
Constructed piece by piece by DIAB Engineering, a mining contractor based in nearby Geraldton, the statue took 17 months and the efforts of 60 workers to complete.
It was delivered on six prime mover trucks and assembled over a week, with final paint touch-ups adding the finishing touches.
Funded entirely through community fundraising efforts, the project has raised $600,000 from private and corporate donations, along with regional development grants.
However, the total cost reached $750,000, and additional fundraising is still needed to complete payments.
“This is a huge achievement for the Tracmach organisation,” Lukins stated. “It puts WA and Australia on the map.”