Old and vintage rigs turned up for the 28th Rusty Iron Rally

Tiane GavillucciOctober 7, 2025, 8:49 amOctober 7, 2025

Truck of the show winners Leanne Milligan and Dean Mavin from Mavin Truck Centre. Images: Calissa Keough

What a buzz the 28^th year of the Rusty Iron Rally was.

Vintage rigs came huffing into Macksville Showgrounds in New South Wales as nostalgia rolled thick through the air for the celebration of history on wheels.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to receive the latest news and classifieds from Australia’s transport industry.
Don’t miss a second and subscribe to our monthly Deals on Wheels magazine.
Sell your truck with Australia’s #1 truck classifieds

For two days engines purred, and chrome gleamed from inside the grounds. Crowds leaned over fences as big rigs made their way around the parade with little kids waving their arms in that universal sign for truckies to hit the air horn, grinning ear to ear as drivers happily obliged.

That buzz is what keeps the event going as strong as it does year after year.

For event social media manager Calissa Keough, success isn’t measured in how many bodies walk through the gates, but in loyalty.

“It means we’re doing something right because people come back year after year,” she says.

“There are no dramas, we’re a friendly rally. Those that come you may see only once or twice a year at different shows, but when you see them again, it’s like you just saw them yesterday.

“People like coming to us because it’s a relaxed atmosphere here. If you are getting people to walk through the gates at all, then you’re doing it right.”

For almost 30 years this show has only gotten bigger. From a small group of people who wanted to share their old machinery with their community, to a rally that receives visitors from all over the nation.

This year, people flocked in from all corners of the country like Far North Queensland and outback New South Wales where trucks, tractors and exhibitors filled the showgrounds.

While it was impossible for Calissa to pin down an exact headcount thanks to the sprawling layout, the sheer energy and movement gave her the answer; this was no small gathering.

And they were all there for the same reason; the 20 to 30 rigs. Some were still working, others, polished beauties. Either way, they were old, rustic and great to look at.

This year, the rally even tried something new – a tractor run on the Friday before the main event and cruising their way into a local school, giving kids in town a rare chance to see an old tractor up close.

“A lot of kids wouldn’t normally see something like that,” Calissa says.

“This whole weekend really means something to us at the rally. It’s mostly about togetherness, and it doesn’t just unite everyone for a weekend, people camp here for a week.

“It’s great for the local community, the local shops and services we have around town. We look after each other.”

And at its heart, that’s what the Rusty Iron Rally is about. Old machinery yes, but community? Absolutely.