General News
14 April, 2026
Generations on the track of tradition
THE massive crowd at Monday’s Rheola Charity Carnival saw cars parked on every spare piece of roadside a kilometre from the recreation reserve.
THE massive crowd at Monday’s Rheola Charity Carnival saw cars parked on every spare piece of roadside a kilometre from the recreation reserve.
While generations from the same families wandered in with deck chairs to settle in for a day of old-style country fun, some were ready to be part of the day’s activities.
Barry Finch, son Steve and grandson Stuart had arrived before most and unloaded four vintage tractors.
The three were part of the tractor pull competition, one of the carnival’s drawcard attractions.
The Finch family of Wedderburn even picked up a few prizes during the day.
But for all three, it was the involvement and continuing a family involvement in the rural “sport”.
Stuart, a diesel mechanic, said it was his second year competing in the Rheola tractor pull.
“Last year dad asked whether I wanted to drive and I thought, why not,” Stuart said.
That was more than 20 years after Steve got into the sport as a 14-year-old. “We have collected a lot of tractors and they’re still in their work clothes, not restored, as they are,” Steve said.
Barry said he and Steve had once brought 13 tractors to Rheola but decided four would be enough this year.
Charity carnival president Matt Catto said ongoing participation of families like the Finches was at the heart of the carnival’s longevity.
“The tractor pull never fails to have people lining the track fence, cheering on these old chugging farm workhorses,” he said.
“Better still when the drivers are from our local towns. They’re characters and whether they falter after a metre or go the full track, all are legends.”
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Lucky strike: Joan’s guess
MONDAY proved a golden day for Wedderburn’s Joan Earl on her traditional visit to the old home town of Rheola.
While hundreds of people tried to guess the weight of a gold nugget, it was Joan who collected the prize.
Aussie Gold Hunter star and local gold prospector Brent Shannon had teased the crowd to guess the weight of one his nuggets.
“How heavy do you think it is,” Brent constantly asked people getting their hand on a little bit of local treasure.
Brent said guesses wide and often way off the mark. “But Joan, she said it was 152 grams - just half a gram off the weight - and won $200.”
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