Geraldine Vintage Car & Machinery Club Museum is a real treasure trove

One of the most popular displays at the Geraldine Vintage Car and Machinery Club Museum is the Traffic Police Motorbike Collection.

Kem Ormond is a features writer for NZME community newspapers and The Country. Here she continues her look into vintage machinery attractions around New Zealand with the Geraldine Vintage Car and Machinery Club Museum.

Another vintage machinery museum worth a visit is the Geraldine Vintage Car and Machinery Club Museum.

Situated in the heart of Geraldine at 178 Talbot Street, every year over 7000 visitors stop and enjoy this museum, which is open every day except, Good Friday, Christmas Day and Anzac Day morning.

The club has been going for 57 years and has about 100 members, 40 of whom are actively involved.

Like other tractor and vintage museums around New Zealand, its success is because of all the dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly, either helping with restoration or greeting visitors.

And as an incorporated society and charitable trust, the longevity of the collection will be ensured.

The club started life at the back of a coal yard and sawmill, in the back corner of their (now) grounds.

Resident Jack Morrison had the building in the front to store his impressive car collection.

The Morrisons were a well-known family in Geraldine as they owned various shops around town.

Tragedy struck on New Year’s Day 1979, when the building caught fire, causing devastating damage to the premises and the car collection.

After the flames subsided, Morrison gifted the remains to the club on the basis that it was rebuilt and would become a museum.

Saunderson and Mills, the oldest working tractor in New Zealand.

The club rose to the challenge and with the help of local groups, including the Lions and Young Farmers, this was achieved — it reopened two years later.

Since then, they have expanded to eight buildings, having purchased neighbouring land.

Each of those eight buildings displays its own theme of either vintage, veteran or classic show pieces.

This museum is an absolute treasure trove of restored vintage and antique machinery, vehicles, and household items, all beautifully displayed.

The museum is lucky to have a couple of volunteers with an affinity for layout and presentation, who come up with eye-catching display ideas.

The most popular display is the Traffic Police Motorbike Collection.

Owned by one of the members, it represents every motorbike the old Ministry of Transport Traffic Officers used during their time in the 1970s and 80s before merging with the police.

Who doesn't love a miniature car.

Tractor enthusiasts will be drooling, with over 100 vintage tractors, the rarest being a Saunderson and Mills (1913) which is New Zealand’s oldest running tractor according to the museum.

It gets started at every Crank-Up Day that the museum runs from time to time and runs very well for its age.

Others in the collection include Case, John Deere, Fordson, Allis Chalmers, Hart Parr, McCormick Deering MAN, Lanz, Nuffield and many more.

There is a collection of over 50 vintage and veteran cars from as far back as 1907, a Rangatira ship engine that still runs, a self-propelled road grader, motorbike collection, 1928 Simmonds Spartan Biplane, and vintage machinery including ploughs, chainsaws, pumps and more.

For classic car fan a collection of Jaguars, Holden Monaro, Armstrong Siddeley, Van den Plas, RBM Riley and Falcons are on display, with more vehicles arriving soon.

A year in the making, a very skilled member made a replica version of an Alldays and Onions vintage car already on display at the museum.

What’s more, there is a lovely collection of singer sewing machines, which started as one old, restored machine and then more were donated.

There are also vintage household items and even a vintage store. There is even a display of old cinema equipment.

A personal favourite has to be the collection of pedal cars, miniature tractors and trains and several small-scale aircraft.

The skill of the volunteers who work on some of these miniature cars is beyond belief.

"Zorro" a locally crafted electric car believed to be New Zealand's first to be road registered.

In November, a presentation was made of an Alldays & Onions replica of a full-sized version at the museum.

It was made by one of the members and it took him a year to complete, which involved him working on it every day.

And finally, don’t miss seeing “Zorro”, a locally crafted electric car, believed to be the first to be registered on New Zealand roads.

In time to come the museum is hoping to start a collection of early Japanese cars — so watch this space. This museum has something for everyone.

Open 9.30am to 4pm daily in the summer and 10am to 3pm in winter.

With an entrance fee of $15 for adults and children free, make sure you visit when next making a road trip to Geraldine, you will be in for a treat.