Polished history: James Ruse Agricultural High School year 8 students Fayanne Cui and Bobby Dey with Arrunga Men's Shed volunteers Bob Junor, Ian Nicol, Beven Catt, John Carlson, Ken Greenlees, Ken Bruce and the 1950's plough they restored. Picture: Mike Sea",)
THE old plough that is a centrepiece at the entrance of James Ruse Agricultural High School has been restored to pristine condition.
Volunteers from the Arrunga Community Men's Shed took about three months to repair the weather-worn plough, which was built in the 1950s.
Men's Shed member Bob Junor said the project was the combined effort of a team of interested men from the organisation.
"A portion of the plough was timber and that had all rotted," he said. "The centre of the plough is around this big lump of ironbark that had to be shaped . . . that's what holds it all together. It was a real combined effort.
"We hope it will last for the next 100 years."
Year 8 students Fayanne Cui and Bobby Dey study agriculture and said the horse-drawn plough was mentioned in early lessons about the history of agriculture and food production.
Principal Annetta St Louis said she was grateful for the effort the volunteers put into restoring the plough, even painting the heritage item with the schools colours.
‘‘We noticed last year that it was falling apart and we were a bit embarrassed because it’s in pride of place in our rose garden,’’ she said.
‘‘We had some photos of the plough in our archive so we gave those to Bob and he came and took it away. They fixed and painted it and put it back.
"As this is an agricultural high school we wanted to preserve the heritage of the school and its connection with the land."