More than 4000 people attended the 113th Lake Goldsmith Steam and Vintage Rally at the weekend, a showcase of more than 2500 steam and oil engine and vintage exhibits across 65 display sheds.

Many visitors at the site were impressed at the scale of the rally hosted at what can be described as a historic village.

See the full gallery of photos taken on Sunday at the rally below.

Lake Goldsmith Steam Preservation Society president Trevor Oliver said interest in steam preservation was gaining momentum.

"It is things the baby boomer generation remember and have seen. A lot of the collectables we grew up around, but the younger generation are starting to take interest in it too, particularly a lot of women and girls," he said.

"There would have been around 20 to 25 women driving tractors on the parade ground yesterday which was really good to see.

"The interest is being passed on through families but also a lot of new people have come into this world, stuck with it and now they are passing it onto their kids."

The region's first steam rally was held in 1938 at the base of Mount Emu.

There was another rally in 1942 held for American servicemen.

Rallies were held at properties throughout the area until 1962 when the steam preservation society set up at its current property at Lake Goldsmith.

The Lake Goldsmith Steam Preservation Society owns the land and members own individual exhibition sheds.

Mr Oliver, now president, has been involved in the society for more than 40 years.

"The Lake Goldsmith Steam Preservation Society has has been fairly influential," he said.

"It has been instrumental in forming the National Historic Machinery Association which was formed at Lake Goldsmith. We have also been fairly influential on government policy on old machinery to keep it out of Worksafe's hands and in its original state."

Some families who own exhibition sheds at Lake Goldsmith travel twice a year from as far as New Zealand and Sydney to showcase their historic machinery at the steam and vintage rally.

Leigh Buckely from Kyneton has been a member of the Lake Goldsmith Preservation Society for 46 years. He looks after club machines that date as far back as the 1850s.

He was first exposed to steam engine preservation with his grandfather who owned a machine.

"It is one of those things. It gets in your blood I suppose," he said.

"I consider myself very privileged to be afforded this opportunity...The preservation movement is strong, but had there been no movement, most of this stuff would be up for scrap."

Mr Buckley, a carpenter by trade, learnt the ropes of steam engine preservation from older mentors.

He admits there is some concern there are not enough young people interested in the society to continue to pass the knowledge on.

"It is the same with everything, young people have other interests. There are some young ones coming through which is really good, but you do wonder sometimes where it will end up," he said.

"It is a hopeful sign the young families at Lake Goldsmith will follow it up. That is the beauty of the society."

The next Lake Goldsmith Steam and Vintage rally will be held later this year.