The transition from horses to tractors saw three main types of tractors used on farms in the Redlands. The Museum has examples of all three. The earliest in the collection is the 1934 Fordson tractor made by the Ford Motor Company in the United Kingdom, thought to have been primarily used in the Redland Bay area. The second tractor is the 1946 Farmall made by the International Harvester Company in the USA. The final tractor is the Ferguson made by the Standard Motor Company in Coventry, England. The Ferguson was a light and manoeuvrable tractor very suited to the fruit and vegetable farms of the Redlands. From the serial number (485196) it was determined that this example was made in 1955.

Henry George “Harry” Ferguson was an Irish-born British mechanic and inventor who is noted for his role in the development of the modern agricultural tractor and its three point linkage system. By far his most successful product was the TE20 agricultural tractor, manufactured from 1946 until 1956, and commonly known as the Little Grey Fergie. The model number TE20 is derived from Tractor, England, 20 horsepower. The TE20 marked a major advance in tractor design, distinguished by lightweight, small size, manoeuvrability, and versatility. It also popularised Ferguson’s invention of the hydraulic three-point hitch system around the world, and this system quickly became an international standard for tractors of all makes and sizes. This tractor played a large part in introducing widespread mechanised agriculture. In many parts of the world the TE20 was the first tractor to be affordable to the average farmer. Many TE20s remain in regular use in farming and other work today.

This tractor was acquired from Thomas Tisch in 2001.