Now in its third year and the brainchild of Greendale farmer Earl Worsfold and friend Chris MacDonald, the PTA fundraiser auction has helped the school top up its teaching staff and improve school facilities.
Money raised from last year’s event helped upgrade the small rural school’s pool and saved it from demolition.
Hundreds of sundry items are being catalogued before they go under the hammer at the Worsfolds’ mixed cropping property, Hawksford, in the paddock behind the wool shed.
They include combine harvesters, tractors, trucks, telehandlers and motorbikes as well as smaller items ranging from tools, chainsaws and plants to boxes of nuts and bolts.
So far several sheds are full of goods, which at last count was at 350 items and climbing towards last year’s 420-strong catalogue.
Reserves can range from $5 to $50,000 for items either gifted or sold at a commission rate based on the price.
Mr Worsfold, who is on the board of trustees, said the PTA was always looking for fundraising ideas and it seemed like members were always asking the same people for money through a sausage sizzle or other event.
He said the idea to create a fundraiser attracting other people and income from outside the community came to him when he was working on the farm.
"I just looked around the yard and thought I’ve got lots of junk to get rid of and thought the school could make some money out of the commission ... The first one went off pretty good and we’ve fine-tuned it a bit since then. We maybe raised $15,000 and it takes a hell of a lot of sausage sizzles to do that.’’
Many of the items came from people no longer needing them and happy that proceeds or a percentage of the sale went to the school. Flexi netting and animal health products were hot sellers and odder items have included a fridge out of a bowling club, church pews and many other treasures, he said.
As well as the retail therapy provided by the auction, organisers have added a bar, bake sale and ice-cream and coffee carts for the hundreds of bidders and onlookers attending.
Mr Worsfold said the event had become a social day out for farmers and other rural people to meet up with friends.
He said there were people who didn’t participate in the auction, but were happy to a buy a beer or food and that created another income stream.
Professional auctioneers from the three main rural companies generously gave their time for the cause and the event could not go ahead without their support. School PTA members and volunteers pitched in to help in the months before the event and afterwards to make the day a success, he said.
The auction in Coaltrack Rd near the Greendale Golf Club starts at 11am.
