The giant bucyrus is one of the first things you see on the road to Coleambally. It also plays a central role in the town’s history.
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It is believed the machines were imported from the Bucyrus-Erie corporations in the mid 1930’s.
The machine is known around town for digging out the Coleambally main canal, but it’s believed to have had a big history before that. It played a part in scooping the Mulwala Canal, as well as the Tocumwal airport, Deniboota Canal and the Box Creek Escape, to name just a few.
Coleambally Lions Club’s Trent Gardiner said the machines were transported from one place to another by “walking” them, often travelling around one mile per day.
“It was parked at a spot called Rowan’s Camp down Murundah Road with three others before they were sold for scrap,” he said.
“The Coleambally community bought one from the scrappy, getting it working with parts from the others. They then drove it into Coleambally where it sits now.”
It sits proudly in Lions Park – saved by the town it helped build. The engine still works and the upkeep is taken care of by the Coleambally Lions Club.
The club undertook the massive role of painting the machine last year. Weighing in at 130 tonnes, the bucyrus is said to house a 275 horsepower engine.
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“It’s usually started up at Coly’s vintage machinery day, which usually gets around 1000 people coming to watch,” he said.
According to The Story of Coleambally, volume two the bucyrus stands monument to the town it helped build – the same town who chose to preserve it.
“Having made history, it stands tall to remind us proudly of it.”
Residents and visitors can see the machine roar to life at the Coleambally 50th birthday celebrations taking place in town from June 8 – 11.
For more information, including the complete timetable of the weekend, visit facebook.com/coleamballys50th/