THE Bendemeer streets were alive with the rumble of tractor engines over the weekend with the staging of the second Grey Fergie Muster.
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The muster – the biggest fergie gathering in Australia, according to organisers – is held every three years and attracts crowds from across all the eastern states of Australia.
"There were 144 tractors in all from Foster in Victoria's Gippsland region, Geelong, Bathurst, Bega, Young, Forbes, Barradine, Guyra, Glen Innes, Armidale, Caboolture, Nenango, Kingaroy, Dalby, Toowoomba and along the coast and Gunnedah had the most with 14 tractors," an organiser Winston Doak said.
"We had a great weekend with six semi[trailer] loads of tractors.
"It was really good."
It wouldn't be a fergie muster without a Miss Fergie. Krista Carter from Bendemeer won the title along with $70 and hair products and Amy Haywood was runner-up and took home $30 and hair products.
All entrants received earrings and sashes.
Highlights of the muster included a big street parade on Saturday involving 106 tractors, and old trucks, huge crowds of about 3500 people. There were also presentations of awards in 12 sections for the tractors, a bush poets breakfast on the riverbank attracting about 250 people yesterday morning plus old time movies shown at the hall and a parade around the riverbank involving 100
tractors.
"We had various events to keep the Fergies moving and keep people entertained," Mr Doak said.
"This included plenty of children's activities and lots of stalls with all the stallholders very happy."
Organisers are now looking forward to organising the next muster in 2009.
