The history of manufacturing Caterpillar machines and components in Australia, started during the war years in the 1940s. 

Due to the lack of supply of machines for the Australian military and the Government seeking self-sufficiency, the first Australian built Caterpillar machines came into being. 

In 1936 the US Government passed a law banning the export of motor graders to the South-East Asia region. This was primarily because of the Japanese colonial aspirations in the region and military aggression. Graders were seen as a fantastic tool for the construction of airfields, in particular the development of airfields for military use.

The colour images of working tractors in this article, unless otherwise stated, were supplied by Tilly’s Crawler Parts, Toowoomba - tillys.com.au

A World First