Most people drive from Brunswick Junction to Perth in about two and a half hours. John did it in two days — on an open-top 1963 Chamberlain tractor, with a QR code for donations zip-tied to the side and his wife's breast cancer fundraiser on his mind.
He rolled into Whiteman Park this afternoon for Chamberlain Day, the annual gathering of vintage Australian-built tractors, completing a 200-kilometre charity ride up the South Western Highway that he first announced on Reddit weeks ago.
Why a tractor?
The short answer: his wife is fundraising for the National Breast Cancer Foundation through its Pink Promise campaign, and John — who goes by u/johntepom on Reddit — figured that pointing a 63-year-old tractor up the highway was a more eye-catching way to drum up donations than a quiet bank transfer.
"My wife is raising money for breast cancer research, so I'm doing my bit by driving my tractor to Whiteman Park for the Chamberlain Day May 17," he first posted back in April. "It's about 200klm. Every little helps."
Day one: Brunswick Junction to somewhere near Perth
John set off on Saturday morning with a wave to anyone heading south on the highway. By the evening he'd posted from Waroona ("Waroona going great guns") and then again later with the headline "Some photos from todays tractor adventure Brunswick Junction to Perth WA 160klm down about 20 to go". The plan from the outset was to overnight along the route and finish the run on Sunday.
The replies on his various posts have, predictably, become a small Perth fan club. "I'm so invested in this adventure," wrote one r/perth commenter. Others posted dashcam-style sightings of the tractor chugging up the South Western Highway.
Day two: picking up a friend in Midland
The Sunday morning update came in early: "Day 2 of the big tractor adventure — Whiteman park here we come. Maggot has a friend, we are stopping in Midland in about half an hour for a coffee come say hi."
Maggot — the tractor's name, in case that needed clarifying — picked up a second tractor companion for the final leg. They stopped in Midland for a coffee, then pressed on to Whiteman Park for the main event.
What is Chamberlain Day?
Whiteman Park's Chamberlain Day is an annual celebration of Chamberlain tractors — a Western Australian-built workhorse first produced in the 1950s and a fixture on Australian farms for decades. The event draws restorers, collectors, and the curious to see vintage machinery in working condition. John's 1963 model is exactly the kind of tractor Chamberlain Day exists for.
How to donate
The Pink Promise page is still open for donations, and John has said the QR code (and link) will keep working through to the end of June. If a man driving a tractor 200 kilometres for his wife isn't a strong enough nudge, the fundraiser's home is right here:
fundraise.nbcf.org.au/fundraisers/pinkpromise
Sources: posts by u/johntepom on r/perth, including the original ride announcement, the Saturday-morning send-off, the Waroona update, and today's Day 2 post. Fundraiser via the National Breast Cancer Foundation's Pink Promise campaign. All photographs reproduced from the original Reddit posts.