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Chamberlain Industries
Founded 1949
Founder(s) Bert Chamberlain
Defunct 1986
Headquarters , Australia
Industry agriculture machinery tractor
Parent John Deere

Chamberlain was make of tractors manufactured in Australia by Chamberlain Industries. The company was started in 1949 by a tractor engineer Bert Chamberlain. The American firm of John Deere bought a stake in the company in 1970 with John Deere eventually taking control. In 1986, production of Chamberlain John Deere tractors was ended.

...to produce a tractor entirely suited to the large land holdings of Australian farmers...Melbourne engineer A.W. (Bert) Chamberlain in the 1930s"

[1]

History[]

Chamberlain of SE Davis

A Chamberlain Super 70 in the S.E. Davis & Son Ltd. collection

Chamberlain Super 90 reg APO219C at GDSF 08 - IMG 0726

A Chamberlain Super 90

Whilst Bert Chamberlain was working as a tractor mechanic in Victoria he designed a tractor and built a prototype tractor around what he believed farmers wanted. It became the basis of the 40K model tractor.

Chamberlain protype light

Chamberlain prototype

After the 2nd World Ear the Australian government were offering payments to Manufactures to build tractors of £72 for each one sold. But the anticipated demand had been over estimated as farmers had ordered several times to try to get up the que as needy.[2]

The Western Australian Government having heard of Bert Chamberlain's plan to build tractors persuaded the Chamberlains to use an ex-munitions factory; in Welshpool, Western Australia. Thus the first Tractors rolled off the production line in 1949.[1]

The first Chamberlain tractor produced was the model 40k which had 40 horsepower twin-cylinder, horizontally opposed engines. They weighed about four tonnes and were considered to be ideal for the needs of Australian farmers.[3]

Production was hit by the Government importing 2000 American tractors for sale.[2]

In 1955 the production of kerosene powered tractors was replaced by diesel powered models and as a publicity stunt in the same year Chamberlains entered the new diesel powered Champion model tractor in the Redex around Australia rally trial, it became known as "Tail End Charlie"[3]

After 1955 they switched to Diesels, using Perkins, Meadows and Detroit Diesel engines.

John Deere Merger[]

In 1970 the John Deere Company of America purchased a controlling interest in Chamberlain.[3]

An expansion and refit of the Welshpool Plant was undertaken in 1978. During the 1980s Chamberlain became a fully owned subsidiary of Deere & Company thus trading as Chamberlain John Deere.[1]

The Welshpool manufacturing site was redeveloped and a new office complex built in 1982, however by 1986 due to significant decline in demand, the manufacture of the famous Chamberlain tractors ceased.[1]

Model Range[]

Chamberlain Tractor Models
Model Year(s) Produced Horsepower Engine Type Photo Misc Notes
Chamberlain Canelander 45 hp (34 kW)
Chamberlain Champion 6G
Chamberlain Champion 9G 1958-66 45 hp (34 kW) Perkins Chamberlain 9G 8,165 built
Chamberlain Champion 236 64 hp (48 kW) Chamb 236
Chamberlain Champion 239
Chamberlain Champion 306 70 hp (52 kW) Perkins Chamberlain 306 - JMA 456K at Kellsall 2013 - IMG 7522
Chamberlain Countryman 6 Chamberlain country 6
Chamberlain Countryman 354 92 hp (69 kW)
Chamberlain Countryman C6100 101 hp (75 kW) Perkins Chamberlain c6100
Chamberlain Countryman Mk2
Chamberlain Countryman Mark III 60 hp (45 kW)
Chamberlain Crusader
Chamberlain C456 56 hp (42 kW)
Chamberlain C670 70 hp (52 kW)
Chamberlain Ford conversion
Chamberlain MK3
Chamberlain MK4
Chamberlain Super 70 1954-62 85 hp (63 kW) Chamberlain super 70 1,009 built
Chamberlain Super 90 1962-67 85 hp (63 kW) Chamberlain Super 90 reg APO219C at GDSF 08 - IMG 0726 6,461 built
Chamberlain Tow-tractor
Chamberlain WK-40
Chamberlain 40K 1949-55 70 hp (52 kW) (2000 no. 40/45 built)
Chamberlain 40KA 1949-55
Chamberlain 45K 1949-55
Chamberlain 45KA 1949-55 Chamberlain 45 KA
Chamberlain 55DA 1954-57 55da 1
Chamberlain 55K 1954-57 (704 55's built)
Chamberlain 55KA 1954-57
Chamberlain 60DA 1952-54 Detroit Diesel Chamberlain DA60 190 built
Chamberlain 306
Chamberlain 354
Chamberlain 3380 1975-85 1,519 built of 3380/B
Chamberlain 3380B 73 hp (54 kW)
Chamberlain 4080 90 hp (67 kW) Chamb 4080.
Chamberlain 4080B 90 hp (67 kW) Chamb 4080B.
Chamberlain 4090 Chamberlain4090
Chamberlain 4210
Chamberlain 4280 105 hp (78 kW) Chamb 4280.
Chamberlain 4280B 106 hp (79 kW)
Chamberlain 4290 Chamb 4290
Chamberlain 4480 1975-85 125 hp (93 kW) Chamberlain 4480 2,269 built of 4480/B
Chamberlain 4480B 124 hp (92 kW)
Chamberlain 4490 Chamberlain4490.3
Chamberlain 4690 154 hp (115 kW) Chamberlain4690
Chamberlain 4940
Chamberlain Champion Tail End Charlie Tractor used in Round Australia Race


Total build of Chamberlain tractors believed to be about 40,000.[4]

John Deere 4030 by Chamberlain

Preservation[]

Chamberlain are a rare model in the UK with the odd example imported mainly by collectors.

Chamberlain tractors on display at the Great Dorset Steam Fair[]

Add your images here:

Implements by Chamberlain[]

See also[]

References / sources[]

External links[]


Smallwikipedialogo This page uses some content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Chamberlain Industries. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Tractor & Construction Plant Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons by Attribution License and/or GNU Free Documentation License. Please check page history for when the original article was copied to Wikia



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