Blackstone

William Andrews of Andrews & Beaven, Christchurch were the Blackstone agents & while other countries were producing agricultural tractors there wasn’t anything being made in New Zealand so they adapted a 10hp engine which was imported into New Zealand in 1906. They fitted it to a purpose built chassis with a chaff cutter mounted on the front of it. It has two forward speeds,1 & 3 mph and a reverse gear. It worked in the Springfield (Canterbury) area from 1911 to 1918. Two of these machines were built,one was destroyed by fire soon after it went into service & Mr. Arthur Wooding of Ward acquired the one from Springfield in 1918. The chaffcutter was removed from the front of it & it became a mobile power source on Mr.Wooding’s farm & other neighboring farms. It was in continuous use on his farm until 1938.It was kept under cover until it was donated to MVFMS in 1973.

This is possibly the first New Zealand built tractor.