Te Awamutu couple auction large collection as they downsize

Noted ploughman, Te Awamutu Walk of Famer and historic machinery collector and restorer Alan Wallace with his 1943 McCormick Farmhall H he has owned for over 60 years. Photo / Dean Taylor

In May last year, Te Awamutu Courier caught up with local couple Patricia and Alan Wallace as they celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.

The couple had met in a typically rural fashion at a dance, and romance blossomed.

Alan lived and worked on the family dairy farm at Bruntwood and Tricia (as she is known) lived in Ruakura and was in the throes of setting up her own dressmaking salon in Claudelands.

They were both 18 when they met at the Starlight Ballroom in Hamilton. The Satellites were playing that night and they were both enjoying the rock 'n' roll music, which was in its heyday.

The romance turned into love and the couple were engaged in 1959 and married at the Knox Presbyterian Church in Hamilton East on April 30, 1960.

In 1962, Alan qualified to represent Waikato in the New Zealand Ploughing Championships in Invercargill.

He won the New Zealand Ploughing Championships Silver Plough in 1968, and ploughed for New Zealand in Yugoslavia at the world championships.

Then in 1971, he ploughed at the world championships in England, finishing runner-up, and in 1976 he placed fifth in Sweden.

It had always been his ambition to win the World Ploughing Championships Golden Plough - and in 1981 in the Republic of Ireland he was successful.

Alan is proud to be one of the early inductees to the Te Awamutu Walk of Fame in recognition of his national and international success in competition, judging and coaching.

His other passion is his collection of vintage and veteran machinery, mainly tractors and agricultural related, that he collects and restores.

Tricia and Alan also have a passion for "Murphy" - their MG A 1600 that was built the year they married.

Alan and Tricia Wallace with 'Murphy' - their MG A 1600 which rolled off the Abingdon-on-Thames assembly line in 1960, the same year they married. Photo / Dean Taylor

Murphy took pride of place in the anniversary photo I took for their story last year, and is also the reason they have been waiting several years to downsize from their Lawbrooke Lane retirement property to live at Highfield Country Estate.

While Alan is putting his entire collection of tractors and machinery up for auction, Murphy is staying so the couple can continue to enjoy classic motoring.

Being an older model he needs a garage – so the Wallaces have been waiting for one of the sought-after properties that has a double garage.

Now that has happened, their home and property are sold and all that is left is Saturday's auction.

Noted auctioneer Alastair Beere has catalogued almost 200 items, including tractors, ploughs, tools and stationary motors – as well as about 100 lots from related guest vendors for the large event.

Among the restored tractors is Alan's pride and joy – a 1943 McCormick Farmhall H.

While not the oldest in the collection, it is the one he has owned longest – over 60 years in fact, from before he met Tricia.

The tractor was used on the Bruntwood farm and accompanied the couple when they purchased their own farm in Parawera in 1972.

The couple are looking forward to joining the social network at Highfield Country Estate and Alan is hoping the Menz Shed might provide him with the opportunity to indulge his passion for engineering, mechanics and motoring restoration.