About Us

The association was formed in 1998 and now comprises of over 200 volunteers and members.

The village is operated entirely by volunteers! We are dedicated to preserving the history of the Darling Downs.

Highfields Pioneer Village Features


The Staghound


Horse Drawn Pump


The Deutz


Warwick Windmill


Tinsmithing Machinery

"Pete's Pride" The Staghound Tractor



Peter Walker continued the advancement of broadacre farming by his need for a larger, more powerful tractor. He had previously worked a 4WD Ford Blitz to pull revelling harrows on his Bowenville property just after World War II.

The only tractors within Peter's price range were a 203 Massey and later a 44k Massey.

At a war surplus auction in Brisbane, Peter purchased a World War II Staghound - a heavy armoured car used with little success in New Guinea. Their weight proved a severe disadvantage in the wet soils. Ron Wickson, a veteran of New Guinea, said that the small Japanese tanks and Bren Carriers had similar problems, although the Bren Carriers, a track mounted light armoured car, was more successful.

Staghounds were on 24" tyres and powered by two General Motors Corporation 6 cylinder petrol engines at the rear of the vehicle. Transmissions were fluid drive and unsuitable for pulling and other farm work.

Peter removed the engines and replaced them with 2 Leyland diesels at about 300 combined horsepower and lower gearing. This was unsuccessful as the gearing was too high and fuel efficiency was poor.

After the purchase of two Dennis Trucks from Western Transport in Toowoomba, he used one for farm work and the other became the power plant and transmission for the Staghound. By using two transfer cases to achieve the lower gearing, Peter had a wonderful 4WD tractor. This was around 1953, long before larger 4WD tractors were commercially available in Australia.

He used the Staghound to pull 30ft of Graham Holme chisel ploughs and 3 Horwood Bagshaw combines. This wonderful achievement of Peter Walker makes his Staghound the first farmer-built, 4WD tractor on the Darling Downs.

This historic tractor is now on display at Highfields Pioneer Village and is in the process of restoration. Anyone who has any photographs or information on the Staghounds used in World War II, could they please contact Ray Ashford at the Village, so that we can add to the history of this heritage.

Horse Drawn Pump



The horse-drawn water pump was made by Tulloch & Co in their factory at Phoenix Iron Works, in Sydney in 1890. Only one of these water pumps was manufactured. It was designed by the Narramine Shire Council Engineer for a specific purpose.

When the drovers used to bring mobs of cattle (1500 head) from Queensland through New South Wales on their way to Melbourne which was the main shipping point, they would camp at Narramine and after the cattle had drunk their fill from the MacQuarie River the drovers would bed down for the night. Because the MacQuarie River was also the town water supply a huge pollution problem was caused by the big mobs of cattle bogging up the bank.

The pump was paid for by arrangement by the stockroute board and when it was manufactured it was set up on the bank of the river, which was then venued off and the water pumped from the river to open drains similar to bore drains. When the drovers got to know about the pump they would send a man and horse a couple of hours ahead of the mob so that by the time the mob arrived the drains would be pumped full of water. This eliminated the pollution problem.

The Deutz



The Deutz 6 cylinder oil engine and A.E.G. alternator was imported from Germany in 1934 by the Toowoomba Electric Light Co. for electiricity generation.

It was commissioned in November 1934 in the T.E.L. Co. Power Station in Victoria Street, Toowoomba. After 22 years and 50 000 hours running, the engine was transferred to the Roma Electric Authority Power Station in 1956.

It was decommissioned in 1966 after the new Power Station was built. The plant then lay idle for 20 years until 1986 when it was sold for scrap. An enthusiast, Mr. Rex Redding, purchased the plant to save it from the scrappy.

Highfields Pioneer Village purchased The Deutz in 1997 to preserve it for future generations. With funding from Ergon Energy the engine will be restored to its former glory and will be run on special days.

"Friends of Pioneer Village" are doing the restoration under the watchful eyes of Mr. Noel Parker. Former employee of T.E.L. Co., Noel spent many hours working alongside The Deutz in the Power Station. Noel sadly passed away in 2008 and is missed by fellow volunteers and friends.

Specifications:
Bore 400mm, Stroke 700mm
600HP at 250RPM
1000HP at 250RPM (with supercharger fitted)

"Wind In Your Sails" The Warwick Windmill



The windmill was probably built before the beginning of the 20th century around 1900. It has been almost impossible to find any information on this mill at all. The wheel is 14ft in diameter and the wind acts on the back of the wheel instead of the front.

The governing system is quite different to conventional mills in that the tail lies horizontally at a fix angle to the wheel in the working position. When the wind blows strongly, the tail stands up vertically and swings the wheel away from the direction of the wind.

The mill and tower has been completely restored by Pioneer Village member, Arnold Van Brunshot, with the help of Robert Wilson(dec'd) and other members of the village and is an absolute credit to Arnold and Robert, considering parts were missing and very little of the original wood work existed.

Tinsmithing Machinery



When Collectables Trader magazine launched in the 1990s, they met Ron Douglas at his antiques store in Margaret Street, Toowoomba. Ron was an avid collector of tinsmithing machinery and his passion was restoring the machines to original condition so that one day he would have a museum where people could go and learn traditional tinsmithing skills.

It has taken Toowoomba plumbers David and Ian Williamson, along with Highfields Pioneer Village, to make Mr Douglas' vision a reality.

The Douglas collection is now housed at the Village and the Williamson brothers are creating a replica fascade to the buidling of the Toowoomba Spring Works that was in Russell Street next to where the old Irish Club stood. The original fascade was saved and restored by Ron Douglas for use as a frontage in Raff Street.

Mr Douglas' collection is unique. He told Collectables Trader magazine that he toured the country looking for the machinery and happily demonstrated turning a nice edge onto round vent cover right in the middle of his antique furniture displays.

With the restoring of old houses being in vogue, perhaps these old skills are about to get a new lease on life through the Village and the support of the Williamson brothers.

Events Contact Us

Managers: Pat and Ray Ashford

Ph: (07) 46 966309
Address: 73 Wirraglen Rd, Highfields QLD 4352

Email: highfieldspioneervillage@hotmail.com


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