It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to grab yourself a bargain – though not all of the items by any stretch will be giveaways at Steve Radford’s ultimate jumbo sale.
“What we are doing is having a jumbo garage sale, cleaning out the backyard, getting rid of all the surplus plant equipment,” says Broken Hill’s best known businessman who’s decided on the mega-auction because he wants to slow down a bit and “smell the roses,” as he puts it.
“Over time, as we have consolidated, we have collected too many spares in plant equipment so it is time to just clean out the cupboard.”
But it’s not just industrial machinery – there are a couple of airplanes in there too and a good range of cars and other vehicles, including at least four 4WDs, nine prime movers, more trailers than you can poke a stick at, and those planes too.
“It’s a substantial size auction for Broken Hill today. I don’t think it’s the biggest, but it is certainly up there,” says Mr Radford.
He has tried to make sure there are items within the grasp of everybody in the community.
“No matter who you are or what you are, there is something there for everybody. Be it new cars to old cars, reasonable cars to wreckers. Trucks and tractors and tippers and cranes, from new to old to vintage. And we threw some planes in there as well.
We’ll just see what happens,” Mr Radford said.
Auction coordinator John Fuss from auction house Mason Gray Strange, told us it will “comfortably fall into the multimillion-dollar auction category. It’s one of the bigger auctions in the Broken Hill area”.
Frankly, the catalogue of listings is incredible.
There is so much up for grabs, the auction has had to be spread over two days – today – Wednesday – and Thursday.
Broken Hill flows through his veins
Steve Radford is one of the best-known and most successful businessmen in Broken Hill. A fourth-generation local, he has Broken Hill running through his veins.
“There are only two types of people in the world,” says Mr Radford.
“Those that are from Broken Hill. And those that wish they were.
“Adam and Eve only started in the Garden of Eden, because Broken Hill wasn’t founded yet,” he laughs.
Besides pure business, Mr Radford’s work in the community is vast and all encompassing. He has sponsored the women’s AFL competition locally since its inception – Central and South played off for the Steve Radford trophy in this year’s Grand Final.
He also owns the Broken Hill Pub and built Thrive Medical Centre, which houses the only bulk-billed MRI machine in town.
There is almost no sector locally he doesn’t have a vested interest in and he is the largest private employer in the Western Division of NSW, with nearly 650 employees.
He’s also Broken Hill Citizen of the Year in 2022, as well as receiving the Order of Australia Medal in 2010.
In 2020, Mr Radford made headlines when he dressed in drag and walked down Argent St and raised over $60,000 for Lifeline Broken Hill Country to Coast to promote awareness of men’s mental health issues.
We spent some time with Mr Radford at his office on Kanandah Street, and at the auction site and asked him the reason for the auction.
“I’m 62. Its time to start to smell the roses. I am a workaholic. I am a person that works twenty-four seven and love being dirty, so it is time to slow down a little bit,” Mr Radford told us.
“I had a medical event last July. I had a heart attack. The type only one in 10 people survive, so I’ve dropped back a couple of gears due to that also.”
“I want to slow down a little from the coalface,” Mr Radford says, but he is quick to add it’s a personal choice nothing to do with his health.
“I enjoy helping people and the youth, and to support the community where we can. With that and the land problem we have in Broken Hill, we have 52 acres up near where the auction site is, and I have been consolidating our businesses and we’re going to move and relocate up there and turn it into industrial real estate and we will cut that up into strata titles for sale or rent, or whatever.”
So if you are in the market for a car, a truck, mining equipment, a plane, or anything in between, head down to 134 Pinnacles Rd and get involved in the auction from 10.30am Wednesday and Thursday.
And here are the catalogues:
Day one – https://www.mgs.net.au/auction/viewauction.html?a=8940
Day two – https://www.mgs.net.au/auction/viewauction.html?a=8941
