Rushie gets new mechanics and fuel after years relying on Tatura

Local publican Daryl Bartlett was running Rushworth’s only two pubs when COVID-19 hit.

Left with time on his hands, Mr Bartlett decided to pursue his other great passion — machines — and open a workshop.

“I’m just trying to keep myself busy,” he said.

“I was a diesel fitter and worked in the mines for 25 years, but I was getting too old to be 2km underground so we came back to some land we owned outside Rushworth.”

Since retiring into hotel ownership, Mr Bartlett kept his skills honed through the odd farm call-out and mechanical work “off the back of a ute”.

Rushworth Rural Services officially opened for good on August 30.

“We’ve been open a couple of weeks beforehand but I didn’t promote it because I was busy building a massive shed. Now that’s done so I’m starting to talk about it,” Mr Bartlett said.

“A lot of the older residents are rapt because they used to have to drive to Tatura and wait for simple mileage services and small things.”

On the day Country News visited Rushworth Rural Services, Mr Bartlett was replacing a clutch plate on a Ferguson tractor, completing a mileage service on a bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle and doing the gearbox on a slasher.

“If something needs tinkering I’ll tinker with it,” Mr Bartlett said.

“If we can’t do it we’ll send them to Colbinabbin or Tatura.”

Currently, staffing is limited to Mr Bartlett, his pub-chef-turned-mechanical-offsider Ben Shaw and Mr Bartlett’s young son who uses the new workshop to fix pushbikes.

“I’ve got Ben helping out, he’s one of my chefs but there was no work for him,” Mr Bartlett said.

“As long as I’m keeping Ben employed, I’m happy.”

Mr Shaw lives in Stanhope and was undertaking a mechanical apprenticeship last year.

“I done work in Shepparton and got an apprenticeship in Echuca but the 40 minutes’ commute was getting too much, then there was the first lockdown so I looked for a job closer to home,” Mr Shaw said.

Mr Bartlett said it was great to finally have space to put all his tools.

“The hoist is brand new but everything else was sitting in containers for three years. Of course, you can never find anything when it’s in containers,” he said.

“We’ve had mobility scooters bought in, bikes, chainsaws, everything.”

The workshop is tucked behind Rushworth’s new petrol station.

“The Metro opened up three months ago. It’s a nice family from Melbourne and they’ve done a real good thing for the town,” Mr Bartlett said.

“Rushworth was without fuel for four years. We had to drive to Tatura or Kyabram for fuel, which is 30 minutes one way.”

The Thind family used to run a Caltex petrol station in Melbourne before taking a chance on the country.

Sammy Thind said she and her husband Lucky were more than happy to lease the garage behind their petrol station to Mr Bartlett.

“It would have sat empty otherwise,” Mrs Thind said.

“We moved out here two months ago as a family. It’s been in lockdown almost that entire time.

“We wanted to get into business, that was our goal, but in Melbourne it was a nightmare.”

The family has two children — a two-year-old and a daughter in primary school.

“It’s been a massive change to go from our brand new house to a cottage, but we want to see if country living can be for us,” Mrs Thind said.

“The locals are definitely very happy to have fuel back in town.”

Rushworth Rural Services can be found behind the Metro fuel station at 22 High St; phone 0475 908 004.

Essential health workers get 20 per cent off any vehicle service or tyres during September.