From an early age Maurice Donald had a thing for tractors.
So much so he amassed one of the largest, if not the biggest, collections of Case tractors in New Zealand.
At the time of his death about seven years ago he had collected 60 tractors over 50 years.
“Maurice always had a bit of a kink for tractors,” his brother Pete says.
“He started collecting around the age of 16 and didn’t stop. He also collected models of tractors and had about 500.”
The Donald brothers grew up on the family’s 121ha mixed cropping, sheep and beef farm at Leeston near Lake Ellesmere.
“We grew up around tractors and machinery and to me a tractor was just a tractor.
“But Maurice was a different story – he was tractor mad.”
Pete would often lend his brother a hand when he was fixing them up or stripping them back and refurbishing them.
He even kept his secrets.
“I remember Maurice bought one and didn’t tell mum and dad although they went along with his collecting.
“He hid it in the bushes at the run-off. Dad and I were doing some work there and he saw the muffler sticking out of the bushes. I had to admit that I knew Maurice had hid it there and got in trouble for not telling.
“What was really funny was our uncle had actually sold it to him so dad gave him a rev-up. I think by then he probably thought enough was enough.”
Maurice’s’ love of Case tractors was probably fostered by his grandparents. His grandfather on his dad’s side of the family owned the Case agency in Leeston and the collection contains an old D Case from his grandfather on his mother’s side.
But the oldest is a cross-engine Case dating back to the 1930s.
“The engine on that is mounted horizontally across the tractor rather than vertically but I can’t remember where he got it from. In fact, we do not have records for any of them – it was all in his head and he took that information with him.”
There is also an L Case industrial tractor once used to shunt railway wagons at Lyttelton in 1938 and a Fordson N.
The rarest is a 1200 Case with pivot wheels so it can travel sideways.
“There are two here but I think there are only about five in the country.”
The collection has about 15 brands but they are mostly Case tractors.
“Of course, it was all in the days of no internet and once word got out that Maurice was in the market, so to speak, people would ring him.
“For a while there seemed to be steady stream of them arriving. It was a running joke that each would be his last one. But then another would come up and he would go and buy it.”
Having never married or having children to pass the collection to Maurice left it to the Peter Donald Family Trust. Pete vows he will never sell it.
“I have had several offers from people wanting to buy different ones but they are not for sale.
“I promised Maurice I would never sell them.
“He rarely ever sold any and those that he did were ones he didn’t like and knew he could sell to fund the next purchase.”
Though there are no transaction records for any of the tractors he does hope to eventually have a plaque made for each one.
“I will never sell but have lent them out to a friend of Maurice, Jonty Ward, who has shown them at various events.
“His knowledge of tractors, makes and models is amazing. He even knows where to get parts to fix them up which is really handy.”
About 45 tractors are in good running order and he occasionally pulls one out and starts it up and does the odd maintenance on it.
“Maurice was never that keen to use them on the farm in case something went wrong and he couldn’t get the parts.
“But through Jonty I should be able to find what is needed.”
Seven years ago he built a large shed to house half of the collection and intends to build another to house the other half, which is in an old barn.
“I pulled them all out recently and gave them a clean and then put them back in order of age.
“The shed is packed pretty tight so it takes a bit of manoeuvering around. There are also a few bits of agricultural machinery housed with the collection.
The farm is now dairy, milking 900 cows on 500ha and is managed by son Tim. Pete looks after the run-off and, ironically, does the tractor work.
“Unfortunately, the farm and cows have to come first but perhaps when I retire I can sort and display them properly.
“I hope it is always kept intact and who knows, the next generation could set up a museum and have them on display permanently.
“If people show an interest we are happy to show them and so far we have had few busloads of visitors go through the collection.”
Pete says he has no idea what the collection is worth as he hasn’t kept up with prices, demand or availability.
“It is hard to put a figure on it but the sentimental value outstrips any monetary value.
“It is my brother’s legacy and hopefully one that people can enjoy.”
