Traction and Portable Engine Display

2024 Traction and Portable Engines

JIM HAWKS

Manufacturer: Ruston Proctor Co Ltd of Lincoln UK at the company’s Sheaf Iron Works in Lincoln.

Year of Manufacture: 1913

Country Assembled In: England

Type of Boiler: Fire Tube

Fuel Used: Wood and Coal

Owned By: Jim & Lyndle Hawkes

Location: Kurri NSW

Restored By: Current owners and took over 6 years. The boiler work was completed by Ken Ainsworth of Goulburn.

Description of Use: The Ruston (known as Reverie) is an 8nhp double crank compound 2 speed agricultural traction engine. These engines were designed for mainly agricultural purposes such as powering (via a flat belt) threshing drums, chaff cutters, sawmills, pumps and land clearing.

This engine is also fitted with a winch that could be used to pull logs out of the bush and itself out of bogs. Water is carried in the rear tender and in a belly tank that is suspended under the boiler. Fuel is carried in the coal bunker that is located at the rear of the engine.

Timber is carried in the steel basket that hangs over the rear of the engine.
Maximum road speed is 4 miles per hour.

Ruston Proctor

Manufacturer: Ruston Proctor Co Ltd of Lincoln UK at the company’s Sheaf Iron Works in Lincoln.

Year of Manufacture: 1910

Country Assembled In: England

Type of Boiler: Fire Tube

Fuel Used: Wood

Owned By: Steven King

Location: Glen Innes, NSW

Restored By: John Gotts, Scoresby. Further work by current owner will include restoration of boiler cladding and full length canopy.

Description of Use: The “colonial type” was Ruston Proctor’s answer to competition from American manufacturers. It was lighter, with wide wheels, and easy rear access to the footplate making it suitable for ‘direct ploughing’. The use of a clutch in the smaller flywheel followed American practice, along with a longer fire box for burning wood.

This engine excelled at chaff cutting (up to 2 tons an hour) and would have towed the Bunting chaff cutter, steamer and cook house from farm to farm at it’s maximum speed of 2 mph. It was later used to drive a saw mill around which time the clutch was removed.

15 of the SHA class were imported into Australia by McKay’s of which only two others are known to have survived (41000 now owned by George Brown and 42028 owned by Neil Asplin) and if there are others the owner would be delighted to hear from you.

Marshall Sons and Company Ltd.

Manufacturer:Marshall Sons and Company Ltd.

Year of Manufacture: 1913

Country Assembled In: England

Type of Boiler: Fire Tube

Fuel Used: Wood and Coal

Owned By: David Toyne

Location: Oberon NSW

Restored By: The engine has never been derelict. David Von Stieglitz carried out some minor boiler work and gave her a coat of paint in 1971 in preparation for the Launceston Centenary Show.

Description of Use: Although dispatched in 1913, the engine wasn’t put to work until 1922. In that time it had travelled from England to New Zealand and then on to Tasmania. In 1922 it was acquired by Ned Peterson, A threshing and chaff cutting contractor in Westbury Tasmania. Ned was also an engine dealer.
The engine spent most of its short working life driving Walter’s sawmill, and then, for a short their stone crusher. It was laid up in the late 1950s.
Since the 1970s it has been rallied by the two preservation owners, David Von Stieglitz and David Toyne.
In 2017 the engine was taken out of service and stripped down to have a new firebox fitted by K & H Ainsworth of Goulburn. It returned to steam in 2022 with Steamfest Maitland being its first public event.
The engine carries the name Andora, which is the name of the property on which it resided for 45 years.

6HP Brittannia

Manufacturer: Marshall Sons & Co Ltd
Britannia Iron Works, Gainsborough, England

Year of Manufacture: 1907

Country Assembled In: England

Type of Boiler: Colonial

Fuel Used: Wood

Owned By: Antony Pritchett

Location: Hunter Valley 

Restored By: David and Antony Pritchett

Description of Use: Engines of this type which combined a light weight engine and boiler drove pumps Chaff cutters and other agriculture machinery.
They were called portable because they could be carted easily around the country side as needed

14 HP Marshall

Manufacturer: Marshall Sons & Co Ltd
Britannia Iron Works, Gainsborough, England

Year of Manufacture: 1911

Country Assembled In: England

Manufacturers Number: 46024 Engine Number 1004

Type of Boiler: Locomotive Type

Fuel Used: Wood

Owned By: Kelly and Peter Garnham

Location: Maitland NSW

Restored By: Peter Garnham and members of Maitland Steam and Antique Machinery Association

History of Ownership: Current – Garnham Family Purchased Feb 2017
Previous –2016 – 2017 Reverie Iron Works Oberon
1911 imported into Tasmania
1930 Purchased by Furney travelling Chaff Cutting. Then transported to Mainland and installed in Furney Factory Dubbo to supply steam to Factory. Removed from Factory and sat on Farm in Dubbo to rot.
2016 Rescued by Reverie Ironworks and transported to Oberon
2017 Purchased by Garnham Family with Purpose of restoration and Run in Maitland

Description of Use: Engines of this type which combined a light weight engine and boiler drove pumps Chaffcutters and other agriculture machinery.

They were called portable because they could be carted easily around the country side as needed.

8HP Marshall

Manufacturer: Marshall Sons & Co Ltd
Britannia Iron Works, Gainsborough, England

Year of Manufacture: 1914

Country Assembled In: England

Type of Boiler: Locomotive Type

Fuel Used: Wood

Owned By: Ross Taylor

Location: Tamworth

Restored By: Ross Taylor

Description of Use: Used to saw Mill Equipment

Bill Ives Marshall

Manufacturer: Marshall Sons & Co Ltd
Britannia Iron Works, Gainsborough, England

Year of Manufacture: 1925

Country Assembled In: England

Type of Boiler: Locomotive Type

Fuel Used: Coal or Firewood

Owned By: Bill and Daniel Ives

Location: Brisbane

Restored By: Bob and Bill Ives

Description of Use: Marshall 80161 was built in 1925 and arrived in Australia in February 1926. The Roller was imported for the Queensland Main Roads Commission by the Queensland Machinery Company. The roller was used by main roads in the southeast Queensland area.

The last known job was the Toowoomba range west of Brisbane. It was sold in the early 1960’s to Cyril Cadwallader for preservation. It was subsequently sold to a caravan park builder who used it to build a caravan park at Caboolture. It then went to a private collector and then to a couple of tourist parks.

The last park closed, and the roller again went to a private collector. It wasn’t steamable then and he towed it to roll his driveway with a frontend loader. One day the roller got away and dragged the frontend loader down the road.

Bill bought the roller shortly after that and he and his family have had it running for over 30 years.

Marshall

Manufacturer: Marshall

Year of Manufacture: 1911

Country Assembled In: England

Type of Boiler: Locomotive

Fuel Used: Wood

Owned By:  Jim Hawkes

Location: Maitland

Restored By: Andy Sinclair

History of Ownership: Left Gainsborough work on the 26th July 1911 and shipped tp Scruttons Pty Ltd Sydney. Sold to the underwood family and used to power a sawmill in the Kenebri district NSW Purchased in 1985 by Andy Sinclair and restored.

Used to: Power a Sawmill

Stanley Steamer racing car

Manufacturer: Stanley Twins

Year of Manufacture: 1921

Country Assembled In: USA

Type of Boiler: fire tube

Fuel Used: Kerosene Main Burner Pilot Burner Sheltie
Fuel tank 15 Gallons

Owned By: John Pryde

Location: Hunter Valley 

Restored By:  John Pryde 2nd Stanley Steamer He has restored

History of Ownership: Purchased from Janet Holmes a court. 

Used to: Steam Power Tourer 7 seater
A full tank of fuel gives 150 to 250 MPG
In 1906 a Stanley Steamer racing car reached a top speed of
127.66 MPH
In1907 the same car tried to better it top speed and crashed at
180 MPH

Morris Family - Truck

Manufacturer: Morris Family

Year of Manufacture: 2018

Country Assembled In: Australia

Type of Boiler: Water Tube

Fuel Used: Coal

Owned By: Steve Morris

Location: Cooranbong NSW

History of Ownership: Owned and built by Steve & Scott Morris.

Used to: Enjoyment of family, friends, fellow club members & the public.

Morris Family - Truck

Manufacturer: Bufflalo Pitts

Year of Manufacture: 1912

Country Assembled In: USA 

Type of Boiler: Locomotive

Fuel Used: Wood

Owned By: Alan Simpson

Location: Tamworth

Restored by: Alan Simpson purchased in 1975 restoration completed in 1988.

Used to: The traction engine was used to operate the Upper Horton Mill and attend to yard duties as required. 

14 HP Marshall

Manufacturer: Marshall 

Year of Manufacture: 1911

Manufactures Number: 57264

Country Assembled In: England

Type of Boiler: Locomotive Type

Fuel Used: Wood

Owned By: Jim Hawkes

Location: Maitland NSW

Restored By: Andy Sinclair

History of Ownership: Left Gainsborough work on the 26th July 1911 and shipped tp Scruttons Pty Ltd Sydney. Sold to the underwood family and used to power a sawmill in the Kenebri district NSW Purchased in 1985 by Andy Sinclair and restored.

Used to: Power a Sawmill

Replica Ploughing Engine- Ross Bishop

Manufacturer: Hand Made by Ross Bishop of West Pymble NSW.

Year of Manufacture: 2022

Manufactures Number: 3728

Size Nominal Horse Power: 16HP

Country Assembled In:  Australia 

Number of Cylinders: Single Cylinder  

Type of Boiler: Locomotive Type

Boiler Pressure: 700kPa (100psi)

Fuel Used: Wood / Coal

Owned By: Ross Bishop

Location: West Pymble 

History of Ownership: This is a replica 16hp Single Cylinder Ploughing Engine handmade to ¼ scale. Construction commenced Jan 2015 and completed March 2022. Approx 5000 man hrs work.

Used to: The original engines were used in pairs to haul a plough back and forth on a wire cable.

Ruston Proctor Type SD Traction Engine (6 inch scale model)

Manufacturer: Ruston Proctor Type SD Traction Engine (6 inch scale model)

Year of Manufacture: Model Started – 2012 (Original engines were built circa 1920) Model Finished – 2019

Manufactures Number: 001

Size Nominal Horse Power: ½

Number of Cylinders: 1 – (2¾” Bore x 4¼” Stroke)

Type of Boiler: Locomotive, Wet back, Steel construction
10”ɸ Barrel, 1”ɸ Copper Fire tubes

Boiler Pressure: 100 psi (maximum allowed under the AMBSC model code)
(original, full size engine 150 psi)

Fuel Used: Wood, Coal, Charcoal

Owned By: Paul Lousick

Location: Sydney

Restored By: Built by Paul Lousick 

History of Ownership: Manufacturing drawings and Castings purchased from England
Boiler modified to suit the Australian Miniature Boiler Safety Committee (AMBSC) Code
All engine parts made in Australia. 

Used to: Have fun and terrorise the neighbourhood.
Smaller traction engines were introduced in the UK to overcome the road regulations that required a man with a red flag to walk in front of the engine when travelling thru towns and were limited to a maximum speed of 3mph.
Engines weighing less than 3½ tons and could travel at 5mph thru towns and did not require a man with a red flag.

7NHp Fowler Traction engine

Manufacturer: Miniature built by D. Meller

Year of Manufacture: 2007-2015

Manufactures Number: 11298

Size Nominal Horse Power: Scale model of 7NHP engine

Number of Cylinders: Single 

Type of Boiler: Locomotive type

Boiler Pressure: 100 psi 

Fuel Used: Coal

Owned By: D. Meller

Location: Sydney

History of Ownership: This is a model of a 7NHp Fowler Traction engine with associated 8 ton wagon and 220 gallon water cart. Built to a scale of 3” to the foot (1/4 scale).
Construction commenced 2007, completed 2015.

Used to: General purpose agricultural and haulage work.

Roby Traction engine GH PM

Manufacturer: Robey 

Year of Manufacture: 1924

Manufactures Number: MO 30317, Engine No 41802

Size Nominal Horse Power:10HP

Number of Cylinders: 2

Type of Boiler: Fire Tube 

Boiler Pressure: 100  

Fuel Used: Wood or Coal 

Owned By: Phil Mullins

Location: Wagga Wagga

Restored by: Maintained by Phil Mullins and Geffrey Holgate – has never been restored. 

History of Ownership: New to James Dunns in 1924. It was railed to Wagga Wagga and used to cut chaff in the district of Riverina and bring the chaff back to the railhead in Wagga Wagga or warehouse. It all so use to bring timber to the Hardy Bros mill in Wagga and at one stage moved the old hospital to a new site. It ended up at the chaff mill in Henty in 1952 and went with the mill when George Wettern and Co brought the chaff mill in Allan Street, Henty in 1962. Some time later in the 1960’s Allan Pickering came down from Sydney and George gave him the engine to take home to Sydney and restore. So Allan lit a fire in it, intending to stream it to the rail yard in Henty, to train it back to Sydney. Butdastard stuck at 40 pounds when a fire tube blew out, so Allan left the engine in Henty.
In 1983 Brian and his father with the help of Harold Fife fitted a new set of tubes and bottom stays in the firebox. The Robey attended the 1986 Henty Centenary, it first road trip. Brian Wettern had a lot of fun with the Robey attending many a rally and road run with it, such as Yerong Creek Rally and the NHMA National Rally when it was held in Henty.
I meet Brian in 2004, when the Wagga Historic Engine Club was retrieving it’s sister engine from the Botanic Gardens in Wagga Wagga – which is currently being restored by the club.
I then started to help crew the Robey with Brian when it went out to events.
In 2016, Brian decided that it was time to move the Robey on and rang myself to see if I was interested in buying the Robey, as he didn’t want the engine to be scrapped or go overseas or leave the district. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Since then the Robey has been in regular use. It had a few problems. We have replaced the big end bearings; gearing and it use to jump out of gear, which is a little frightening when you have no brakes.

Used to: Chaff cutting and heavy haulage.

Yorkshire Steam Wagon

Manufacturer: Yorkshire Steam Wagon

Year of Manufacture: 1924

Manufactures Number: 2049

Manufactures Number: England

Size Nominal Horse Power:6 NHP

Number of Cylinders: 2 Compound 

Type of Boiler: Two pass double ended superheated

Boiler Pressure: Originally 220PSI Currently 180PSI

Fuel Used: Wood or Coal 

Owned By: Robert Jones

Location: Melbourne

Restored by: Dave Mickle

History of Ownership: Dave Mickle 1980-2002
Robert Jones 2002-present

Used to: General freight haulage.

Robey & co

Manufacturer: Robey & co

Year of Manufacture: 1923

Manufactures Number: 40902

Size Nominal Horse Power: 4HP

Number of Cylinders: 2 in a Compound arrangement

Type of Boiler: Locomotive/ fire tube.

Boiler Pressure: 120psi  

Fuel Used: Coal / wood

Owned By: Sarah Gray, Operated by Son Michael & Grandson Myles

Restored by: Maintained by Phil Mullins and Geffrey Holgate – has never been restored. 

History of Ownership: Ordered new for Alexandera / Newtown council & sold after the end of WW2. Believed to be used as a stationary boiler in the Southwestern Sydney for agriculture use. Then made its way south to a property at Balmoral on the Picton – Mittagong loop line.
Saved & initially restored in the 1970’s by the late Benny Rachwal & members of the Colo Vale Steam machinery group. Benny ‘spotted’ roller from the cab of a railway locomotive he was driving and later returned to the property to see about saving the engine.
The engine operated in the 1970’s through to the late 1980’s with Wayne Gray taking on many of the ongoing repairs such as ash pan replacement, boiler tubes and fabrication repairs to the bunker.
The engine was passed down to Sarah Gray from Benny. The roller was out of action from the 1990’s through to the late 2010’s. Michael, Brother John and Wayne spent many hours of work in spare time fully restoring the engine to what you see today.

Latest Restoration work by: Wayne Gray, Michael Gray, John Gray.

Replica Living Van

Manufacturer: Replica living Van  

Country Assembled In: Australia

Owned By: Jim Hawkes

Restored by: Jim Hawkes used recycled materials during its manufacture  

Location: Kurri

Used to: Replica Living Van These were used by threshing contractors to camp out when on the job during harvest times. Built from recycled materials to maintain a patina to represent a bygone era.

JOhn Fowler

Manufacturer: John Fowler

Year of Manufacture: 1922. It left the works for Australia on the 29-4-1922

Manufactures Number: 14676

Country Assembled In: England 

Size Nominal Horse Power: 4NHP

Number of Cylinders: 2 Compound 

Type of Boiler: Locomotive

Boiler Pressure: 180 PSI

Fuel Used: Coal

Owned By: Stephen Deacon

Restored by: Stephen Deacon

Weight of Engine: 10.5 tons

History of Ownership: Bought new by the BOREE Shire Council at Cudal, NSW. Used for road making around the Boree Shire until the early 1950’s. It was sold to a local man, Arthur Davis who towed a large chaff cutter around the local farms contract chaff cutting. In the early 1960’s was sold to a Mr Fester of Coonabarrabran who tried to use it on his farm but was too heavy for farm soils and was abandoned. Eddie Manglesdorf of Coolamon bought it in the 1970’s but it was so badly worn out he sold it to me, Stephen Deacon on 15-1-1979. I spent 10 years rebuilding it and had its first running to Thirroul public school 100 year celebrations. It was completely dismantled and the boiler was cut up to repair it as it was rusting thin in the inner firebox. It has just returned to operating condition again.

The Sentinel Wagon Works

Manufacturer:The Sentinel Wagon Works.
They were a British steam wagon and locomotive manufacturer in Shrewsbury, England.

Year of Manufacture: 1924

Manufactures Number: Super Sentinel Steam Wagon No.5322

Country Assembled In: England 

Size Nominal Horse Power: 70 HP

Number of Cylinders: Twin-cylinder double-acting

Type of Boiler: Vertical Water Tube Type

Boiler Pressure: 230 PSI

Fuel Used: Coal

Owned By: Paul Dove, Karen Clark and Emily

Location: Bargo, NSW

Restored by: Early restoration by Clarrie Wallis
2013/14 restoration by Paul Dove.
Boiler rebuilt and other mechanical repairs

History of Ownership: Bought new by Ted Flower from agents William Adams & Co. Then Walter Berry of Trundle, then Bob McLeod of Cowra, then Clarrie Wallis of Kogarah then Paul Dove of Bargo.

Description and Use: It was used to deliver brown coal around Melbourne before being bought and driven to Trundle, NSW in 1939 to use on the Berry family farm ‘Woodview’ to deliver bagged wheat to the railhead.

Chaff Cutter H V McKay

Manufacturer: H.V. McKay Sunshine 3 blade Chaff cutter

Year of Manufacture: 1920’s

Country Assembled In: Australia

Owned By: Jim Hawkes 

Restored by: Jim Hawkes using recycled materials to maintain an as is found condition

Used to: H.V. Makay 3 blade Chaff cutter Date of manufacture Unknown but typical of the 1920’s with a 4’ flat belt drive. Chaff Cutters were used to cut stalks of lucerne wheat oats or barley to make chaff stock feeds.

Steam heated Corn Cooker

How it came about
Councillor Peter Garnham President of Maitland Steam & Antique Machinery Association attended the 200 years celebration of the founding of the city of Bathurst. At the event they gave away to the public corn on the cob it was cooked in a wood fired tub the corn was served with butter pepper and salt.
Peter suggested at the Steamfest steering committee meeting that the committee should look at serving corn on the cob at the Steamfest Festival 2016. Better still if we could use steam to heat the cooking vessel

The Steam heated Corn Cooker
The concept of using steam to heat a vessel that the corn was to be cooked in was discussed at the next meeting of Maitland Steam & Antique Machinery Association. One of our members had a 150 Gallon Stainless steel refrigerated milk cooling vat that he felt would do the job and donated it to the club.
The refrigeration pipe work was removed and the dimple plate heat exchanger that forms the curved bottom of the vessel was pipe up to have steam connected to it.
Steam at 40 PSI from a Portable Steam Engine will be feed to the cookers steam distribution manifold via a high pressure flexible steam hose.
The temperature of the water will be controlled by a manual control / isolation valve there is a pressure gauge after the isolation valve to indicate the pressure within the heat exchanger and a dial thermometer to indicate cooking temperature mounted on / in the vessel. The heat exchanger is split into two circuits the steam will exit the heat exchanger via two stem traps and non-return valves this will allow the condensate (condensed steam to be feed back to the boiler feed water tank for re use as feed water for the Portable Steam Engines boiler.

Steampunk

Dijor is an upcycle admirer who loves to be resourceful with curbside treasures. Crafting scrap materials into something beautiful can boost confidence, reduce anxiety and depression, and turn any dismal outlook around. 

Through his own imaginative ventures, he encourages others to find their inner creativity, allowing them the space to push any angst or stress aside. Dijor inspires us all to use our creativity freely and take our creative endeavours where we may!

 

Wood Carving

A chainsaw sculptor for seven years, Mark Ray will be carving it up throughout the weekend.

Head to the Rally Ground for live chainsaw wood carving demonstrations, as Mark carves wooden horse heads and crocodiles with his chainsaw.

There will be a wooden chainsaw sculpted train on display and a variety of sculptures and artworks available to see and some available for purchase.

Make sure you make time to check out Mark’s work over the weekend with live demonstrations both days at:

  • 10.30am
  • 12.30pm
  • 2.30pm

You won’t be disappointed!

Vintage Games and Penny Farthing

Sanjex Seratti is a curious engineer from the Victorian era. 

His passion for tinkering, design and building contraptions has delighted the public at numerous events. A maker at heart, Sanjex has hand crafted lawn games with a late 1800’s theme that bring back ‘good old fashioned fun’. 

Try your luck on the crowd favourite ‘Beat The Wheel’ or have some throwing fun as you take the journey of the ‘The Knight’s Peril’. 

He also rides prominently on his Penny Farthing and enjoys educating the crowd about early bike history and its evolution. 

So ‘roll up roll up roll up’ and witness Sanjex Seratti with his spectacular Vintage Wonders and Entertainments down on the Rally Ground from 9.00am – 4.00pm each day.

Sanjex Photo

Steamfest After Dark

Expanding the heart of the festival, Maitland Station Precinct will be running into the night on Saturday 13 April.

Join us for:

  • An array of food trucks
  • Carnival rides for all ages
  • Live music 
  • An up close and personal experience with the 3526 on the station platform
  • Traction engine displays

Hours will be extended until 9.00pm on Saturday night only.

AFTER DARK MUSIC PROGRAM

SATURDAY NIGHT ONLY

TIME ARTIST
5.15pm Andy Abra Duo
7.15pm Huckleberry & the Devil's Dandruff

The Bloomfield Group Rally Ground

The Bloomfield Group Rally Ground is a steam enthusiast’s dream, a bustling hive of activity, showcasing engineering ingenuity across a range of machinery from the era of steam.

With specialty steam and food stalls, Australia’s largest collections of portable, traction engines and vintage farming equipment brought together by the Maitland Steam and Antique Machinery Association, as well as trackless train and the brand new people mover rides, steam powered corn cooking, coal shovelling, steam punk activities, our brand new Maker and Merchant interactive space, wood carving, tractor pulls, displays, face painting and more there is something for everyone to enjoy while visiting the Rally Ground.

Entry to the Rally Ground is $5 per person. Children under the age of 16 are free but must be accompanied by a paying adult. Pass outs are available.

Thank you to The Bloomfield Group for sponsoring the Rally Ground in 2024. 

Artist Blacksmith’s Association NSW Inc.

Members of the NSW Artist Blacksmiths Association will be carrying out various forging demonstrations over the Steamfest weekend. You will be able to see how the steel is heated using both gas and coke forges, and how it can then be formed into various designs.

They will be situated at the top of the rally ground next to the main shed and are looking forward to showcasing both how they forge and what can be achieved.

Don’t forget to pay them a visit as they will also have items for sale.

Carnival Lane

New to the Burton Automotive Hunter Valley Steamfest program is Carnival Lane.

Located in Maitland Station Car Park right next to our amusement rides, explore show bags, face painting, fairy floss and more. Visit a fortune teller and enjoy mystical moments, plus alluring troves of wonder and awe.

Carnival Lane will be open on Saturday 29 April from 9.00am to 9.00pm and on Sunday 30 April from 9.00am to 4.00pm.

Kids Activities

Burton Automotive Hunter Valley Steamfest hosts a range of activities suitable for kids over the event weekend. Explore a wide range of activities including arts, crafts and games plus so much more!

COAL SHOVELLING

A favourite for the kids, our Steamfest Coal Shovelling Races will return to the Rally Ground. Kids will be put into teams to tackle a course in a fun relay.

TRACKLESS TRAIN

Another crowd favourite at Steamfest is our trackless train, the perfect way to make your way through the entire Rally Ground.

Railway Street Market

The Railway Street Market will be trading from 9.00am – 4.00pm on both days. This space will be filled with old world charm, bric a brac, soaps, pottery and more. The markets will be ‘the heart of the festival’, located along Railway Street, Maitland, adjacent to Maitland Station Car Park.

Maker and Merchant

Be transported back to a time when the art of handmade was an essential skill.

Meet the makers as they demonstrate their traditional arts, forgotten crafts and rare trades.

A silversmith, tool maker, artist, woodworker, jewellery maker, stonemason and leatherworker will immerse Steamfest audiences in the skills and crafts of yesteryear, by allowing audiences to engage, interact and be educated by ‘The Maker and Merchant’.

MEET OUR MAKERS

BLADESMITHING - JOEL DAVEY

Joel started exploring his interest in bladesmithing while working at an industrial heat treat facility, where he learned metallurgy and the processes involved in hardening steel. Joel was always fascinated by the history of metal work, how it has developed over time and the way it shapes cultures. His experiments in forging with his drive to refine his skills and techniques naturally evolved into knife making. Joel founded Adamas Forge and immersed himself into his practice fulltime, striving to learn and create.

Joel worked in and around the restaurant industry in the Hunter Valley region throughout his younger years and now enjoys crafting blades and cutlery for many well-established restaurants and chefs. He is passionate about the intricacies of a beautifully crafted Chef knife, in all its varieties and forms, and strives to create something both functional and unique.

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FAE MORGAINE LEATHER

Morgaine Grey is an award winning leather craftswoman based in Sydney. She draws inspiration from her love of history and the Australian bush to create a wide range of products from delicate jewellery to heavy armour. 

She believes you can learn from and use techniques from many different crafts to create objects that are both art and functional. Be sure to check out her colourful belts, hand carved books, bags, homewares and accessories. 

Try your hand at leatherwork and inspire yourself to create!

 

MGrey_FML

BLACKSMITH - NIGEL STOKES

For Nigel, blacksmithing came out of the blue when it was time to start making my way in life. It was an apprenticeship offered in the mining industry in the UK in the late 70s and was more of an industrial upbringing, but it taught me how hot steel could be shaped by both hand and machine. Most of my time was spent making tools and other mining related items, with just minimal time allowed to focus on decorative work.

Move forward several years, a change of industry and a new country but I never lost the urge to work with hot steel.

A chance meeting with a local blacksmith and the fire was restarted, but this time, based more on decorative and artistic work and “Phoenix Forge” emerged.

Since re awakening, I have been busy showcasing the craft at many different shows, fairs, and events, along with the sale of various items through local galleries and commissions as well as exhibitions throughout Australia.

Based at Glen Oak, a small country town between Maitland and the Barrington Tops, the forge is fully equipped for minor industrial and decorative work.

WOOL CRAFT - Linda Liversidge

Ettielynn Creations is the passion project and brainchild of local woman Linda Liversidge. Her business was developed in 2018 as a creative outlet to pursue her passion for wool craft.

Linda is a speed spinner and knitter, among the fastest in the world. She has held a deep love for all things wool craft since her very first project as a child – a knitted horse named Suzie, created at age 9. Growing up on a small farm in New Zealand, her first job as a roustabout on her brother’s sheering gang helped cement her love for the natural world and a simpler way of doing things; values she carries through into her business today.

Linda was a key member of Maitland’s very own Spinning Knitwits, a local spinning and knitting group who were crowned world champions of the International Back to Back Competition in 2017. The team raced the clock and other teams from around the globe to shear a sheep, spin it’s wool and knit a jumper from scratch in record time. All while raising funds for cancer research.

Ettielyn creations’ wares include hand spun wool, a variety of knitted item and soft toys, including a range of Rudolf Steiner inspired dolls. Her items are created with sustainability and ethical sourcing of materials in mind.

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Traditional signwriter and gilder - Lance Corlett

Lance Corlett is a passionate and versatile artist and operates Steady Hand Studio, a successful traditional sign painting and mural business known for its high end craftsmanship. Lance has been fortunate enough to study with many national and international leaders in the industry. His expertise includes skills such as glass gilding, hand lettering, mural painting and more. He takes pride in continuing the art of drawing well formed lettering alongside pleasing, well designed layouts with a masterful execution. Come and have a look at a range of traditional Australian signage and see how the signs are made in real life.

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Celtic Tinker- Marieke (MJ) Treloar

Presenting Marieke J Treloar, the “Celtic Tinker” at Steamfest! An accomplished artisan jeweller, author, and creative force, Marieke infuses her work with a sustainable spirit. Drawing inspiration from extensive research and personal experiences, she delves into the transformative power of Runic symbols. Marieke’s creations seamlessly blend clarity and depth, making intricate concepts accessible to both novices and seasoned practitioners. At Steamfest, witness her crafting elegance through a variety of jewelry techniques, showcasing pieces designed with a captivating Steamfest theme. From steam train silhouette-adorned accessories to personalized binding runes engraved on recycled materials, Marieke’s demonstrations promise a journey into the enchanting realm of Celtic artistry. Join us and be captivated by the finesse of the “Celtic Tinker” at Steamfest!

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The Tailor- Margaret Givan

Introducing Margaret Givan, “The Tailor” at Steamfest! With decades of expertise, Margaret brings a wealth of knowledge in traditional sewing and crochet techniques. Her talent and practical approach shine through every creation, earning her the endearing title of Eco-Granny. Margaret’s unique touch focuses on crafting beautiful, useful, and washable items, embodying sustainability with a dash of Steampunk elegance. Join us at Steamfest and witness the magic as Margaret stitches together a world where craftsmanship meets eco-conscious creativity.

 

 

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Hugh Reedman of Stone Heritage and Jason Huntley the Stonemason

With over 50 years of combined experience in Stonemasonry, Hugh Reedman of Stone Heritage, and Jason Huntley of Jason the Stonemason have travelled Australia and the world practicing their craft. They first met 12 years ago while working on the restoration of Sydney Central Station and have worked together on various heritage and construction jobs since. Both are qualified Stonemasons, specialising in heritage restoration and banker masonry.

After completing his studies in Industrial Design, Hugh worked in various design consultancies within Sydney, covering product and furniture design, as well as 3D special effects for film and television. With a desire to work with new materials, he took an interest in the restoration of marble antiques and antiquities. He started his own business and was quickly contracted to fabricate reproduction, federation, victorian and french marble fire surrounds. Drawing on his previous experience as an Industrial Designer, he created a range of product castings including gargoyles, griffins and lions which can be seen on “The Abbey”and “The Witches Houses”, Johnston Street, Annandale. Further restoration projects include, the Gowings Building and The State Theatre, El-Alamein Memorial Fountain, and more recently the clock tower of Maitland Town Hall.

Similarly to Hugh, Jason’s creative endeavours started elsewhere when he successfully studied Ceramic, Sculpture and Visual Arts. This later sparked an interest in stone work and he went on to complete his trade here and abroad. Jason was chosen to replicate the Ariana Star monument in Tatura, Victoria and his other works have included commissioned headstones, large scale fireplaces in luxury, country estates, and being apart of the Royal Museum of Scotland restoration in  Edinburgh.

At Hunter Valley Steamfest 2024 – Maker and Merchants Market, Hugh and Jason will be working on a steam inspired sculpture. The stone you will see being “banked”, is an original pinnacle stone retrieved during the restoration of St. John’s College bell tower at Sydney University.

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Mark Wallis- Maitland Woodworkers Guild

Prior to retiring in 2005 after a career in the Painting & Decorating I completed the Woodturning Trade course at Newcastle TAFE.  My interest in woodturning became more challenging when I began entering my woodwork in local agricultural shows at Gresford, Singleton and Maitland requiring the creation of better and more complex projects each year.

I joined the Maitland Woodworkers Guild about 10 years ago and enjoy the comaradie of like-minded people who share similar interests and skills.

During the COVID 19 lockdown I researched and constructed a modern day version of a Saxon period pole-lathe.  These were used to make wooden cups and bowls as well as tool handles 1,000 years ago in Britain.

Please visit our Facebook page for more information about the Guild and photos of members work.

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