IAN O’ROURKE
Memories of a Tractor ManBy Terry L Probert and Ian O'Rourke
Length6h 15m
About this audiobook
Former Service Manager for Ford Australia Tractor and Equipment, Ian O'Rourke walked the tightrope between offering excellent Customer Service and managing the expectation of Detroit's bean counters. Respected by Ford Tractor dealers and their staff, Ian never wavered in his service to the company and championing it's product.
Beginning with his childhood education via correspondence to a lightening strike that nearly felled himself and a friend, this is not only an education on the inner workings of a major multinational producer of transport and farming products, Ian kindly tells us of the loneliness of growing up on a far-away farm. The emotions he felt when he was called for Army duty just as the Korean war began drawing to a close. The joy at joining Massey Ferguson before a couple of glass ceiling executives annoyed him into switching companies.
A great read for anyone with an attachment to this red soil nation built on immigration.
Audiobook details
GenreBiography and Memoir, Business and Economics
Length6 hrs 15 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJul 3, 2026
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1IAN O’ROURKE
2IAN O’ROURKE Memories of a Tractor Man
3FOREWORD
4David Hosking
5THE BOY FROM BURRABOI
Show all chaptersShow less
6That simple message from the back of a
7DAD’S ACCIDENT
8horses?”
9MUM’S MELBOURNE PAPERBOY
10A NEW FARM, A NEW ADVENTURE
11Berriquin and Deniboota Irrigation schemes.
12DENILIQUIN HIGH, HERE I COME
13Each Monday morning, five other children
14home.”
15into a shearing school at Echuca.
16TIME TO LEAVE THE NEST
17Ian Testing Massey Ferguson’s prototype MF 585 Header
18Whereas the North Americans and
19MF 585 HEADERS and DRUNKEN PIPERS
20A DESK JOB IS NOT FOR ME
21MASSEY FERGUSON’S SERVICE REP
22Massey MF 585 Training at Hamilton Victoria
23During the harvesting period and because
24Within a few short minutes the wrinkled
25the pen and across to the shearing stand.
26A FORD FUTURE FOR CHRISTMAS
27“Outstanding,” I said.
28As new Ford Motor Company employees, we
29USA HERE WE COME
30BIGGER THAN THE BEATLES
31FORD’S FARM
32The new tractor product names at that time
33NOW THE WORK BEGINS
34across the continent.
35our car and drive him to the Echuca Hospital.
36After some time, the interest in the barber’s
37A PROMOTION TO ZONE MANAGER
38relate to.
39The managers at the top end of the table
40LARGE AND SMALL EVENTS
41Twice a day, a heavily laden iron ore train
42patch of oil.”
43separate training sessions.
44In November 1973 and about fifteen months
45me quiet doesn’t last for long.
46a short space of time too.
47Over the next few weeks and, whenever he
48FREEZING IN DETROIT
49an invisible city limits line.
50A COACH LOAD OF COPPERS
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