News
21 January, 2025
Tractor to inspire youth
Caboolture Historical Village has received an amazing new display, as the Travelling Jackeroo, Sam Hughes, has loaned his famous tractor, Slim, and trailer to the site.
Maleny local, Sam, spent three and a half years and 27,000km, travelling Australia in Slim, raising half a million dollars for charity and gaining a massive following.
After returning home in August 2024, Sam has now given Slim a home at the Caboolture Historical Village, hoping the display will inspire the younger generation, not only to visit the village, but to get involved in charities and make changes in the world.
“One of the main reasons I decided to have it here is to get it out there that you don’t have to be special to do something different,” he said.
“Anyone can make a difference, no matter who you are, where you’re from or how old.
“Slim was just sitting at the farm and wasn’t doing anything, so I figured he’d be better down here, where people can come and look at him and take selfies and I hope a lot of kids see this and realise you don’t have to be old to achieve something.”
Sam was asked by numerous museums across the country, from Victoria up to the Northern Territory, but chose the local village due to their long history and being located “close to home”.
“These guys are a wonderful organisation and have been around for a very long time, having put in all this effort to have these old buildings and I just feel like this is a place where Slim can fit in really well,” he said.
Caboolture Historical Village president, Greg Raedel, said they hope the display will not only attract visitors, but help increase volunteer numbers and youth engagement in historical societies.
“Sam’s tractor and trailer are a unique piece of equipment and it fits in well with our other tractors, hopefully inspiring other young people to engage with historical societies,” he said.
“All historical societies need younger people, with no exceptions, and he might be the future for this place.
"It’s been hard since COVID, and it’s slowly building up again but it’s hard.”
The historical village currently has 135 volunteers in an array of areas, including garden maintenance, cafe operations, demonstrations, and building maintenance, but the volunteers are spread out across the week, with painters, small engine mechanics and demonstrators for schools being the areas most in need.
Since being back, Sam has been working for Clayton’s Towing, more often than not being recognised by clients, but does admit he misses “being out on the road”.
“The next big adventure is going to be in a truck.”
