From restoring family heirlooms to building custom hydraulic solutions, two Armidale businesses are keeping skills and innovation alive — Revive by Hyde and New England Hydraulics and Diesel, solving problems where and when it matters most.
From their workshop in Armidale, Revive by Hyde is giving tired, worn and well-loved furniture a second life.
Owned and operated by master craftsman Billy Hyde, the business has built a reputation as the New England’s leading upholstery service, restoring everything from family heirlooms to modern lounges.
“Handmade and using only quality materials, your family heirlooms can be restored and transformed for generations to come,” Mr Hyde said.
Antique restoration is a core part of his work, with traditional methods used to bring pieces back to their original form.
“With antiques, I do all traditional methods with that work to take them back to what they originally were,” Mr Hyde said.
Some pieces arrive in extremely poor condition, requiring a full rebuild from the inside out.
“With that, I have to hand tie all the springs back in, then use horse hair, what was originally there, or coconut fibre, and build the seat up, then place some flock on top,” he said.
That level of craftsmanship reflects Mr Hyde’s formal training and experience. He is a fully qualified upholsterer, trained in Sydney, where he was the number one apprentice of his year, and learned under a master upholsterer in Armidale.
Beyond technique, much of the work is driven by the connection people have to their furniture.
“With antiques, sometimes they are handed down through the family, so that sentimental value is there for people,” he said.
“When people pick something up and it has been grandma’s or grandfather’s, you can see the excitement in their faces when they see it finished.”
In many cases, reupholstery is not just about restoration, but about sustainability and preserving quality.
“Most modern stuff isn’t made well, so it’s worthwhile re-upholstering quality furniture,” Mr Hyde said.
Clients can choose from a wide range of fabrics or work with Mr Hyde to find the right option for their needs.
Working across a wide range of upholstery, Revive by Hyde handles lounges, chairs and antiques, as well as modern furniture, commercial fit-outs and even some auto upholstery and ute canopies.
Whether it’s a full restoration or a simple refresh, Revive by Hyde offers a tailored approach to every piece, preserving its character while ensuring it can be enjoyed for years to come.
Around the New England, innovation is essential, frequently done by those on the tools, solving real problems for businesses that need to keep moving.
That’s exactly where New England Hydraulics and Diesel has built its reputation.
Based in Armidale, the team supports agriculture, construction and transport across the region, delivering repairs, servicing and customised hydraulic solutions.
A recent project with a Moree client highlights that approach. The challenge was to run an auger without relying on a tractor, which typically powers the equipment but can limit flexibility and tie up machinery.
The client wanted a mobile, independent solution, but nothing suitable existed off the shelf.
“There wasn’t anything off the shelf that did what they needed,” Aran Toovey from New England Hydraulics and Diesel said.
The team responded by engineering a custom petrol-powered hydraulic power pack, built in-house in Armidale.
“Ultimately, it turned out to be a fairly straightforward request,” Mr Toovey said.
“We just had to fine-tune the product to fit the application and appropriately size the motor, pump and oil tank. It’s a matter of getting the ratios right to suit the job.”
All fabrication was handled in-house by the team, ensuring each component worked seamlessly together.
The result went beyond the original brief. The same unit can now power a range of hydraulic applications, including log splitters, wool presses and water pumps.
For the client, that has meant greater flexibility and a more efficient operation overall, with the success of the project leading to a second order – this time to run augers in a workshop setting, removing the need to keep a tractor on standby.
At its core, New England Hydraulics and Diesel’s work reflects a simple idea: understand the problem properly, then build the right solution.
Not the closest solution. Not the quickest workaround.
The right one.
And in regional New England, that kind of thinking isn’t just valued—it’s essential.
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