From Farmstead to Auction Block: A Gippsland Heritage Auction
In the rolling paddocks of Ripplebrook, Victoria, a quiet farm overseen by Tony Forrest is preparing for a sale that blends history with modern farming practicality. The veteran farmer, who has tended cattle alongside his late father’s enduring collection, has announced an auction of more than 200 vintage tractors. The event isn’t just a sale—it’s a bid to preserve a slice of Gippsland’s farming heritage for future generations.
A lifelong passion that grew with the land
Tony Forrest recalls a childhood drawn to engines, machines, and the tangible heft of old machinery. “As a kid I gravitated towards everything from tractors, stationary engines, cars, trucks, petrol bowsers,” he says. That early fascination blossomed into a career in farming and a deep appreciation for the relics that once powered rural Australia. The Ripplebrook collection is a tangible diary of agri-mechanization, with tractors dating from steam era conversions to mid-20th-century workhorses.
What’s on offer: more than 200 vintage tractors
The auction spans several decades of design and engineering. Collectors and farmers alike will find tractors built for ploughing, haymaking, and field work, each bearing the marks of daily use and the era in which it was built. Some models are rare surviving examples, while others document the evolution of agricultural machinery in Australia. The collection spotlights how Gippsland’s farming needs shaped equipment choices—from horsepower and traction to fuel efficiency and maintenance accessibility.
Why the auction matters to Gippsland and beyond
Preserving a community’s agricultural memory is at the heart of this sale. Local historians, agricultural equipment enthusiasts, and younger farmers will have the chance to study the mechanics that once kept rural industries running. By offering the collection to a global audience, the auction aids in funding ongoing farm operations, conservation efforts on site, and potential educational programs that teach the next generation about the role of machinery in shaping regional livelihoods.
What bidders can expect
Prospective buyers should anticipate a range of lot formats, from complete tractors ready to work to parts lots ideal for restorations. The auction house emphasizes transparency, with detailed condition reports and provenance notes for each item. While some tractors may require restoration, others are preserved in working order or displayed in farm-viewable states that speak to their historical function. The sale presents opportunities for collectors to invest in a cohesive, historically meaningful collection with a clear story rooted in Victoria’s farming communities.
Family heritage and the future of the collection
The auction is about more than equipment. It marks a turning point in how families like the Forests manage cherished legacies. Tony explains that the sale is designed to honor his father’s memory and to ensure the collection remains accessible to the public—either through private ownership that continues to celebrate Gippsland farming or via institutions that can steward the items for education and display. The proceeds will support ongoing farm operations and maintenance of Ripplebrook’s historic assets.
Event logistics and community impact
Local media outlets and farming networks are highlighting the auction date as a milestone event for the Gippsland region. Community members are invited to view the tractors in the lead-up to the sale, with enthusiasts traveling from across Victoria to inspect machinery, share stories, and reconnect with a farming past that still informs present-day agriculture. The sale also offers a practical reminder of the landscape-scale changes in rural economies and the enduring value of agricultural heritage.
Looking ahead
Whether you’re a tractor collector, a historian, or a farmer seeking restoration inspiration, the Ripplebrook auction presents a unique opportunity to engage with vintage machinery that helped shape Gippsland’s farming identity. Tony Forrest’s decision to auction the collection blends reverence for tradition with a pragmatic plan for sustaining a working farm and safeguarding a vital chapter of rural Australia’s story.
