The world's biggest tractor has been officially unveiled in Carnamah, in WA's Midwest. The statue is a replica of a Chamberlain 40K, which was integral to WA's farming history.
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00:00This tractor is 11.5 metres tall and 16 metres long, making it well and truly the biggest
00:08tractor in the world.
00:10You might notice the vibrant orange colour of this tractor.
00:15That was 800 litres of paint that it took to cover this tractor.
00:19And that makes it a true replica of the tractor it was modelled after, which was a Chamberlain
00:2540K.
00:26Now these tractors were critical to WA's agricultural history from 1949 onwards.
00:33They're the tractors that really got WA's primary production up and going after the
00:39two world wars in the 1900s.
00:42And they're the tractors that many farmers across WA still have on their properties today
00:48and that their parents or grandparents drove as well.
00:51So preserving that history is really what it's all about.
00:54But this tractor here, and it's a 42 tonnes of steel went into this one.
01:00So there's a bit of celebration going on right here today.
01:03So this is the newest addition to a number of big things across Australia.
01:07How big, how did a big tractor come about in Karnama?
01:14Well it was all at the hands of the WA Vintage Tractor and Machinery Association of WA.
01:21They first thought of the idea to build a big tractor somewhere in WA about nearly 30
01:26years ago.
01:27And that was to advertise their field days where they would demonstrate the vintage machines
01:32that are critical to WA's history.
01:35Those plans from back then fell through until about six years ago when the idea was sort
01:40of revolutionised to build a Chamberlain 40K instead.
01:44The Shire of Karnama got on board and there was a lot of fundraising to get this tractor
01:49here today as well.
01:51About $600,000 of funds were raised by the rural community across WA and across the state.
01:58And it had a fair amount of in-kind contributions as well.
02:02So it was definitely a bit of a community effort to get this up and going.
02:05But yeah, a lot of celebration now that it's here today.
02:08Yes, how is the town celebrating today?
02:10Well, they're having a big vintage tractor parade a little bit later.
02:18They'll be driven by local farmers with vintage tractors coming from all over the state.
02:23I did see a few on my way in from Geraldton today.
02:27Some of these exact Chamberlain 40Ks as well, the same colour orange, driving a little slower
02:32than your average traffic speed on the road.
02:35But they'll all be heading in for a big tractor parade.
02:39And later on, there'll be a bit of a country carnival as well with agricultural games for
02:43the kids.
02:44So definitely a bit of a family fun day.
02:48For more information, visit www.fema.gov