Old farmer’s truck, Taplan, South Australia

Many people have a fascination with old vehicles. Some even spend great amounts of money to buy old cars and motor bikes and then spent countless hours restoring them, polishing them and sometimes even driving them.

This vintage truck was a part of the Taplan Railway Centenary celebrations in October 2013. Taplan is the small Murray Mallee town south east of Loxton in South Australia where I grew up on a wheat and sheep farm. My nephew and his sons still run the farm my father started in the 1920s.

The truck in the photo is being driven by Lance Pech from the farm next door to where I grew up. Lance and I grew up together going to the small one-teacher school at Taplan. He ended up working the farm with his father for many years. He was also very active in bringing together many of the elements of the special celebrations on the day I took the photo.

Writing prompts:

• Write a piece of fiction featuring this old farm truck as a central character.
• Write an imaginary piece from the point of view of the truck.
• Tell the life story of the truck, or its owners.
• Research what life was like in rural Australia in the early years, say, the 1920s. Write an article about the good times and the bad times.
• Write a story about the special events the truck has been a part of down through the decades.
• Write about some important tasks the truck may have contributed to during its working life.
• Write about a car enthusiast who found and restored this vehicle.

Good writing.