Machinery Mile - Ilfracombe

12/10/2026

AN EARLY ICE BOX 🧊
Before electric refrigerators became common in homes across Australia, families relied on ingenious inventions like this early ice box to keep food cool and fresh.
This beautiful example came from Mayfair, Longreach, and offers a glimpse into everyday life before modern refrigeration. Blocks of ice were placed in a compartment within the cabinet, helping to keep milk, butter, meat, and other perishables cool during the hot western Queensland summers.
For many families, the arrival of the ice delivery was an important part of weekly life. Careful management of the ice box was essential, as every block of ice had to last as long as possible.
This piece has been lovingly restored by a carpenter from Springsure, preserving an important part of Australia's domestic history and reminding us just how much daily life has changed over the years.
🙏 Kindly donated by Mark Rogers�📅 Donated 4 December 2006
While we often admire the big bulldozers, tractors, and machinery on the Mile, it's everyday items like this that tell the story of life in the home and the challenges faced by earlier generations.
Have you or your family ever owned an ice box? We'd love to hear your memories of ice deliveries, cool cupboards, and life before refrigeration.
👍 Like�💬 Share your memories�🔁 Share with someone who remembers these�✅ Follow the Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile for more stories from the past
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08/10/2026

🎉🚜 $5,000 GRANT SECURED FOR NEW ALL-ACCESS PATHWAY! 🚜🎉

The Ilfracombe Historical Society Inc. and Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile are excited to announce that we have been awarded a $5,000 grant through the Queensland Airports Limited & Bendigo Bank Community Foundation Community Benefit Fund.

This funding will assist with the construction of a safe, all-weather accessible pathway behind the McMasters Shed, improving access to an important section of our museum collection.

Today, our President George Woodfield had the pleasure of meeting with Amelia Evans, CEO of Queensland Airports Limited, and Tim Rayner, Longreach Airport Manager, to show them where the new pathway will be installed and discuss the work required to widen and improve access through the area.

This project will make it easier for visitors using:

♿ Wheelchairs
🦯 Mobility aids and walkers
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Prams and families
🚶 Visitors of all ages and abilities

to safely access and enjoy displays located behind the McMasters Shed.

Importantly, the pathway will allow more people to experience and appreciate some of the many historically significant items within our collection that are currently difficult for some visitors to access.

As a volunteer-run organisation, support from community-minded organisations such as Queensland Airports Limited and the Bendigo Bank Community Foundation makes a real difference. Their investment helps us improve the visitor experience, increase accessibility, and continue preserving and sharing the history of western Queensland.

With only a small team of dedicated volunteers maintaining and developing Machinery Mile, we will also be looking to the community for a helping hand when the time comes to construct the pathway. Whether it's assisting with preparation work, laying concrete, or helping with the finishing touches, community support will play an important role in bringing this project to life and improving access for future visitors.

We sincerely thank Amelia Evans, Tim Rayner, Queensland Airports Limited, Bendigo Bank Community Foundation, and the Community Enterprise Foundation for supporting our project and recognising the value of preserving our region's heritage.

We look forward to getting started and sharing the progress with everyone.

👏 Thank you for helping make Machinery Mile more accessible for all.

Photo: at the back of the McMasters shed where the new path will go.

ABC Western Queensland Longreach Regional Council



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07/10/2026

🚜 Did You Know a Road Grader Helped Inspire Caterpillar Yellow? 🚜

Most people recognise Caterpillar by its iconic yellow colour, but did you know that the road grader played a part in that story?

In the early days, Caterpillar machines were painted grey with red trim. As the company expanded into road construction and public works, visibility and safety became increasingly important. The introduction of the road grader and other highway construction equipment highlighted the need for machinery that was easier to see around workers, roads, and busy job sites.

That led to the adoption of "Hi-Way Yellow" in 1931, a colour that would eventually evolve into the famous Caterpillar Yellow recognised around the world today.

And if you'd like to see some early Caterpillar grader history up close, take a walk through the Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile. We are fortunate to have several early Caterpillar graders on display, including historic machines that help tell the story of road construction and transport development across western Queensland.

It's hard to imagine now, but there was a time when Caterpillar machines weren't yellow at all!

🎥 Check out this great Caterpillar video explaining how the modern grader developed and how the company's famous yellow colour came to be.

A fantastic piece of history from a company celebrating 100 years of Caterpillar.

👍 Like if you're a Cat fan
💬 Comment with your favourite Caterpillar grader or machine
🔁 Share with a machinery enthusiast
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06/10/2026

🚜 Did You know Caterpillar Built Mowers? 🚜
Most people think of Caterpillar as bulldozers, graders, and earthmoving equipment, but back in the 1920s Cat machines could also be found working in the paddock.
One interesting attachment available for early Caterpillar crawler tractors was a 7-foot side-mounted sickle mower, designed specifically for farm operations. These mowers allowed the same tractor that worked the fields and hauled equipment to also cut hay and fodder crops, making them a versatile tool for farmers.
It's a reminder that many of the early Caterpillar machines were developed not just for construction and earthmoving, but for agriculture. Farmers often needed one machine capable of performing multiple jobs, and manufacturers responded by producing a wide range of specialised attachments.
Looking at these early machines, it's amazing to see how adaptable they were and how many innovations from nearly 100 years ago helped shape modern agriculture.
💬 Did you know Caterpillar made mower attachments?�🚜 Have you seen one in operation or in a collection?
A big thank you to Caterpillar for sharing another great piece of machinery history.
👍 Like�💬 Comment�🔁 Share�✅ Follow the Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile for more stories about the machines that built Australia.
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06/10/2026

🎉🍻 Congratulations to Tracey and the Team at the Wellshot Hotel! 🍻🎉
On behalf of the Ilfracombe Historical Society Inc. and the Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile, we would like to congratulate Tracey and the entire team at the Wellshot Hotel on celebrating 10 years of ownership and service to the community.
Over the past decade, the Wellshot Hotel has become much more than a pub. It has been a welcoming stop for travellers, a gathering place for locals, a supporter of community organisations, and an important part of the Ilfracombe experience.
The Wellshot is one of Queensland's most iconic outback hotels and, under your stewardship, has continued to showcase the hospitality, history, and character that make our town special.
Thank you for your ongoing support of local events, community groups, tourism, and the many visitors who pass through our region each year. Your contribution helps make Ilfracombe a destination that people remember and talk about long after they leave.
Congratulations on reaching this wonderful milestone. We wish you continued success for many years to come.
🥂 Here's to the past 10 years and the next 10!
👏 Congratulations Tracey and the Wellshot team.
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05/10/2026

01/10/2026

A big thank you to Don & Jar Milne for their donation to our Machinery Mile. Very much appreciated.

26/09/2026

💧 Apply now for the 2027-28 Great Artesian Basin rehabilitation program.

Eligible landholders can access funding to cover up to 90% of project costs to cap and pipe ageing bore infrastructure.

The program supports the replacement of free-flowing bores and open bore drains with modern piping systems that improve water supply reliability, reduce maintenance costs, support better stock management and boost long-term property productivity.

Secure a more reliable water supply for your property while helping protect one of Queensland’s most important water resources for future generations.

Learn more and apply: www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/mining-energy-water/water/catchments-planning/great-artesian-basin/rehabilitation-program/funding-cap-pipe-projects
📅 Submissions close Monday 30 November 2026.

21/09/2026

Please read and if you want sign the petition

Running a hospitality business in a small regional community like Ilfracombe comes with its challenges, and one of the biggest is finding enough people to work alongside our local team, particularly during our busy tourism season.

Over the years, Working Holiday Visa holders have become an incredibly important part of our operation.

They work behind our bar, in our kitchen, Coffee Hatch and accommodation, helping us provide good country hospitality that visitors expect when they walk through our doors.

But their contribution goes well beyond the Wellshot.

While they’re here, they live locally, shop locally, eat locally and spend locally. They become customers of other businesses, attend community events, meet our locals and experience what life in a small Queensland town is really about.

For communities like Ilfracombe, every extra person matters.

Working Holiday Makers also bring something pretty special to our pub. We’ve had people from different corners of the world become part of the Wellshot family, share their culture and stories with us, and in return experience a part of Australia they may never have discovered otherwise.

Some arrive knowing very little about Outback Queensland and leave with lifelong friendships, incredible memories and a genuine connection to our community.

That’s why the future of the Working Holiday Maker program matters to us.

Regional hospitality and tourism businesses already face significant challenges attracting workers. Any changes to the program that affect how many Working Holiday Makers come to Australia, how long they can stay, or their ability to work in regional communities could have a very real impact on businesses and towns like ours.

We support protecting the Working Holiday Maker program and ensuring regional tourism and hospitality businesses have a genuine voice in any decisions about its future.

Because out here, Working Holiday Makers aren’t simply filling a roster.

They become part of our pub, part of our community and part of the story of the Outback. ❤️

Help us and other regional communities! Please consider signing and sharing the below petition!

https://www.change.org/p/protect-working-holiday-maker-backpacker-visas-in-australia