Machinery Mile - Ilfracombe

26/08/2026

🚛 THE MAN WHO INVENTED THE AUSTRALIAN ROAD TRAIN 🚛
If you've travelled through outback Australia, chances are you've shared the road with a road train. But did you know the concept was pioneered by a remarkable Australian bushman and inventor, Les Buntine?
In the 1930s, while working in the Northern Territory, Les faced the challenge of moving supplies efficiently across vast distances on rough, remote tracks. Inspired by the movement of trains, he developed the idea of using a powerful prime mover to haul multiple trailers, creating what became known as the road train.
His innovation revolutionised transport across remote Australia, dramatically reducing freight costs and improving the movement of supplies to stations, mines, and isolated communities. What started as a solution to a local problem ultimately transformed the Australian transport industry and helped open up some of the most remote parts of the country.
Today, Australian road trains are recognised around the world and remain an essential part of life in regional and remote Australia, particularly across Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and South Australia.
As machinery and transport enthusiasts, it's fascinating to reflect on how one practical idea developed in the bush became one of Australia's greatest transport innovations.
🎥 This video tells the story of Les Buntine, the man whose vision and determination helped shape modern outback transport.
Have you worked around road trains, driven one, or remember seeing the early days of road train transport?
👍 Like�💬 Share your road train memories�🔁 Share this piece of Australian history�✅ Follow the Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile for more stories about the people, machines, and innovations that built Australia
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Australia's road trains are unlike almost anything else on Earth. M...

26/08/2026

🎉✅ EXCITING NEWS FOR THE ILFRACOMBE HISTROICAL SOCIETY INC. (MACHINERY MILE)! ✅🎉

We are pleased to announce that the Ilfracombe Historical Society Inc. is now an approved Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) Registered Charity.

This is a significant milestone for our organisation and an important step in helping us preserve and grow the Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile, protect our heritage collection, and continue sharing the stories of western Queensland with future generations.

💛 You can now make tax-deductible donations to support our work.

Whether it's a small contribution or a major donation, every dollar helps us: 🚜 Preserve historic machinery and artefacts
🏗️ Construct and improve display facilities
📚 Protect local history and heritage records
♿ Improve accessibility for visitors
🔧 Restore and maintain our collection
🌏 Continue developing Machinery Mile as a leading heritage attraction

As a volunteer-run organisation, we are incredibly grateful for the support of our members, volunteers, sponsors, donors, and community. This achievement would not have been possible without your encouragement and commitment.

Every donation, regardless of size, helps preserve the machines, stories, and history that helped build our region and our nation.

📩 If you would like to support the Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile through a tax-deductible donation, please send us a message.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us on this journey. The future is looking bright for Machinery Mile.

👍 Like
💬 Comment your support
🔁 Share this exciting news
✅ Follow for updates on our projects and preservation efforts














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26/08/2026

22/08/2026

22/08/2026

📸 HELP US PRESERVE OUR LOCAL HISTORY OR ANY HISTORY 📸
The Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile is more than just machinery. It's about the people, families, businesses, stations, and communities that helped shape Ilfracombe and western Queensland.
We'd love to give our followers the opportunity to share their old photographs, stories, memories, newspaper clippings, machinery photos, transport history, station life, sporting achievements, community events, military service, and local characters on our page.
You don't need to write a full story unless you can. Simply send us a few dot points such as:
✅ Who is in the photo�✅ Where it was taken�✅ Approximate year�✅ What was happening�✅ Any interesting memories or history
We'll be happy to help put the story together and share it with the community.
Every photo and story helps preserve a piece of our region's history that might otherwise be lost.
📩 Just send us a message through our page.
A big thank you to everyone who has already shared photos and memories with us. Your contributions help keep the history of Ilfracombe and western Queensland alive for future generations.
👍 Like�💬 Tag someone who might have old photos to share

Ps don’t forget any funny yarns that may or may not be completely true 😉 😂
�🔁 Share this post�📸 Message us your photos and stories
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21/08/2026

Thanks for being a top engager and making it onto our weekly engagement list! 🎉

Sandy Payne,
Don Martyr,
Gordon Mob,
Torquil MacDonald,
Bill Aplin,
Ann Brittain

21/08/2026

🚚 A PIECE OF ILFRACOMBE TRANSPORT HISTORY 🚚
We thought you might enjoy this fantastic photograph of Robert Bailey, General Carrier & Livestock Transport, Ilfracombe, taken around 1955–1957.
At a time when western Queensland relied heavily on road transport to connect properties, towns, and railheads, carriers like Robert Bailey played a vital role in keeping the region moving. Livestock, wool, supplies, machinery, and general freight all depended on hardworking operators and reliable trucks capable of covering vast distances under challenging conditions.
Photos like this provide a valuable snapshot of everyday life in outback Queensland and help preserve the stories of the people and businesses that supported the development of our region.
These transport operators were the lifeblood of many communities, delivering essential goods and services long before modern highways, logistics systems, and communications made the job easier.
🙏 A big thank you to Hilary Tearle for sharing this wonderful photograph and helping preserve another piece of Ilfracombe's history.
Do you remember Robert Bailey, the truck, or the business? We'd love to hear your memories and stories in the comments.
👍 Like�💬 Comment with your memories�🔁 Share to help preserve our local history�✅ Follow the Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile for more photos and stories from the past
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17/08/2026

18 August – Battle of Long Tan & Vietnam Veterans' Day 🌺

On 18 August, Australians pause to remember the Battle of Long Tan, fought in a rubber plantation in South Vietnam on 18 August 1966. It remains one of the most significant actions involving Australian troops during the Vietnam War. During the battle, 108 Australian soldiers of D Company, 6RAR, supported by New Zealand artillerymen, faced a much larger enemy force in difficult conditions and suffered heavy losses. Eighteen Australians lost their lives and many more were wounded.

Today is known as Vietnam Veterans' Day, a day not only to remember those who fought at Long Tan, but all Australians who served during the Vietnam War and those whose lives were changed by it.

For communities across western Queensland, the war was not something that happened far away. Young men from towns, stations, and communities throughout the region answered the call to serve. Families at home carried the worry, uncertainty, and sacrifice that came with having loved ones deployed overseas. Women also played an important role, supporting families, communities, and the war effort in countless ways.

As Australians, we do not celebrate war. We remember the people.
We remember those who never returned.
We remember those who came home carrying physical and emotional scars.
We remember the families who waited.
And we remember the mateship, service, and sacrifice that form part of our nation's story.

As visitors walk the Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile and explore the history of our district, it is worth reflecting on the generations of Australians who stepped forward in times of need and the communities that supported them.

Lest We Forget.
🌺 18 August 1966 - Battle of Long Tan�🌺 Vietnam Veterans' Day

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16/08/2026

🚚 GEORGE'S TRUCK GETS A NEW LOOK! 🚚
One of the most recognisable vehicles on the Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile is getting some well-deserved attention, with Gordon recently fitting a brand-new tray to George's Truck.
This historic vehicle is a Morris Commercial 4-ton truck, purchased new in Longreach in 1940. In its early years, it transported charcoal from Ashwell and Longway Stations to fuel the Longreach Power House, helping keep the lights on in the district.
During the mid-1950s, the truck was purchased by Savage Bros. Butchers, where it was used to transport meat from the slaughter yards into town. Even after being deregistered in the mid-1960s, its working life continued. The truck was used to cart wood to cook offal for pigs processed for the butcher shop, remaining in service until around 1978.
For many years, the truck was closely associated with George Woodfield, who learnt to drive behind its wheel and later undertook its restoration, ensuring this important piece of local history could be preserved for future generations.
🙏 Kindly donated by Brian Savage.
A special thank you goes to Gordon, one of Machinery Mile's most active and reliable "Mr Fix Its". Whether it's repairing, restoring, fabricating, or improving our displays, Gordon is always there lending a hand. The new tray is another example of the incredible volunteer effort that keeps our collection looking its best.
Without volunteers like Gordon, George, Mick, and many others, preserving our history simply wouldn't be possible.
👏 Thank you, Gordon. We really appreciate everything you do.
👍 Like�💬 Comment if you remember this truck at work�🔁 Share to help preserve our local history�✅ Follow the Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile for more restoration updates and machinery stories
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