But attracting just as much interest at this year’s event, just 40 minutes down the road from Toowoomba, were teams of Australian draught horses operating at a more sedate, and certainly a much quieter, pace.

Experts like Neville Schmidt proudly showed their natural empathy and horsemanship when harnessing them to an early scarifier and a three-furrow stump jump plough at the event.

Working in Gatton district, Neville recalls working on his father’s 80 acre property where teams of horses played a pivotal role in ploughing, planting and harvesting operations.

Today, he still still rues the advent of mechanisation, which he says came on a "little bit too fast" as it almost overnight transformed the countryside of yesteryear.

Also impressive on the day, was a single cylinder Fowler Mark VF British diesel crawler tractor.

Owned by John Kummerow, it was said to be "highly regarded" by anyone who has driven one.

Interestingly, with men on the land away at war, this machine could be started by women who didn't have to crank it because the manufacturer came up with a 12-gauge shotgun starting procedure.

Meanwhile, Tony Buchannon brought along the family’s treasured 1928 American-built Linn log hauler.

Fitted with a six-cylinder 100hp petrol engine, it was able to work in steep country and carry three huge logs, plus tow a trailer.

Visitors were amazed to hear that steam power played an important part in moving much of the town of Clermont further up a hillside in 1916/17 after it was inundated by floodwater, causing the death of 60 people.

Naturally, a traction engine was used on a winch to haul 30t-plus buildings to safer surroundings on specially layed tracks after being lifted off their stumps.