Transmission October 2012

Transcription

a n n u a l 2012
Issue No # 19: OCTOBER 2012
2012
R EUNION
Truckin Life Rig of the Year
Congratulations to
lady truckie Julie
Gavin who won the
prestigious Truckin’
Life Rig of the Year in
her two year old Cat
powered Western
Star. This was the first
time the new Truckin’
Life Rig of the Year
was held in the Alice.
The new Acert
powered CAT
trucks really
attracted a lot
of attention
over the week
of ReUnion
2012 activities.
Vic and Jason Laurie (Maryvale) were there with
their two magnificently restored Internationals
17th Anniversary Celebration
* A N N U A L * October 2012
ReUnion 2012
ReUnion 2012 was a great success with 126
people being inducted into the prestigious Shell
Rimula Wall of Fame. Special thanks to the Shell
Company of Australia, our partner in this
project. RTHS CEO Liz Martin said“Shell are
such a dedicated team and so very committed
Thomas
to ensuring that the history of our road Rhody
(pictured with his
transport pioneers is duly recorded”
two sisters) was
Liz also said a special thank you to regular
sponsors including Cummins who sponsored
the race day and dinner wines and Kenworth
who hosted the pre-dinner drinks and cocktails
in the Kenworth Dealer Hall of Fame for the
seventh successive year.
Liz also said the week of festivities was action
packed following the successful integration of
several new activities and sponsors. She
particularly thanked Bruce Honeywill from
Truckin’ Life and the teams at Mack/Volvo and
Cat Truck for their fantastic contributions.
New to the Collection
Donated by the CMV Group this ex WW11
side-valve 6x6 Studebaker was used as a
water truck by Greenfreight in Myrtleford (Vic).
Gary and Stephen Radford and
families from Broken Hill were
well represented with this W
Model Kenworth and R600
Mack among others.
Special thanks to the Port Pirie boys,
John Collins (Bear) from Collins Hire
and David Kent from Port Pirie Bus
Service for trucking in equipment for
the ReUnion. Bear delivered our new
Reefer Freezer and David delivered 16 Bear
display engines from the CMV Group. Collins’
$10.00
Gavin Corcoran,
Shell’s Transport
Market Manager,
and Liz Martin,
CEO of the Hall
of Fame, give the
thumbs up to
ReUnion 2012
proud to collect the
Shell Rimula Wall of
Fame medallion on
behalf of his father,
trucking legend Ken
Thomas (TNT).
Adam Thompson
(ex - Chocolate
Starfish) wowed
the crowd at the
Shell Rimula Gala
Dinner in the
Buntine Pavilion
on Saturday night.
This tandem drive
Atkinson, powered
by a Detroit 8V92,
was owned and
operated
by
Wheare’s Carriers
in Arthurton, SA. It
was donated by the
CMV group and
delivered to the
Hall personally by
Jonno Crawford
David
Kent’
Two New Trucks
for Kenworth Hall
MORE COLOUR PHOTOS ON REAR PAGE
See back page for
details
LIFE BUILDING
MEMBERSHIP
STILL AVAILABLE
These two magnificent Kenworths, a
T909 and K200 arrived at the Hall of
Fame just in time for the ReUnion. They
are now proudly displayed in the
Kenworth Museum as a permanent part
of the collection. Special thanks to the
efforts of Jim Hurley and the Kenworth
Dealer Council our Kenworth truck
collection is literally second to none!
Transmission
2
12AXLES.
AXLES.
12
35METRES
METRES
LONG.
35
LONG.
82.5TONNES
TONNES
GCM.
82.5
OFOF
GCM.
Welcome to Kenworth country.
Welcome to Kenworth country.
The National Transport Commission has recently announced changes to policy regarding access
of modular B-triples on the current Type 1 road train network across Australia. We now see a
consistent framework and national agreement for the introduction of modular B-triple specifications
on these routes. Please refer to the NTC Fact Sheet www.ntc.gov.au for further details.
Kenworth has for a long time pulled favour with road train operators and has proven
credentials of reliability, durability and productivity in B-Triple applications. Research shows
that B-triple applications can offer superior safety and performance through a more robust
and stable configuration.
B-triple applications have 12 axles and a maximum 35 metres in length. They are now allowed to
operate at General Mass Limits of a Gross Vehicle Mass of 82.5 tonnes and at Concessional Limits
with a Gross Vehicle Mass of 84.5 tonnes on the national road train network. Analysis shows they
can cause less wear to roads and no more strain on bridge infrastructure.
Looking forward, Modular B-Triples may boost productivity for operators by carrying more,
increasing versatility and reducing freight vehicle movements.
Add to this the gains Kenworth application engineering can deliver to the equation, and you can
clearly see why we call it Kenworth country.
To find out more about Modular B-triples and the Type 1 Road
Train network call your local Kenworth dealer now or go to
www.kenworth.com.au/Btriples
Transmission
Notice
Board 2013
reunion
Board of Management 2012
C.E.O.
Liz Martin OAM
PATRON
Lew Couper
Chairperson
David Kent
Vice Chair (and NSW ) Bruce Gunter
courtesy of
Ned Amezdroz
Put it in your diary now Secretary
Treasurer
Graham Holmes
23 -26 August
Past Chair
Kelvin Davis
in
Kenworth
Jim (JJ) Hurley
Alice Springs
Old Ghan Railway
*VACANT*
Victoria Mick Best &Doug Brockfield
BOOK NOW
Louie Deen
Ph 08 89527161 Queensland
West Australia
Max Winkless
New South Wales
(as above)
Tasmania
*VACANT*
The official journal of the
IT Technology
Sherrill Ives
Road Transport Historical Society
Ewaninga Siding
Debi Robinson
and the Old Ghan Train Museum
Correspondence To:
The Editor, Liz Martin OAM
PO Box 8099, Alice Springs, 0871
Phone Contacts
Truck Museum
Train Museum
CEO’s Office
Caretakers Res.
08 8952 7161
08 8952 7161
08 8953 8940
08 8953 2955
Chairperson
David Kent
0417 802 134
Managing Editor
Liz Martin
0429 201 549
[email protected]
Advertising Representative
Liz Martin
08 8952 7161
[email protected]
Contributions This Issue
Liz Martin
David Kent
Photos: Greg Whitford, Sherrill Ives,
Annette Bateson, Helen Gardner,
Shell Company of Australia, Phil Cullen
Editorial
Enquiries to the Editor. All members
and friends are invited to contribute
*****************************
Annual Subscription
$25.00 per annum for three consecutive
issues. NOTE: Our Transmission
Newsletter is FREE to members)
Disclaimer
The statements contained in this
publication, while based on information
believed to be true at the time of print,
are not in any way guaranteed or
endorsed. No liability will be accepted by
the Road Transport Historical Society
Inc. for accuracy or correctness of content
of any article or member contributions.
Likewise, all photographs are believed
to have been credited correctly.
3
Road Transport Historical
Society Incorporated
The Road Transport Historical Society
Inc. is a community based volunteer
organisation dedicated to the
preservation and presentation of our
unique transport history.
The National Road Transport Hall of
Fame in Alice Springs is the main project
of the Society. It is a collection of old
trucks, vintage and veteran cars and
collection of photographs and
memorabilia representing the diverse
operation of road transport in Australia.
The display includes a workshop facility
and the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame.
This includes the magnificent Kenworth
Hall of Fame where the history of this
fine company is exhibited in a state-ofthe-art museum and display that is
constantly being upgraded.
We are also responsible for the Old Ghan
Train Museum which is an integral part
of Central Australia’s heritage. This
division boasts a tea-room, museum and
hopefully, train rides in the near future.
The newest part of the Museum is the
Cameleers Garden and display in the
Ghan Museum honoring the role of the
early camel men who pioneered both our
road and rail industries.
The affairs of the RTHS Inc. and all its
divisions are managed by a Board of
Management duly elected by the
membership. All members of this Board
work in a voluntary capacity.
Roving Ambassadors
Sandra Sauer
Mick Clausen
Frank Whiting and Lee Davidson
Dianne and Kevin Shay
Greg Whitford and Annette Bateson
Yvonne Ball and Keith Holden
Len and Helen Gardner
Philip and Sue Cullen
From
our
Chairman
David
Kent
Reunion 2012 was a great success
achieved only by the dedication of the
people involved. Congratulations to the
126 inductees, families and friends who
made this event happen. There are many
people the board of management need to
thank - Liz Martin, Sherrill Ives and
Annette Bateson for the thousands of
hours that they put in collating and
publishing the stories of the inductees,
arranging events, co-ordinating sponsors
and handling bookings. This not only
involves collating, publishing and media
releases but preparing all the stories to
go on the new National Road Transport
Hall Of Fame website and our induction
powerpoint presentation.
Thank you also to Kev and Di Shay along
with Len and Helen Gardner who look after
the typing, printing, framing and hanging
of inductees stories. Their efforts are to
be commended. Thanks to Kel Davis,
Graham Holmes, Greg Whitford, Truckin’
Eddie and Chuba for the preparation of
the shed and grounds for the event and
to all the boys who helped prep the trucks
for the parade. Thanks to members Max
& Lyn Leishout and Frank & Liz Wallace,
Trevor Grenda and Wally Wathen who
flew in for the weekend to help. It was
also great to see Grays, Vic Laurie & Sons
and the Radfords bring in their trucks.
A special thanks must go to Greg
Whitford, Annette Bateson and Dallas
Baldock for the magnificent job they did
of running the bars over the four days of
the reunion. Thank you also to Jakob
Klunyk, Phil and Sue Cullen for looking
after the Ghan Tea Rooms and assisting
at other functions during the reunion. To
Chris and Bernie, Les and Joan and Vicki
and Oscar who attended the counters and
all the other volunteers who participated
over the weekend and worked their hearts
out our sincere thanks go to all of you
because without you the reunion
couldn’t happen.
The Board of Management must give
special thanks to the CMV Group,
especially Michael, Paul and Jonathon
Crawford, for the donation of two trucks,
seven Detroit engines, two Commer
Knocker engines, four Road Ranger
gearboxes and three differentials - all
nicely painted and presented on stands.
These were prepared by Brendan
McClean and Craig Noble at CMV
Dismantlers. All these items will be
displayed in our Trucks in Action shed.
David Kent:
Transmission
4
Chief Executive Officer’s Report
by Liz Martin OAM
Another ReUnion come and gone and as
always it seems to happen in a bit of a blur
as we are so busy in the months leading up
to the event. ReUnion 2012 was bigger than
usual with the successful integration of
several new events and sponsors and
(mostly) it went off without a hitch.
Firstly, I want to thank our volunteers. I know that David Kent has
done that in his report and I don’t want to duplicate but volunteers
The Shell Rimula team were out in force to assist at the ReUnion.
are such an integral part, of not only our annual reunions, but our
day to day activities as a museum that I feel I need to give a Simon Pratt and the team at Cummins were back on deck again
personal thankyou to each and every-one of them. I could not do sponsoring the Truckie’s Race Day at the beautiful Alice Springs
it without my core team of senior volunteers most of whom David Turf Club and the dinner wine at the Shell Rimula Dinner. Thank
has mentioned in his report but I do want to make special mention you also to the Kenworth Dealer Council who sponsor the
pre-dinner drinks and nibbles in the Kenworth Museum. This has
of Sherrill Ives and Annette Bateson who work
always been an excellent start to a great night and
with me on every aspect of this facility often way
we thank Jim Hurley and Graham Holmes for the
“This
is
an
amazing
beyond the call of duty. Likewise for my staff
industry for mateship. It was effort they go to in ensuring this is as great as it
members; office manager - Desley Roberts, Tea
is. Special thanks also go to Owen Driscoll and
fantastic to see our ‘young
Rooms Manager - Jakob Klunyk and project
the team at National Transport Insurance (NTI)
guns’ in awe of the trials
supervisor - Chris Jose. It is also fantastic see
who sponsored our Big Blokes breakfast on the
and tribulations our ‘old
our members turn up in droves to assist with the
morning of the Rig of the Year parade.
timer’s’
endured
in
the
early
ReUnion. Finally, thanks to my Board of
Management David Kent, Graham Holmes, Kel days of trucking and the ‘old
Davis, Lew Couper and Sherrill Ives who all jump timer’s’ equally in awe of the Last but not least I thank the Shell Company of
Australia who have been the primary partner and
sheer size, power and grunt
in and help. I am blessed with a dedicated team.
major sponsor of our Shell Rimula Wall of Fame
of the big rigs of today.”
and Truckie’s ReUnion for the past twelve years.
This year was the first of our Rig of the Year
We simply could not do it without them and as
events and I have to thank Bruce Honeywill and
the team at Truckin’ Life magazine for the mighty effort they put in usual there were many activities and events they contributed to
to ensuring it was a success. Bruce also officiated the Mack Volvo over the ReUnion week. The highlight for me is always the
Truckin’ Life Truckie’s Day which was a great success with double induction ceremony where this year we placed 126 transport
the anticipated number of attendees. We look forward to working identities into the prestigious Shell Rimula Wall of Fame. Even
with Bruce into the future to ensure the Rig of The Year continues though I have officiated over this since its inception I never fail to
to grow and with much enthusiasm to increased involvement with be moved by the reaction of inductees and their families. I literally
Mack / Volvo. Both marques of which have played a significant fill with pride and it makes every challenge worth the effort when I
role in our past. It was also great this year to have Western Star see family after family so touched and honoured to be included on
sponsor the entertainment at the Meet-the-Maker Lunch. This the Wall of Fame. I congratulate Shell Rimula for their unstinting
was boosted by the powerful presence of Julie Gavin and her support of this event from the time
Liz Martin
bright pink Western Star truck which was winner of the Truckin’ it was little more than just an idea.
Life Rig of the Year. Another newcomer to the Hall of Fame family
of sponsors was CAT Trucks who sponsored the public open day
of Sunday as well as a bbq lunch for attendees and entertainment
at the Farewell BBQ. Hastings Deering have a close connection to
Alice Springs and we will be working with CAT to capture that.
Bruce Honeywill (far right) from Truckin’ Life magazine enjoyed
dinner with Glen Sharman and the team from Cat Trucks.
The Kenworth Dealer Council were
well represented by Jim and Clare
Hurley (above left) from Brown and
Hurley in Kyogle and by Jonno
Crawford and family (above right)
from the CMV Group in Adelaide.
LEFT: Tony Smith (NT Link) enjoys
himself with the Shell team. Tony and
wife Libby, who operate their
businesses from Alice Springs, are
great supporters of the Hall of Fame
While the focus of the ReUnion is usually on our national sponsors it is
also important to acknowledge the support of local companies who
look after us all year. Above are the Bilato family from G&S Transport.
Transmission
Library and Resource Centre
In Memory of Ruffy) Doyle
07.11.39 - 08.01.12
Barely a dry eye could
be found in the 550 plus
crowd at the Shell
Rimula Dinner when
the family of the trucking legend Ron (Ruffy)
Doyle paid tribute to him
with a DVD of some of
his antics over his many
years on the road.
Congratulations to Paccar Parts who have
taken up sponsorship of our new Library
and Resource Centre. Construction of the
new library is almost complete thanks to
the efforts of many volunteers especially
Ian, Paddy, Leith, Tony and Stacey.
As well as the construction itself there has
been considerable effort put into collating
and digitising our collection. Special thanks
to David Kent, Liz Martin and Annette
Bateson for their efforts in this area. Thanks
also to Phil Cullen for the massive task of
packing up the old library and putting it
into storage until the new one is ready. CEO
Liz Martin said the Hall of Fame’s collection
had grown considerably in recent years and
a bigger facility had been needed urgently.
Thanks also to Malcom Toop of Paccar who
did the ground work to make this happen.
Brad Wolstenholme General Manager of
PACCAR Parts said PACCAR Parts are
extremely proud to commit as the naming
sponsor for the Road Transport Hall of
Fame Library and Resource centre. He said,
“We see the Library and Resource Centre
as a major tool in recording the history and
beginnings of the road transport industry
in Australia and in conjunction with the
Museum, will serve to show future
generations where and how this great
industry, with its innovative range of
vehicles and colourful characters started.”
1900
1909
1930
1948
1955
1971
How the
‘Shell’ name
and logo
originated
The Shell phenomenon
originated in crowded East
London in 1833 when
Marcus Samuel opened a
small hobby shop which
both made and sold curios.
Samuel purchased exotic
sea shells from sailors and
used these to decorate his
work. Before long he had
built up a large merchant
house empire trading in
“eastern” sea shells and
supplying other products
to Asia, Japan and China.
Samuel’s company began
naming its ships after sea
shells and inevitably, when
it started supplying
Caspian Sea Oil to traders
it introduced the product
as the “Shell Oil” brand.
The Shell logo has undergone many changes over
the years as can be seen in
the drawings left.
The tribute was done by Ruffy’s daughter
who recounted some of his stories, told a
few jokes, presented a magnificent 3D
diorama of his truck and even sang a song.
The tribute was very moving and received a
standing ovation from the guests. After a
life-time on the road Ruffy was inducted
into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2009.
Ruffy’s daughter
Brenda shares a
few moments on
stage with Liz. Liz
Martin had known
Ruffy since she was
just 15 years old
and they were great
mates. Below is
Ruffy’s Coldstorage
truck “Old Sooty”
5
New Honorary Life
Member: Sherrill Ives
Congratulations
go to Sherrill
Ives who is our
2012 Volunteer of
the Year. She was
rewarded with an
Honorary Life
Membership at
ReUnion 2012.
Sherrill has spent
hundreds
of
hours developing
our website, helping at functions,
working on our
accreditation and
assisting Liz with
all aspects of the
ReUnion and the
everyday running ABOVE: Chair David
of our museums. Kent present Sherrill with
Well Done Sherrill her Life Member badge.
Some Previous Award Recipients
Greg Whitford & Annette Bateson
Foden: Set In Stone
The Foden Society (UK) have recently
placed a permanent commemoration at the
Elsworth site,
home of the
Foden steamer
& Foden truck
manufacturing
for a century
and a half.
The initiative of
a
group of
Foden former employees the memorial
features a two ton Derbyshire limestone
rock and plaque at the old Foden factory
entrance. The site is now a housing
development. It was unveiled by William
(Bill) Foden on 12th March 2012.
Congratulations Liz
Chief Executive
Liz Martin was
recently awarded
a Companion of
the University for
Charles Darwin
University for her
research work
into the Australian
road transport
industry. Liz is
pictured giving
the Occasional
Address (left).
Annette and
Greg hail from
Bendigo but
have spent the
past ten years
on a ‘working’
holiday all
around the
country. Greg
works as a
roadtrain driver and Annette does whatever
is available. They stop in at the Alice a
couple of times a year and manage the bars
at all our functions including the ReUnion.
Kevin and Dianne Shay
Kev and Di are
grey nomads
and literally live
on the roads of
Australia in
their motorhome
and we are very
fortunate they
chose to make
the Alice their second home. Kev and Di
take over our board room every year to put
together the frames for our Shell Rimula Wall
of Fame and do a fantastic job.
Helen and Len Gardner
Len and Helen
hail from the
east coast and
travel around
Australia as
grey nomads
for most of
each
year.
They were
awarded their life memberships in 2011. As
we have grown over the years and the
workload with the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame
has increased Len and Helen now devote
several months a year to volunteering at the
Hall of Fame especially assisting Dianne
and Kev with the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame.
Transmission
6
wanted
by
photos
Mack Owners and
Enthusiasts are
invited to send
photos in for our
growing Mack
Truck Photographic
Collection.
Call Liz Martin
0429 201 549
Our Prized Volvo F88
Mack with a Cat and
an extended bonnet!
What can you tell us?
These two photographs were taken at
the old Whiskas’ roadhouse in Alice Springs
some-time in the late
1970s early 1980s.
Unfortunately we have
not been able to find
out any information on
the truck. We’ll be using them in our new
Mack display but it
would be great if we
could get some details
before we blow them up
and mount them.
Call Liz 0429201549
Doug and Alan Lever Collection
LEFT: These two WWII era NR Macks
belonged to MHP Carrying of
Wollongong. The driver in the second
picture is Bob Weaver. These two trucks
operated right up until 1988.
BELOW: Alan Lever subcontracted for
MHP in this F Model carrying orange
juice across the Nullarbor to Perth.
Stories from the Road Volume: 3
Liz Martin, in association with Focus
Publishing in Sydney, will be writing a third
volume of the acclaimed Stories from the Road
series in 2013. In the tradition of the first two
volumes the book will be a hard cover, high
quality coffee table style book featuring positive
stories on trucking families in Australia.
Members are invited to submit suggestions for
transport businesses and personalities to be
included in the book noting that final decisions
will be made by the publisher. You can contact
Liz on 0429 201 549 or Fax 08 89538940 or by
email on - [email protected]
Pictured above is our prized Volvo F88 pictured before
and after restoration. The F88 was donated to us by
Volvo Truck Australia who put it through the factory.
The Volvo F88 was a heavy vehicle introduced in 1964.
It was a particularly advanced vehicle for its time, with
an all-steel-constructed cab at a time when some British
manufacturers were still producing wood-framed with
alloy panelling vehicles. Also, unusually for the late
1960s, it was available with a sleeper cab with additional
space behind the driver where a bunk was fitted. A
derivative of the F88 was the G88 introduced in 1969,
which was basically the same vehicle but with the front
axle fitted 30 cm further forward. The last F 88 left the
assembling line in 1978. The F88 today is regarded
fondly by many as the first of the modern generation of
“driver friendly” trucks, and is recognised by many as
“THE” classic truck of theera, with examples in good
condition well saught after and worth a lot of money.
Mack the Truck Visit
All at the Hall, and
indeed about 500
five year olds,
were very excited
when Mack the
Truck, Lightning
McQueen’s mate
from the movie
‘Cars’ called into
the National Road Transport Hall of Fame to freshen
up on his way to Darwin to see the V8 Supercars.
And boy, oh boy...we are not to sure who was more
excited the kids or Mack himself. Our CEO took a few
minutes to interview him as he passed through. We put
a note on facebook to invite the kids out to meet him
and we will never doubt the power of social media again.
We told Mack he could expect about fifty visitors and
five hundred turned up. We had to call in extra people
to help cope and ended up having our best year to date
figures in both the Ghan and Hall shops. The kids were
awestruck with excitement and Liz swears she even saw
Mack blush as one little girl kissed him gently on the
lips and told him she loved him. Another little boy started
crying when Mack wouldn’t talk to him and yet another
hid around the corner coyly and refused to meet him
even though his mother said he jumped around all the
night before and couldn’t sleep for his excitement.
As for Mack, he, like his driver Wes Davis, takes it all in
his stride as a part of a days work. Mack asked us to
say thanks for letting him have a rest and wash in Alice
Springs and introducing him to some of our kids. He
told our CEO that meeting kids and visiting different
places was his favourite thing to do. He is midway
through a two year travelling holiday around Australia.
As for the trucking industry, if you really want
something to engage the young and enthuse them
about the trucking industry ........ this is YOUR answer!
Transmission
WANTED: Info on the Hayes Truck
Truck Parking Bays Named
Congratulations to the
Northern Territory Road
Transport Association, and
Peter Goed in particular,
for the mammoth job they
have undertaken in the
sometimes lengthy and
bureaucratic process in
getting Territory truck
parking bays named for
our trucking pioneers. We
are proud to have played a
very small part in providing
information and promoting
our proud heritage.
Well known truckie Dieter Reiber sitting
in front of PCT’s Hayes truck around the
mid 1970s. Dieter drove a Thornycroft
in the Snowy Mountains and went on to
own and operate many trucks including
Bedford, Foden, AEC, Mack and the first
GM powered Peterbilt in Australia.
For any-one who has spent any time involved with the
trucking industry in the Northern Territory the list of
names submitted for naming these trucks bays will read
like a who’s who of the industry. Legislation for
nomenclature in the NT dictates that the persons after
whom a place is named must be deceased so
unfortunately all these men have passed. However we
are proud that many of them were either members or
sponsors of the National Road Transport Hall of Fame
and that almost twenty have been inducted into the
prestigious Shell Rimula Wall of Fame over the past ten
years. Congratulations to all concerned. We can only
hope that other jurisdictions follow suit and honour
their trucking pioneers in a similar manner.
STUART HIGHWAY
Alan Ross
Dino Bilato
Kevin (Crackers) Howlett
Noel Healey
Sid Hawks
Allan (Sparrow) Hodson
Dave Baldock
Stan Cawood
Allwright (Allan & Walter)
Percy Lake
Ivan Weise
McConville (Harry & Jim)
Ewen Clough
Tuit (Len)
Martin (Ted)
Dick Rogers
Alex (Darky) Warne
Frank Fidler
261 Klms south of Darwin
1046 Kms south of Darwin
BARKLY HIGHWAY
Kittle (Len)
Kurt Johannsen
DD Smith
Frank (Smiler) Nilon
074 Kms from Stuart Hway
341Kms from Stuart Hway
VICTORIA HIGHWAY
Peckham (Family)
Jack Taylor
Doug Foster
John (YT) Whyte
Bruce (Pissy) Pepperil
7
154 Klms west - Katherine
FOOTNOTE: These are not the only heavy vehicle
parking bays in the Northern Territory. There are 67
in total with many being named for the roadhouses,
rivers or other features where they are located. For a
full listing we suggest you contact the Northern
Territory Road Transport Association or the NT Dept.
of Lands and Planning - Road Network Division
While the Hayes truck story is well
documented in Canada we have been able
to find out little about its existence in
Australia. As we understand it there are
(were) several operating in NSW including a twin steer in the Dubbo region.
The truck above is a Clipper 100 COE but, how did it get to Australia, who
imported them, how many came? We would appreciate any information you
can provide. Hayes manufacturing was initially established in Vancouver in
1922 custom building heavy duty motor trucks for all applications particularly
the logging sector. At one point Hayes were offered for sale in Canada and
other world markets in direct competition to Mack who had acquired a 60%
share in the business in 1969. Jock Curcio, Hayes President, had been a
senior executive for Mack Trucks Inc. (Pa) before he joined Hayes. One of his
initiatives was to introduce a new Hayes cab-over-engine to break into the
highway market. The result was a lightweight, long distance truck called the
Clipper 100 COE. The first of these was released in 1971.
Curcio had been responsible for modernising the production facility and
plant works. Production of the Clipper 100 COE was a diversion from the
company’s heavy logging transporters which had been and were still at that
point, Hayes’ core business. However, we are unable to find out how
successful they were into the future although they appear to have a very
strong following in Canada. Mack Trucks sold Hayes Truck Company in
1975 to Kenworth Paccar who closed all plants. Donald Hayes, grandson of
the founder, then established Hayes Forest Services which is still in operation.
The Ed Cameron Story
This year, 2012, marks the fifty year anniversary of
when Ed Cameron bought the very first Kenworths
to Australia. Congratulations Ed - you could have
had little realisation of the impact you would make
on the Australian trucking industry at the time. The
S Kenworth has gone on to become a legend, as
has Ed himself. Ed Cameron’s is the story of the
pioneering of motor transport beginning at
Doncaster in Victoria in the 1940s when the
Camerons began delivering fruit and other produce.
After WW2 Ed and his brothers began regular deliveries from Melbourne to
Sydney forming D&E Cameron Transport to travel the Hume Highway.
Frustrated by the inadequacies of the available European and English trucks
of the day Ed found the solution by importing the very first Kenworths to
come into Australia. This was following a study tour of heavy vehicles in
America in which Jack Bateman, George Blomfield and Ed Cameron all found
themselves impressed with the Kenworth marque. It was through Ed
Cameron’s efforts that Kenworth eventually set up at Bayswater to produce
custom built trucks for all Australian transport conditions. The Kenworth
S925 models Ed Cameron and George Blomfield imported were fully built up
and powered by Detroit Diesel 6V71 two stroke diesels with a 12 speed spicer
and were generally better equipped to cope with the harsher operating
environment in Australia than the English marques available. The S Model
came with long range fuel tanks and larger than usual radiators with shutters.
FIRST CUSTOM
BUILT TRUCKS
FOR AUSTRALIA
$40.00
available in our
souvenir shop or
for posting please
add $12.50
8
Transmission
Our Volunteers At Work Rest and Play
LEFT: Chairman
David Kent speaks
to the crowd at the
Shell Rimula Wall of
Fame ceremony.
BELOW: Sherrill, Annette and Liz celebrate
the moment when the last of 2000 meals for
the ReUnion 2012 weekend is finally served.
BELOW: Max
Leishout gets into
the swing on the
dance floor after
working all weekend at the ReUnion.
BELOW:
Kel Davis
takes a
break on
our new
lounges
for the
Paccar
library.
ABOVE:
Joan, Helen,
Kevin and
Wally enjoy a
quiet moment
and a drink in
the Kenworth
museum.
ABOVE: June is a great help
in the Hall of Fame shop.
ABOVE: Our Treasurer Graham
Holmes proves he can do the
dishes - take note Paula :-)
ABOVE: Retired truckie Phil
Cullen has done everything
this year from managing tour
groups to baking damper and
cleaning. His wife Sue has
been an absolute stalwart in
the Old Ghan Tea Rooms and
assisted in just about every
other facet of our facility.
To find out about how to
volunteer at the Hall of
Fame or Ghan museums
check out our website
ABOVE: Alf washes down the
Maudsley bus before it goes
back into the museum.
www.roadtransporthall.com
BELOW: Our Patron, Lew Couper
(centre) flanked by life members
Greg Whitford and Mick Clausen.
RIGHT: Well known
WA truckie, ‘Truckin’
Eddy’ Van Dongen
was on hand to help
with the ReUnion. Here
he and Liz discuss
some of the finer points
of the parade logistics.
Truckin’ Eddy is also
an artist of note and left
us with several great
(of trucks of course).
BELOW: Committee members
Kel, David, Graham and Joe take
five minutes to catch up and
swap notes on the Open Day.
ABOVE: Chuba and
Vicki spent several
months with us this
year helping in the
shops, workshops and
with functions. Vicki
proved a dab hand with
making the vol-auvonts and Chuba kick
started the restoration
of our TS3 Commer
which will be done up
in Antill Ranger livery.
All dressed up for the 2012 Central Australian Tourism Industry
Dinner are Alf, Sue, June, Sue, Sherrill, Dallas, Liz, Kel & Kevin.
Transmission
Our Miniature Railway
Construction Underway
ReUnion 2012 Inductees
* and how to order copies *
Work on the new Miniature railway was
put on hold for the duration of ReUnion
2012 but work has already recommenced.
Special thanks
to Kel, Chris,
Don and Dallas
for all their hard
work on this job.
As with any
other reunion
you can order a
full copy or
miniature of any
Shell Rimula
Wall of Fame
inductee frame
by contacting
Dianne. These
are available in
A4 size or
18”x12” which is
the same as on the Wall of Fame. They are
laminated (not framed) and are a lasting
memory of your time in Alice Springs or
your favourite inductee (s). There is also
an option to purchase a gold frame. You
can order any inductee from the past
eleven years including those from 2012. All
proceeds from sales goes to the upkeep of
the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame.
RIGHT:Engineer
Don spent countless hours doing
the planning for
our mini railway
and laying out the
track with all the
right angles.
Old Ghan Diorama
At the age of 16 in 1968, with an extraordinary licence due to hardship, John
started his lifelong career carting grain, bagged fertiliser and livestock on the
family farm in Esperance with a petrol Bedford 300, 18ft tray truck. He
purchased his first truck in 1972, a Dodge 760 series, 361 V8 petrol, with a
35ft triple deck sheep one deck cattle convertible trailer carting stock from
Esperance to Perth.
The next truck was a second-hand 1418 Mercedes bought to service the
demand for livestock carting 1974-1978. “The greatest prime mover any
truckie could ever have”; it made him. John’s favourite truck would be the
1996 Topline T143 Scania Anniversary model, largely modified to his own
specifications, for the harsh conditions. This was the 14th Scania that he had
bought, always pulling six decks sometimes seven decks up in the north west
of Western Australia, Northern Territory, and north western Queensland in
all types of unpredictable road conditions.
It has done 1.7 million klms, 22,000 engine hours and other than a few basic
cosmetics the engine is still original and is still in the fleet today in 2010.
Over the years John had one Bedford, one Dodge, one 1418 Mercedes, 14
Scanias and four Kenworths. He has a reputation of always being on time,
and very reliable. John has a unique personality that puts people at ease,
always willing to share his experience and knowledge with other drivers,
providing an honest and professional service over many years.
The highlight of John’s trucking life was in 1998 when he bought his first 7
deck road train pulled by a Caterpillar powered Kenworth T950 Kenworth
and it was so good he soon after purchased another T950 Kenworth.
SHELL RIMULA WALL OF FAME
INDUCTED - 2010
NATIONAL ROAD TRANSPORT HALL OF FAME
A4 Size (Laminated)
$12.50
18” x 12” (Laminated)
$85.00
18” x 12” (in gold frame) $150.00
includes postage and handling
Phone 08 89527161 or email credit card details to [email protected] or make
a deposit to our bank; ANZ Alice Springs
BSB 015881 ACCT 2575 49867. Please use
your surname as reference and email order.
coming
soon
Special thanks to the Bradshaw School who
recently presented a diorama they made of
the first Old Ghan train coming into Alice
Springs on 6th August 1929. The reading
group have been learning about the history
of the Old Ghan and decided to present their
fine work to the Old Ghan Train Museum.
It is an excellent depiction. Thanks, Kids!
the book
Graham ARMSTRONG
Graham’s mates on the
road call him ‘Veg’. He
started driving in a 40hp
petrol Austin when he was
just 16 years of age well
before he had a driver’s
licence. Over the years he
drove for many companies
including Tycon carting
general interstate and later
Blue Circle hauling bulk concrete all around NSW
for over 17 years. Veg fondly remembers the
days when a friendly wave was the only
communication on the road between drivers until
you pulled in at the next roadhouse.
FOUNDER OF
John BAINES
THE
TRUCKIE
WHO
LOVED
TRAINS
Read the story of Ken Thomas
changing the
future of road
transport through
gender diversity
Ray Angus got his start driving trucks in the
Millmerran district carting produce and farm
machinery and later for AR & DW Keith
Livestock. He started with Wridgway Removals
in Brisbane as an owner driver in 1960 with an
S series Bedford with a 35 cube pan and ran
between Brisbane and Townsville. In 1964 Ray
upgraded to a new TK Bedford and started on
the Brisbane to Darwin run for Wridgways.
Ray then went to a B Model Mack continuing
as a sub-contractor to Ansett Wridgways. By
1977 he was hauling for both Ansett Freight
Express and Ansett Wridgways from Brisbane
to Mt Isa and Darwin in a 2233 Mercedes Benz.
Ray’s last truck was a bogie drive MAN that he
operated until he came off the road due to ill
health in 1992 completing over 30 years, and
more than a million miles, as a subcontractor to
the Ansett and Wridgway organisations.
KEN THOMAS
Transport Women
Australia Conference
Liz Martin recently
attended Transport
Women Australia’s
conference in Melbourne where she
caught up with
TWAL Committee
member Jacqueline
Brotherton (right)
and below Ellen Vois
(USA) and Phyllis
Jones from Hay.
Raymond ANGUS
John, born 8th May 1952, is the owner/operator of a small fleet operating as
Backman Transport, carting livestock and bulk haulage, based in Esperance
WA.
Inducted 2010
LEFT: Youngest
of our volunteers, Dallas
Baldock seen
here clearing the
track for the mini
rail earthworks.
9
From one truck in 1946 to an international
empire in the 1970s. This book is currently
being written and collated by David Wilcox
and is due for release in mid 2013. It will
be strictly a limited edition so if you are
interested in a copy you MUST register your
interest by contacting David Wilcox on
[email protected]
John Baines has had a long and varied career
dating back to 1947 when rebuilt his first truck,
an ex-army Blitz, for use as a timber jinker. In
the 65 years since John has been involved in
every aspect of the road transport industry
including wheat cartage, sand and blue metal
haulage, kiln dried sand haulage, car-carrying
and concrete agitators and pumps. Today the
fleet consists of 20 trucks made up of Kenworth,
International, Iveco, Daihatsu and Mitsubishi all of which he has found to be reliable. At the
age of 82, John is still managing director and
actively involved in his businesses, Baines
Transport Pty Ltd and Baines Masonry Blocks
Pty Ltd. He also holds a majority interest in
Masonry and Slate Pty Ltd. John’s three
children and a grandson hold management roles
and John is happy and confident his businesses
will carry on through the next generation.
Transmission
10
Albert (Baldy) BALDWIN
As an eight year old
Baldy proudly pushed
the starter of his father’s
1942 Army Blitz while it
was in gear, and surprised
himself by ending up half
a kilometre down the road
at Casterton. By the time
he was 14 he was driving
a KB5 International
carting stringy bark.
Baldy went on to drive for iconic companies
such as Brambles/Manford, Malatesta, Total
West and Wesfarmers. Today he drives a
B-Double for Jayde Transport and has clocked
up 2000 trips across the Nullarbor.
Robert (Bob) BARNSLEY
Bob is one of those
truckies who has had a
truly diverse career in the
transport industry doing
everything from carting
timber in Tully to cattle
for Vesteys in the Top End
and driving Seismic
Supply trucks to remote
oil sites in the Gibson Desert. In later years
Bob drove a concrete agitator, carted nursery
material in Brisbane, produce from Kununurra
and drove an Atkinson roadtrain on the Shell
Company of Australia’s legendary Darwin to
Alice Springs and Ayers Rock (Uluru) run.
Today Bob and his wife Carolyn are retired and
travel the country as ‘grey nomads’.
Eric BEASLEY (Dec)
After serving in
WWII Eric worked as
a taxi driver before
driving an International D40 for Roche
Bros. He later hauled
general goods from
Melbourne to diverse
locations such as
Snowy Mountains
Hydro-Electric Scheme and Port Hedland in
WestAustralia. By the time Eric had retired he’d
travelled over a million miles between Perth and
Melbourne doing his own mechanical work and
often loading and unloading by hand. In 2010,
after a long illness, Eric Beasley passed away.
Brian BERTWISTLE AM
Brian Bertwistle AM
started out as a 17
year old delivering
film reels to picture
theatres in the wider
Brisbane region for
Ken Thomas of
Thomas Nationwide
Transport or TNT as
it is known today.
Brian
little
expected at the
time however,
that through a
series
of
mergers and
take-overs he
would work for
the
same
organisation for
over fifty years.
Over the years
Brian has held
every possible
position within
the transport industry with his unique skills
and passion for transport culminating in his
appointment as Executive Director of Toll North
some years prior to his retirement
As a teenager Brian was sure his future in the
trucking industry would be ruined with the
advent of television as no-one would be going
to the pictures anymore. Brian Bertwistle’s
devotion to his career with TNT, Carpentaria/
Toll Group spans a 50-year period. In every
division he has worked in, Brian has been a key
driver for the success of new projects. In 1971
Brian implemented the first daily delivery
service between Brisbane and the Gold Coast
delivering concrete pylons for the retaining walls
on the canals at Southport and Surfers Paradise
and rebuilding the TNT operation following the
1974 Brisbane floods. Another example was
Brian’s management of the new $8,000,000
road-rail terminal in Cairns.
Brian is passionate about bringing young people
into the road transport industry and was the
founder and mentor of ‘Young People in
Transport’, a section of the Chartered Institute
of Logistics and Transport of which he is a
Fellow. Brian Bertwistle won their Transport
Achiever of the Year with this initiative in 2004.
Brian was also founder and Chairman of the
Careers Forum which is taken to high schools
to show what careers are available in the
transport industry and which aims to introduce
certificate level transport training into school
curriculums. He has been a Vice President of
the Queensland Trucking Association (QTA)
and Chairman of the Transport and Distribution
Industry Training Advisory Board. For many
years he was Company Secretary and a Director
of TruckSafe Pty Ltd, an Australian Trucking
Association company that aims to arm the
trucking industry with safety and risk
management solutions to both operational and
regulatory problems.
Many awards have come Brian’s way over the
years including the 2005 Australian Trucking
Association’s National Award for Outstanding
Contribution to the Road Transport Industry.
After such a long and industrious career, it was
a surprise to no-one, except Brian himself, when,
in the Queen’s Birthdays 2008 Honors List he
was awarded a member in the General Division
of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to
the transport and logistics industry particularly
through support for educational programs and
vehicle safety initiatives.
Michael (Mick) BEST
Mick Best started in the
industry in 1964 washing
trucks. After he got his
licence he hauled petrol, gas
and bitumen tankers all
around the country for
companies like Fox,
Knights and Cootes for 25
years. Mick also spent
three years in NZ managing
the Linfox fleet before returning to Australia to
manage Linfox fleet special projects in Australia
and overseas. Mick has won many awards over
the years and still enjoys the day to day
challenge of addressing issues as they arise.
Warren BLAIN
Warren started in the industry
working as diesel mechanic for
Cousins. When that business
was sold to Thomas
Nationwide Warren went on
the road and recalls the thrill
of driving one of the first a
Grey Ghosts (Kenworth
K125) for Comet Express.
The iconic K125 is was the first Kenworth built
in Australia by Kenworth. In the following years
he drove for Berle, carting ice-cream to Cairns
and bananas back to the eastern seaboard for
Blenners. Even after he semi retired Warren
kept working. He did casual work for Kes,
Frigmobile, Mainfreight Express and Toll NQX.
Today he does his travelling in a Winnebago
enjoying the miles at a far more leisurely pace.
Ray (Buster) BLAKE
Ray (Buster) hit the road in
1979 after he bought a 1418
Benz and started hauling for
Vaughans from Melbourne.
He later subcontracted for
Bob Watson Transport and
carted flour and dog food for
Glenmar in a brand new
‘Gumboot’ Scania which he
still recalls as his “best”
truck of all time. After recovering from illness
in 2002 Bob purchased a little UD truck and up
until the beginning of 2012 delivered the Herald
Sun and Age newspapers from Melbourne to
Adelaide twice weekly
Transmission
11
Ron BOARDMAN
Cyril BOWDEN (Dec)
Brian BREWER (Dec)
Soon after resigning his job
in SA Ron found himself in
Alice Springs accepting a
ride to Darwin with a truckie
called ‘Onions Stewart’ who
was driving for a bloke called
‘Eveready Ted’. Ron then
got a job in Darwin driving
for the Ellis Kells Brewery
until it went broke. By 1965 he was operating
his own International truck. It was already
loaded for Melbourne and thatset the direction
for the future. Rone went on to haul everything
from aluminium to Perth, sugar bags to
Townsville, general supplies to Ayers Rock and
Warburton and heavy mining equipment to the
West. Ron is in now his 80s and lives in Perth.
Cyril Bowdon was born in
the town of Wilcannia. His
father worked as an
engineer on the paddle
steamers before moving to
Bourke in 1922 to set up a
small carrying business.
Records show that in 1933
they carted 5200 bales of
wool into Bourke. Cyril’s
Leylands, Dodges and Reos struggled with
over-heating on the dry corrugated and dusty
tracks they travelled daily. In later years Cyril
upgraded to an EH Mack and a B Model. Cyril
Bowden passed away in 1988 and is remembered
by family and friends as a man who loved the
west and gave it his all through trucking.
It was while working as a
farmhand Brian got his
truck licence. Soon after
driving became his life.
From carting farm supplies,
operating earthmoving
equipment, moving houses
and furniture to carting
paper Brian is remembered
for giving his heart and soul
to the job at hand. He called
every body “Cobber”
whether he knew them or not and readily gave a
few friendly words of advice to newcomers.
Sadly, Brian Brewer was killed in accident on
23 April 2006, at the age of 59, following forty
years of service to the road transport industry.
At the time of
his
death
Brian Brewer
had
the
distinction of
being Kalari’s
l o n g e s t
serving subcontractor
Saviour John (Sam) BORG
Kevin BOWDEN (Dec)
BRYANT Family
Harold Bryant (Dec) and
Sons Henry and Lyal (Dec)
Savior (Sam) Borg came
to Australia from Malta
as a nine year old in
1949. His grandfather
had driven horse
coaches and his father
was a driver for the
Maltese Government.
Sam’s first real job in
Australia was driving
four and six cylinder
Albions for Lennards
on the Sydney to
Melbourne run.
With an average speed
of 26 miles an hour each
trip took a grueling and
winding 36 hours. Sam
went on to drive a variety of trucks for a variety
of companies over the years including Mayne
Nickless, Jetspress and Pioneer Concrete. Sam’s
favourite memories of the industry are the
mateship from his fellow truck drivers and
delicious home cooked meals in early family
owned roadhouses.
Plugger Bowden was born into a transport
family. His grandfather carted mail, wool and
livestock until passing the business to Plugger’s
father. The business, CA Bowden and Sons,
continued the same work but added a general
run to Darwin, Mt Isa and Townsville. Despite
being warned it was just a fad, Plugger was the
first person in Bourke to purchase a four deck
stock trailer he towed with an R-model Mack.
In 1985 when the business was disbanded
Plugger ran his own stock carrying business
before branching into tippers. The roadtrain
record was claimed for Bourke in 1993 when
Plugger drove a Mack with 16 stock trailers up
his hometown’s main street. He repeated the
effort in 1994 towing 29 trailers behind his
beloved 1988 Mack Superliner. Kevin (Plugger)
Bowden passed away from illness in 2007.
Peter BOTTAMS
Rodney BOWDEN
Peter was 23 when he commenced driving for
Mick Travlos on local deliveries around
Melbourne. His first interstate trip was
Melbourne to Adelaide towing a fridge van.
Peter’s next employer was Brian Dent, a
subcontractor for Coldstorage. Peter drove a
slimline Kenworth with no sleeper from
Melbourne to Perth and was very happy when
Brian upgraded to a Kenworth 8V71 with a
sleeper. After a stint with Shell, and then Travlos
again, Peter decided to buy his own truck. It
was a Commer 6V53 which he used to haul
steel around Melbourne and to subby for Mayne
Nickless. In 1971 he bought a Scania and hauled
interstate and later scrap metal for Total Care.
Today Peter operates a fleet of four Scanias and
a Kenworth moving general around Melbourne.
Rodney (Burloo) was taught
to drive at a very young age.
Along with his father and
brothers he carted thousands
of sheep and cattle in
outback NSW, Qld, SA and
the Territory. It was a time
of camaraderie between
drivers who pulled over for
a spell and cooked a feed together before
continuing to make a mile. There were no Engel
fridges and air-conditioning was to throw open
the bunk doors while you tried to sleep. Burloo
then worked for Trevor Norris carting cattle
until he moved to Brisbane and into heavy
haulage before going to Mt. Isa to work for
Alford Transport. From there it was the Darwin
run for Shaws. Burloo currently works for
Martins Bulk Haulage operating tippers.
Harold Bryant started his carrying business
contracting a tip truck to local councils in the
Lismore area in 1922. It was an era when there
was a lot of uncertainty and doubt about the
capability of the ‘horseless carriage’. He later
also operated a timber jinker hauling white
Booyong and Australian red cedar logs from the
deep valleys into the local saw-mills. It was
hard, tough and back breaking work for men and
machine and anything that made the job easier
was welcomed. Harold Bryant was an innovator
and is remembered for the many tools of trade
he, with the help of other local businessmen,
developed including a wire-operated winch for
loading and unloading huge logs.
In time Harold’s two sons Henry and Lyal joined
the business. The first trucks they operated
respectively were a KS5 and a KSB6
International. Both trucks proved hardy and
capable for the task and many more
Internationals joined the fleet in following years.
In recent years Bryants changed from being
local contractors to specialising in supply of
stock feeds and fertilisers to local primary
producers and delivery of petroleum and oil
products throughout regional and country areas
of New South Wales and Queensland.
Transmission
12
Arthur (Joe) BURTON
Arthur BURTON
Michael BUXTON
Joe travelled the Princes
Highway three times a day
for many years earning his
name as a well respected and
professional operator.
Burton Haulage trucks were
easily identified by the
livery and immaculate
presentation and the friendly wave coming from
the driver’s side window. Joe was a devotee of
the Kenworth marque preferring a cab-over
prime-mover with a Cummins engine. Joe’s
favourite memory is of seeing mates on the
highways and catching up with them for a chat
at roadhouses. Joe Burton retired from the road
at 63 years of age in 2006.
At 16 years of age, Arthur
went into partnership with
his brother in a Chev Blitz
which they used to haul
potatoes from Kinglake to
the railhead at Whittlesea.
The 150kg bags had to be
loaded and unloaded by
hand. In the following years
the Burton’s upgraded the fleet to include
Commer, Bedford, International, Ford and
Volvo. However, it was a 1951 REO that stole
Arthur’s heart. “She pulled like a bull ...went
like the clappers.... flew like a shower of shit”.
Michael Neil Buxton was
born in Victoria and, as a
young boy, accompanied his
father, who worked for the
Shell Company of Australia,
on interstate trips all around
regional Victoria. When he left
school he worked carting
livestock for Dickinsons and
later Walkers on trips as far away as Alice
Springs to haul livestock back to Dubbo. He
also hauled crude oil from Jackson, Qld, to the
Mooney Refinery. More recently he has worked
for Rod Pilon and Hi Trans. Michael currently
drives B-Doubles hauling for K&S Freighters
out of Mt. Gambier.
Bert BUXTON (Dec)
David BUXTON
Neil BUXTON
At 17 years of age Bert
Buxton purchased 250 acres
adjoining his father ’s
property along with a
bullock wagon and a team of
10 bullocks to cart firewood,
fence posts, wattle bark,
wool, hay and chaff around
Stradbroke and Sale. His
offspring fondly recall Bert telling them stories
about the bullock wagon. He spoke of the trucks
that he saw in the early 1920s and how the
speed of them frightened his bullocks or blew
the hat off his head as they ‘sped’ by at ten
miles an hour. Bert’s three sons, two grandsons
and three nephews grew up to become long
distance truck drivers. Bert passed in 1989.
David Buxton was born in
Mooroopna, Victoria. His
father, Eddie is also a 2012
Shell Rimula Wall of Fame
inductee. In 1952 Eddie and his
family moved to Maffra where
his trucking career began in
earnest with the purchase of a
1938 Dodge truck. From that
moment David was involved
with trucks working for various companies
including Moran and Cato, Dyers in Sale,
Berkley Industries and Bogdan Transport.
Today David drives B-Double and travels daily
from Shepparton to Melbourne or Gundagai,
NSW and loves his job.
Neil left school at the age of
sixteen years to work at the
local General Motors Garage
but it wasn’t long before he
decided to follow in his fathers
footsteps and become a truck
driver. His first job was with
Harry Bullock driving an
International from East
Gippsland to Sale before he joined Dyers
Transport in Sale. In later years he rented a W
Model Kenworth and subcontracted to several
contractors carting general on linehaul work. Neil
is known throughout the industry as being a
good operator and a good businessman and says
he has always enjoyed the unstinting support
of his wife, Joy and their three daughters.
Brian BUXTON (Dec)
Eddie BUXTON
Arthur continued to pick up casual cartage well
into the mid 1980s and worked for Yates Garden
Supplies
until
his
retirement in
2001 after a
long
and
enjoyable
life in the
transport
industry.
Redsand Photographics
Ph: 0407186487
[email protected]
In 1956 Brian Buxton entered the industry with
the purchase of a Bedford to cart fence posts
and firewood for local farmers. He found he had
a natural aptitude for not only driving trucks,
but for keeping them going as well. By 1956 he
was driving an International L180 for McPhees
Transport. Brian was renown for how he looked
after his truck and maintained it. Someone was
always looking for him to tune up their L180 or
R190. Brian always stopped to give a mate a
hand with mechanical problems. He won the
prestigious Cummins Driver of the Year award
in 1969. In April 1971 he went to assist a mate
repair a truck with faulty brakes, the truck
slipped off the jack and rolled on top of Brian.
He died that night at 39 years of age. He is still
much loved and missed by his extended family.
Eddie Buxton turned 80 this year and has just
retired after an amazing sixty continuous years
on the road in one way or another. Eddie drove
for the Shell Company of Australia for 17 years
and later worked for Brogdan Transport and his
son Michael. At one stage he was an ownerdriver, but like so many early transport
operators of that era, struggled to pay the
government of the day’s dreaded road tax and
ended up spending two weeks in jail.
It was during this time he decided to work for
wages. Eddie recalls 1960 to 1966 as the best of
his career. It was tough times and drivers had
only 30 hours to get to Sydney. Top speed on
the narrow roads and across single lane bridges
was 35 mph. Still, Brian recalls it was a time of
camaraderie and mateship and Eddie, among
them, was a true gentleman of the road.
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Framed, Matt
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OUTBACK
PHOTOGRAPHY
Transmission
13
Brian (Hillsy) CARNELL
Mal & Dawn CLEARY: Outback Legends
Brian Carnell has been
a truckie for 72 years
having helped his
father drive Blitz and
Diamond T trucks
from the time he was
ten years old. The first
truck of his own was a
Marmon Harrington
Ford Blitz that he used
to cart wood and
bagged wheat from the
Loxton to Adelaide.
He was just 18. Hillsy
went on to own a
variety of trucks over
the years including
Diamond T, Bedford,
Dodge and a 1936
REO Speedwagon which he used to haul
stumps. In 1978 he bought a Nissan UD CK 40
single drive prime mover and formed his own
company which he called Carnelliston
Transport. Brian is semi-retired and is depot
manager of Heath Transport in Elliston.
Mal Cleary arrived in Cloncurry in 1956 to take over the Cloncurry to
Canobie Station Mail run which generally took around three months to
complete. When the nearby Mary Kathleen mine opened Mal invested
in a 1948 three ton Austin and began carting goods from Cloncurry. In
1960 he married Dawn and moved to Mt Isa to cart for Thiess Bros.
Mal did the driving and looked after the trucks in the bush and Dawn did
office duties and anything else that needed to be done in town. She was
(and is) known as a bit of ‘Jill of all trades’. In 1961 they took on the
Camooweal to Lake Nash Mail run operating it through some of the
country’s most isolated terrain for over 34 years. In later years they operated a 1968 International
184 powered by 160 Cummins and a 1972 250hp Atkinson also powered by a Cummins. The
Atkinson was used to haul fuels and goods to Doomadgee Mission from their fuel depot in Mt Isa.
As the mail runs became less attractive for a variety of reasons the Cleary’s decided to move into
livestock transport. MJ Cleary & Co soon expanded their fleet to seven Kenworth prime-movers
trailing forty decks of cattle. In 2003 Mal and Dawn decided to downsize their business and take
things a little easier. They sold all their vehicles except for Mal’s beloved 1979 400hp Cummins
powered Kenworth of which Mal can still occasionally be found hauling five decks of livestock.
Kevin CARTWRIGHT
Allan COMPTON
Robert (Bob) DALE
Known as Grumblebum or
GB, Kevin has dedicated
over 40 years to the road.
He started with Whiteline
Transport in 1985 and has
driven over 14 million
kilometres, safely across the
Eyre Highway for 26 years.
Kevin juggled truck driving
with raising his three sons as a single father. In
2008 he won the SA Road Transport Driver of
the Year and went to win the national award at
the ATA Awards Ceremony in Canberra. In
2011 Kevin was awarded the Outstanding
Contribution to Transport Certificate from the
West Australian Road Transport Association.
As a young kid Allan
Compton yearned to be a
truck driver. He ended up
carting potatoes from
Portland to the old South
Melbourne markets for
Bob Blacker in a TS3
Commer Knocker. He later
drove an International AB
and will never forget being
told on his first trip to Sydney that he would
have to drive up the Razorback Mountain in
reverse! Allan, excited about his new truck, and
all he’d been told about the hazards of
Razorback, asked about it. His mates jokingly
informed him that as he was driving an
underpowered truck he would not make it going
forward. He believed them and tried it.
Robert (Bob) Dale started
driving for PE Shelly in
Bacchus Marsh when he was
just 18; usually in Perkins
powered Dodges and
Commers. In later years he
drove a variety of
Internationals for Doug
Phillips in St. Arnaud and
Roy Davis from Sydney. He
also carted stock for Graham Spargo in a 1418
Mercedes Benz. This was followed by stints
with East Coast Transport in a White 9000 and
with Clem King in a Cummins powered
Kenworth. Bob worked his own truck in the
Charters Towers Mine and ran the Tumut
shuttle for Visy Logistic before retiring in 2011.
Rodney (RJ) CLARKE
Alison (Aly) COOP
George DAWSON
Aly Coop first became
involved with the coach
industry in 1975 while
undertaking a crew training
trip with Centralian Staff to
be a safari cook. A tour to
Andamooka soon followed
and before long she joined
the legendary Kevin (KB)
Bryant on his tours into
Northern and Central Australia. Alison obtained
her heavy rigid licence and passenger certificate
in 1981 and often drove the Denning on tour.
She was both tour driver and hostess during the
Commonwealth Games in 1982 and in 1983
drove a West Australian 16 day camper tour.
Alison later worked for Casey’s Coaches on
school runs before returning to work for Mobile
Production Facilities with Kevin Bryant.
In 1943 George Dawson
won a school bus tender
and purchased a secondhand OB Bedford to carry
31 people. He still has this
contract today. George’s
first truck was a four ton
1944 Chev he used to carry
goods from Raywood to
Bendigo and Melbourne.
He also operated his own Motor Repair Garage
in Raywood until he sold out in 1990. In 1975
George purchased a share in Kangaroo Flat Bus
Lines eventually buying all shares and renaming
the business Bendigo Coachlines. George is a
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport,
a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow and a member of
the Buses International Association (USA).
George enjoys an active role in the business.
.
Rodney (RJ) Clarke began his trucking life in
earnest 43 years ago when he traded an old tray
truck on an ACCO 1800 and semi tipper to go
gravel carting. His first construction job was
working on a new road in the Grampians and RJ
recalls it was a sharp learning experience with
steep roads, tipping on corners, soft spots on
some roads and tight loading areas. The main
challenge RJ faced however was combining his
contract work with running the farm. In later
years RJ contracted to the local shire in single
axle Bedford with a six metre tipper. It was
1980 before he purchased a 22 tonne tipper. In
1993 RJ’s dream to start an inter-modal
container freight business became a reality
thanks to the support of Michael Halley from
V-Line. Today, Wimmera Container Line
operates a mixed fleet of 25 prime-movers.
Transmission
14
Les DEAN
After Les Dean completed his apprenticeship
as a painter he was conscripted to serve in
Vietnam. After finishing his tour of duty, Les
took on several driving jobs in the years
following including for Rutlands carting stock
and for D&E Cameron carting general. He then
subcontracted for Knight’s Tankers of Kilmore.
In 1980 Les bought a new Kenworth and became
one of the original owner-drivers to cart produce
from far north Queensland to Melbourne. He
did this up until 1986 when he purchased a taxi
which he operated in Bendigo for five years
before buying a tipper and bobcat. The call of
the highways inevitably got to Les again and he
took a job driving for Wooltrans (Bendigo) for
the next 14 years until he retired in 2010. Today
Les is restoring an AB180 International tipper.
Mick DeVRIES
Mick DeVries started
trucking in 1941 when, as
a teenager, he drove a 1933
Indiana with a gas producer
picking up milk cans in the
Drouin area. In 1947 Mick
formed his own milk round
business called DeVries
Brothers. He also carted
logs from nearby Jindivick
to Melbourne. Mick well recalls sleeping in sawmill fire pits to keep from freezing and the times
he went skidding off the road in the snow or
driving in the sleet with no heater or windows.
He remembers roadside repairs for springs and
axles and even the time he had to change a gear
box on the side of the road in the snow.
Henry DOLDER
Graeme DYER OAM
Henry has always had a
passion for trucks. In 1948
he moved to Wodonga to
drive his own 29hp
Chevrolet Maple Leaf on
the Old Hume Highway; a
trip from Albury to
Sydney took 16 hours. It
was tough times. Fuel
rations caused many businesses to meet their
downfall. Harry says of those times that the
best thing was that mates could be relied upon.
Harry carried car bodies from Ford in Geelong
to Sydney. Two companies he really enjoyed
working for were Roadair and Border Express.
His favourite truck was a Leyland. When Henry
retired it was given to him as a parting gift. He
says its because no-one else could drive it.
Graeme left school at the
age of 16 to work in the
family transport business
which had operated since
1932. Dyers operated
Thornycrofts and Albions
at the time. These were
days of heavy regulation
for trucks operating in
competition to rail and
inspectors were able to remove tarps to check
loadings. The officers often would not look
further than what was visible because they
would have to do the retarping. As 44 gallon
drums were permitted to be carried contraband
was stacked up the middle. Since the late 1950s
Graeme Dyer has been the managing director
and executive chairman of Dyers Distribution.
Arthur (Mick) DORLING
Gavin ELLIS
Mick was 14 when he took on a mechanics
apprenticeship. His affinity for heavy
transports was immediately obvious. By the
time he was 22 he was working for GF & MP
Hams carting livestock. He later drove a 1418
Benz for CTC hauling fridge vans to Perth and
later pigs in a lend lease Chevrolet. Mick’s earlier
mechanical training served him well as a truck
driver. Often he could be found on the side of
the road on rebuilding gear boxes, differentials
and motors. In 1972 Mick purchased a Perkins
TK Bedford and later a Detroit 6V53 powered
KM Bedford. Following that Mick purchased a
Mercedes Benz 2235 which he is still operating
today. Mick’s three sons have all completed
diesel mechanic apprenticeships and, like their
father, now operate their own trucks.
Gavin Ellis has been involved
in transport for 40 years. His
first truck was a 5 ton Bedford
with which he delivered
chickens to South Australia
from Victoria for Thomas
Hatcheries. Gavin then went
on to cart produce, steel and
general on the Hume Highway
to Sydney for his uncle. He then worked for
Kitco Transport driving interstate from
Melbourne to Sydney and Brisbane also hauling
for a local tractor dealer. From there he went to
ABC Transport hauling Melbourne, Sydney,
South Australia and Brisbane with steel and
general freight. For the next 17 years Gavin did
dangerous
goods tanker
work carting
LP gas and
b i t u m e n
products
throughout the
eastern states
operating out
of Dandenong.
Howard DICKER
Carl (Kojac) DOUGLAS
Howard Dicker comes from Kingston, SA, and
has lived there his whole life. At the age of nine
Howard started delivering wood to the elderly
in his pedal car and trailer for the price of two
shillings per load. When he left school at 13 he
started driving a 1927 Dodge buckboard and
spread super with a Horwood Bagshaw one bag
spreader. After he became licensed to drive when
he turned 16 Howard started driving a 1942
Ford Blitz. In the years following he drove a
variety of trucks. Now, at the age of 80, he still
loves nothing better than getting behind the
wheel and spending the day driving one of HF
Dicker & Son’s trucks. In 1991 Howard was
named Australian Citizen of the Year by the
local council in recognition of the years of
voluntary work he had given to his community.
Carl, who is 84 years
old, bought his first
truck in 1952. It was a
second hand Bedford
tray truck which he used
to cart potatoes from
Koo Wee Rup. He went
on to be an owner driver
for the next 40 years
plus. While the CJ
Douglas depot was
located in Melbourne,
Carl travelled most roads
and tracks in his old Inter
and semi including to the
Kununurra dam site for
18 months. He was one
of the first to do this.
Carl made many friends
on the road. His face
lights up when he chats
about the challenges he
faced, the people he met and the antics of his
trucking mates. He believes these tales, tall but
true, should be remembered and recorded as they
will never, and can never, be relived.
Thank you to
2012 Sponsors
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Transmission
15
Geoffrey (Jim) ELLIS
Allan FAIR
Jim had his love of trucks
hit full swing at the age of
12 when he started an old
Bedford in a paddock and
crossed the field. Licensed
by 18, he started work in
a Bedford tipper. By 1968
he was carting logs in a LH
drive Diamond T out of
Goongerah. In 1974 he
purchased a B Model
Mack and became an owner-driver. This was
followed by an Atkinson and later a W Kenworth
for logging. Jim has been a devotee of the
Kenworth marque since. Jim has clocked up an
amazing 6.5 million kilometres on the road.
After completing his trade as
a motor mechanic Allan began
driving trucks, an occupation
that he does to this day. He
started as an owner driver in
1962 in a Thames Trader
running from Perth to Sydney
carting biscuits, tyres, acetic
acid and other general freight.
One of the more specialised tasks was carting
egg cartons for Smorgens. At the time the
Nullarbor was dirt from Norseman to Port
Augusta. Today, Allan has a 625hp Western
Star with an 18 speed Roadranger, ice pac,
microwave, TV, CD, fridge and telephone. He
says his days of rebuilding motors and clutches
on the side of dusty dirt roads are long gone.
Don GRANT
Anthony (Tony) EVANS
William FREDERIKSEN
Stephen GROVES (Dec)
Tony started in the motor
trade in 1955 in his uncle’s
garage. By 1957 he was
driving his uncle’s school
buses on a run from
Warrandyte to Diamond
Creek via Panton Hill and
Hurstbridge. Tony’s first
truck was a Thames Trader
used to deliver machinery and cart firewood and
water for local farms. Tony started with the
Department of Premier and Cabinet as a
ministerial chauffeur in 1969 and for the next
20 years drove for the likes of Henry Bolte,
Dick Hamer, Joan Kerner and Jeff Kennett
covering 1.4 million kilometres. Tony says he
preferred carting water and firewood.
Garth, as he is known, got his
start as a boy helping his
father with a local cream run
and has gone on to own and
operate
Frederiksens
Transport in Pomona and
Gympie since the 1950s. The
business soon grew to a
considerable size with
tippers, bulk cement cartage, molasses tankers,
refrigerated vans and general freight going
interstate. His memories are of hand loading
produce onto flat tops in far north Queensland
and hand stacking bagged cement. Kenworths,
Western Stars, Volvos, Internationals and
Macks have all at some time, been in Garth’s
fleet, but it is his old White Road Boss that he
considers the best for reliability and value.
At the time of his death
Groover was working for
O’Sullivans Transport in
Elmore. Before that he’d
chalked up much experience
driving for other companies
including for Lewingtons,
Goikers Transport and J&P
Transport. Groover carted all
over Australia driving a single,
double or triple roadtrains and if you pulled
into a roadhouse where he’d stopped and
mentioned his name you’d soon get told some
wonderful yarns of the many experiences
Groover shared with other transport operators.
Groover left behind a wife, seven children and
step children and a great many achievements
within the industry.
Garry EVANS
Jack GOODBODY (Dec)
Ross HARDY
Garry started driving trucks
‘two up’ with his father,
Norm in 1978. Together
they drove all over Australia
while Norm taught Garry the
fine art of being a roadtrain
driver. In 1980 Garry bought
a UD CK40 on which carted
bottles from Melbourne to
Brisbane. In later years
Garry owned a ‘Bubble’ Volvo, an Atkinson and
a Ford LNT. Garry also worked for several
companies including Gainfire, Simpkins and
Freight West and ten years for his brother at
Colin Evan’s Transport. In 2011 Garry
purchased an Aerodyne Kenworth and is running
his own business from Townsville carting
general freight from Queensland to the Territory.
After serving with the
RAAF in WWII Jack got
married and started a
removal business. He
purchased a Ford bus
chassis with a bonnet and
had to build a new cabin
and furniture van before he
could start operating. Jack
also carted biscuits from
the Brockhoff factory in
Melbourne and other items to Bendigo as well
as tomatoes from Bendigo to Rosella. Over the
years Jack owned Fords, Internationals,
Mercedes Benz and a French-made Panhard van.
In those days all goods had to be loaded and
unloaded by hand. Jack retired in 1986 after 36
years of trucking. He passed away in 2001.
Don’s first jobs in transport were carting bricks
from Ballarat and logs from Mt Cole forest in a
Commer TS3 with a wooden pole jinker. In 1970
he purchased a Leyland Comet and, with a 12
yard semi on the back, started carting sand and
gravel around Swan Hill. He also carted to flour
mills in all states returning with fertilizer. In
1972 Don helped found the Long Distance Road
Transport Association with Don Watson. Over
the years Don has operated many trucks of
different types but was also very active in other
transport related business including Don Grant
Haulage and Northern Gypsum & Fertilizer in
Swan Hill. In 1990 he founded Lusty Australia
in Wagga Wagga to manufacture aluminium
trailers and tippers. Don sold out to retire but it
didnt last long. At 75 he is still driving carting
grain and fertilizer for Vin Callery Transport.
After working for a couple of local couriers Ross
purchased his own fully imported Kenworth
K125 from Kenworth Trucks at Coffs Harbour
for $25,000. He was as proud as punch and
used it to haul mineral sand from various
locations along the east coast back to the
processing plant at Kingscliff. By the 1980s,
Hardys Haulage had a mixed fleet of
convertibles, flat tops and Class eight tankers
to cover dry bulk, general and corrosive goods.
By the 1990s the company was concentrating
on long-distance dry bulk which is now 100%
of the business. In 2012 Ross operates 25 units,
all Cummins powered Kenworths, of various
models and combinations. His previous
workshop knowledge of the Kenworth chassis
has convinced Ross that regular servicing, from
day one, is the key to reliability in your fleet.
Transmission
16
Paul (Harro) HARRISON
Paul Harrison, Harro to his mates, started his
business, Paul Harrison Transport (PHT) with
his wife Margaret in 1971 with a 1964 TK
Bedford for fencing contract work. In the years
since PHT has gone on to become a well
established presence with an impeccable
reputation for service and reliability in the
Newcastle region of NSW. Over the years the
business operated out of the former fire station
in Cardiff. When Paul found there was plentiful
work and expanded his business to include an
extendable trailer to cope with new demands, it
did not however come without its problems.
Every time Paul reversed the trailer into the
yard the afternoon traffic would be held up.
Inevitably he moved to larger premises
Paul is a devotee of the Mack marque. During
his many years in business he has owned many
different types and model of Mack trucks from
B and R models to Valueliners. His undisputed
favourite is the B-model of which he has three
still working in his business. All together Paul
has over 70 pieces of registered equipment.
Paul’s trucks can be counter-weighted to push
or pull anything in all manner of overdimensional work such as moving the
Minehunter (a naval mine sweeping vessel) and
building materials and equipment for the
expansion to the Newcastle Coal Loader.
Robert (Bob) HOLLIS
Bob worked with his father carrying for a local
cannery before deciding to try his hand at
interstate haulage. He took a job with Ed
Cameron driving Kenworth Trucks on the
Melbourne to Yass shuttle and carting produce
to the Melbourne and Sydney markets until
1967. When Linfox purchased Camerons, Bob
carried on with the new company carting general
freight to Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney until
1969 when he joined Ansett Freight Express.
From 1974 Bob drove with Bolch Transport in
Dandenong delivering bulk glass. In 1988 he
worked for McKinnell and Goss and then NQX
freight for Hammonds and Jack Miller running
Melbourne to Townsville and Cairns. Bob
retired at the age of 67 and still misses driving
and the camaraderie of his mates on the road.
Keith HOUSTON
It is only to be expected that Paul would also be
keen to preserve our road transport heritage.
He has completed restoration of an AEC
Mandator and will soon finish the restoration
of a B-model Mack and an AEC Mammoth
Major - and he has a few more lined up as well.
At the age of 18 Keith
Houston took a job driving
for RJ Heslop in the Great
Western district of Victoria.
He worked there for the next
17 years. The first truck he
drove was a 1946 Chevrolet
carting 44 gallon drums of fuel
from Ballarat to outlying
areas. He later moved on to a Dodge towing a
30,000 litre fuel tanker carting from Pt
Melbourne to Ballarat. In 1976 Keith bought a
Mercedes Benz prime-mover which he used to
tow Heslop’s fuel tankers and later for Knights
of Kilmore. In 1983 he purchased a Mazda rigid
and subbied for Comet delivering parcels in the
Ballarat area for 17 years before retiring in 2000.
Kenneth HOILES
Brendan JOHNSON
Ken Hoiles has driven trucks
for 36 years. He started in
the trucking industry in 1976
driving trucks for Linfox on
local deliveries. He later
moved on to Wettenhalls and
then to Stevenson Transport
where he worked for 24 years
hauling fuel and bitumen tankers. When Cootes
Holdings acquired all shares in Stevensons in
2003 Ken went with the sale. The business
became IES and in 2012 ,Ken is still driving
there hauling Liquid Petroleum Gas tankers. For
the last five years Ken has driven the snow run
and has been caught in blizzards, broken snow
chains and hauled to safety by a snow plough.
Brendan’s father, Norm,
drove some of first trucks
in the Bourke area. In 1944,
the year Brendan was born,
Norm started his own
carrying business. Brendan
grew up with the trucks in
the family business.
Brendan and his two
brothers decided to start their own trucking
business in 1967. Within two years they were
operating the first double decker stock crate in
the region. Johnson brothers cart general freight
from Sydney and Brisbane to Darwin and
western Queensland. However, livestock cartage
remains the backbone of the business. Brendan
played an active role in formation of the
Livestock Transport Association of Queensland
Nominations for
2013 Wall of Fame
induction now open.
Contact Liz
Phone: 0889527161
Fax:
0889538940
or Email
[email protected]
Karen-Maree’ KAYE
Perth based independent
publisher Karen-Maree
Kaye started working for
the transport industry in
1987 developing the WA
Transport Magazine,
and the parking bays and
bridges book, On the
Road Trucks. She
recognised the lack of
empathy from the
public towards what she
deems as, “the most
essential industry in
Australia,” and quickly
began a mission to unite
industry in order to
present itself favourably
to the general public.
Key events Karen has
been involved in helping
initiate have been the
resurgence of truck
racing and the first West
Australian Truck and
Trailer Show.
Ian LATHAM
By the time he was 17 Ian Latham was driving
for relatives moving furniture and delivering milk
to Phillip Island, Wonthaggi and Yawl. Ian’s next
big step was to buy a Ford F600 and cart general
to Sydney and Adelaide. He worked for
Fleetways car transporters servicing contracts
for GMH, CKD Bedford Crates, Chrysler,
Ford and BMC/Austin. From there he went to
McCoullough Bros in Wagga Wagga who
introduced the first eight car carrier to Australia.
Ian had the honour of driving it. Ian then bought
his own truck and subcontracted to Gray Bros,
Greenways Refrigerated Freight, Cootes
Transport, Debco, Gunn Freight and Dysons
Timber. Today, Ian Latham is enjoying his
retirement restoring old trucks and tractors and
is a well known member of the commercial
vehicle restoration fraternity.
Transmission
Victor LAURIE (Junior)
Arthur (Jack) LEECH
Growing up Victor worked ring barking, rabbit
trapping and splitting posts with his father. It
was during this time he first developed his
passion for trucks. Victor later worked for
Pollard’s Livestock Transport delivering sale
cattle throughout the Darling Downs. He
purchased a 1953 AR180 International from
Pollards and, with his father and brother, carted
livestock and hay for them as subcontactors.
After meeting his wife, Dianne they established
Laurie’s Transport operating a growing fleet of
five linehaul and regional prime movers, carting
grain, produce and general freight to the local
and southern markets. Now retired Victor takes
great pride in his restored fleet that includes a
1953 AR180 International, a C1800 392 V8
International and a 1979 K125 cab over
Kenworth he calls ‘The Bitumen Boeing.’
Arthur (Jack) Leech commenced carrying in
early 1920 servicing isolated farms and
communities in the Eyre Peninsula area of SA.
Jack started with a T-model Ford which he used
for carting wood and building supplies. He also
carted pipes for construction of the Tod River
water reticulation scheme. The depression
caused many hardships but Jack continued to
cart wheat from over the peninsula. As the
economy improved fresh fish were carried from
fishing ports along the west coast. This was in
the days before refrigeration so the fish had to
be iced and freighted overnight to Port Lincoln.
In 1939 Jack also did two trips per week to
Whyalla carting building materials for the rapidly
developing centre. By 1950 the fleet of trucks
grew to include Commers, three Diamond T 520s
and a Seddon diesel.
Victor LAURIE Snr (Dec)
John LEECH
Victor Laurie was born in 1904 and developed
an interest in all things motorised and mechanical
from a young age. He established his own
carrying business as soon as he was old enough
operating a variety of trucks servicing the small
town of Texas in Queensland. Victor’s business
carried everything including hay, wheat,
livestock and general. As his sons grew up they
also bought their own trucks and worked in the
family business. In 1965 ill health forced Victor
to retire to Toowoomba. Trucking had been
Victor’s life and through both good times and
sometimes extremely hard times he made a
significant and lifelong contribution to the
transport industry.Victor William Laurie Snr
passed away in 1973 leaving behind a loving
family including several sons and grandsons who
have followed him into the transport industry.
Clarrie LAWLOR
Clarrie operates his business, C & R Lawlor, in
the Scone area of New South Wales. He has
been an owner driver since 1967 when he
purchased a D model cabover Ford to cart
livestock. Not completely happy with what was
available Clarrie built his own stockcrates. Over
the years he has had a lot of support from Barry
Day who owned the welding fabrication business
in Scone. Clarrie today operates a CHR Fleet
Liner Mack and his core business is still livestock and grain cartage in the Scone area. He is
dedicated to regular maintenance and keeping
his Mack in immaculate condition often saying
“All you need to clean a truck is a bucket and a
chamois”. Clarrie has no intentions of retiring
as he wouldn’t know what to do with himself
as he appreciates the mateships of the road.
John Leech started driving
for his father at an early age.
His father, Arthur (Jack)
Leech had been a well
known transport operator
on the Eyre Peninsula since
the early 1920s. John took
on the role of managing
director in the mid 1950s
and the name changed to
Eyre Peninsula Freighters. In 1959 John
pioneered sheep transport from Port Lincoln
across the Nullarbor. He later introduced Lincoln
Clippers, a fleet of buses that covered all areas
around the Todd and Flinders Highways and
started a mobile crane service and an overnight
express freight service from Adelaide. John
retired in 1979 after Adelaide Steamship
purchased his company.
Jefferey LOWE
Jeffery learnt to drive as soon as his legs could
reach the pedals working for his father who
contracted in the sapphire mines in Inverell. By
the time he was 21 Jefferey was carting grain
and general freight interstate for various
employers. He then purchased a Ford LNT 9000
and became an owner driver. Jeff and his wife
Sue established their business J&S Lowe
operating three trucks and five trailers carting
grain, gravel, water and general freight state wide
specialising in the road construction and bitumen
industries. Jeffery is also licensed to harvest,
sell and transport grass trees. In 2008 he sold
his three trucks and replaced them with an
FH12 Volvo with a quick release body. One of
the things Jeffery treasures about the industry
is the many lifelong friends he has made during
his trucking life.
17
William MacMILLAN
In the 1960s William,
known as Billy Mac to
his mates, went to
Victoria River Downs
Station (VRD) in the
NT to work as a
stockman. He was a
great horseman and
was soon promoted to
head stock-man at
Moolooloo.
George Lewis was the
manager of VRD and
all Hooker’s pastoral
properties in the NT
and east Kimberley. In
1969 cattle transporter
Noel Buntine told
George Lewis that he
had to buy a new
Mack R600 truck with
three trailers to do all
the stations internal
work instead of tying
up a Buntine roadtrain
for a month at a time.
Buntine always said that good roadtrain drivers,
who were also good at managing cattle, were
rare. The logical conclusion was that Buntine
would teach one Lewis’ stockmen to drive the
roadtrain. He chose Billy Mac who then spent
the rest of the cattle season off-siding with
various Buntine drivers learning how to handle
a truck. He already knew how to handle cattle.
In 1970 a shiny new red and white R600 Mack
and three Haulmark trailers drove into Buntine
Roadway’s Katherine depot following a long
journey from the Mack dealership in Rocklea.
George Lewis named the Mack ‘Cattle King’
after Sir Sidney Kidman who owned a string of
cattle properties across Australia including VRD
prior to World War Two. Billy Mac was given
the job of driving ‘Cattle King’. He drove the
truck throughout the 1970s and worked with
Buntine Roadways well into the 1980s
becoming part of the Buntine legend along the
way. Billy Mac was there at the foundation of
Roadtrains of Australia (RTA) and is still
working there in 2012 having witnessed the
famous Australian company change hands over
the years to Dicky David, then Jim Cooper AO
and currently Hampton Cattle Transport.
Barry (Baz) McLAUCHLAN
Barry is known as “Good
Fella” because he will
lend a hand to any-one in
need. For the 55 years he
has been in the industry
he is always bringing
home other drivers for a
feed, shower and sleep.
His first truck was a
Morris Commercial
which he drove for Super
Transport. He later carted
blue metal for the Sydney
Airport runway. While
with Copper City Tspt
he got stuck in the Gillart
River in his C Line Inter
with a load of 44’s. Smiler
Nylon came along in his
big Mack and pulled him
out. It is that type of
mateship Barry says
makes the industry what
it is. Today Barry runs a
fleet of Kenworths and
Hinos out of Brisbane.
Transmission
18
Alan MADILL (Dec)
In 1956, at age 18, Alan took job driving for
Wridgway Bros in Auburn for a few months
before purchasing a Bedford van to work as a
sub-contractor. By 1963 Alan was driving a
Leyland on interstate which he did right until
1975 when he decided to leave Wridgways and
form his own business, Rainbow Furniture
Transport. Alan’s three sons all worked with
Alan as they left school. Alan’s sister and mother
looked after administration. In 1995 the family
decided to sell the business. The call of the road
was too strong and Alan soon purchased another
semi to subcontract for Furniture Freighters
(Australia). Alan’s health began to fail and he
retired. He passed away in 2006 and is
remembered as a man who gave his all to the job
at hand and the trucking industry in general.
Dale (Pockets) MADILL
Wayne MADILL
Lloyd MAWSON
Known to his mates on the
road as ‘Waynebow’,
Wayne has always had a
love for trucks. When he left
school he was soon put to
work in his fathers business
doing weekly trips running
from Melbourne to Brisbane
in an Acco. In 1986 the
Acco was replaced with a custom built Mack
which in turn was traded on a Kenworth. When
the family business was sold Wayne
subcontracted for Furniture Freighters before
joining his two younger brothers at K & R
Cooper Distribution in Brisbane carting general
freight to Cairns. Wayne sold his Kenworth and
became a company driver for K & R Cooper.
Today he drives a B-Double in a Mack primemover on the Bruce Highway Brisbane to Cairns.
Lloyd’s grandfather started
the family business in the
1920s and Lloyd became
involved in the 1950s. His
job was to manage cartage
contractors in the quarry.
Lloyd is also very involved
tracing the Mawson history
including the change from
the horse and dray to the first Mawson truck, a
1927 Chev, to the Kenworths and Macks of
this era as well as the development of concrete
transit mixers from 1960 models to todays eight
wheelers. Lloyd developed a roll-on, roll-off
system for Mawson’s trucks which enabled
them to be used for both delivery of concrete
and quarry product. Today Lloyd manages the
civil construction business in Shepparton.
Bernie MAWSON
Barrie MERRETT
Known as ‘Pockets’, Dale was always keen to
work in the family transport business of
Rainbow Furniture Removals. He left school at
the age of 15 to work alongside his father. When
he turned 19 Dale purchased a small van to look
after the local deliveries. Dale’s favourite truck
of this era was a 1418 Mercedes Benz painted
up in Rainbow’s colourful livery. In 1990 Dale
transferred to the Brisbane branch of Rainbow
Transport until the business was sold. He then
worked for Furniture Freighters Australia on
the run from Melbourne to Brisbane and return
for many years. When Dale decided he had
enough of the long hauls he took a job at K & R
Cooper in Brisbane carting general freight
locally. He now works in the office preparing
quotes and managing freight distribution of
which he has much experience and enjoys.
Gleaming Mawson gold and maroon concrete
and quarry delivery trucks have been growing
in number since 1927 and Bernie Mawson has
been an integral part of that growth since 1945.
Bernie started work as a truck driver in a Blitz
and later in a Mapleleaf carting gravel and sands
for the growing post war road network in the
Cohuna, Boort and Kerang districts. Materials
at this time were sourced from quarries at Mt.
Hope and Pyramid Hill. Bernie had to load at
the quarries using hand shovels and cable loaders
mounted on Fordson tractors. Over the years
Bernie progressed from truck driver to company
director to skilled mentor always having a keen
interest in the Mawson trucking fleet. Today
Bernie can still be seen inspecting tyres, checking
air filters and listening to any tell tale noises of
problems that may need attention
Scott MADILL
Ken MAWSON OAM
Rainbow Furniture Transport
had been set up by Scott’s
father in 1975. When Scott
turned 19 he bought an
International T-Line primemover and hauled the
Melbourne to Brisbane run
for his father. Following the
sale of the business in 1995
Scott worked as an interstate driver for
Furniture Freighters Australia (now FFA
Logistics). In 1996 he purchased a Kenworth
and worked for Refrigerated Road Ways. Scott
took a break from trucking for a couple of years
before joining K & R Cooper in Brisbane doing
local general freight. His brothers, Wayne and
Dale, both work for the same company.
Ken Mawson OAM joined the Mawson
business in 1946 just after completing his
Bachelor of Commerce degree. At the time
Mawsons were operating 20 trucks carting
general along the Murray Valley. Over the next
fifty years Ken’s experience and expertise
expanded the business to include bridge building,
quarrying, concrete and civil engineering. Ken’s
duties were in management and accounting. He
communicated the vision for the company and
had a very strong influence on the development
of the company’s family based values. As
Chairman, Ken ensured that the business grew
according to a strict structure of control. Today
the company is across thirty sites from Broken
Hill to Wangaratta. Ken retired in 2007 and sold
his 50% interest to Adelaide Brighton Limited.
Barrie’s first truck was a
Ford F600 which he used to
cart bricks for TV repeater
stations in the Nhill area. All
loading and unloading was
done by hand. He then had a
1964 petrol Dodge V8
carting for Express Freight.
Barrie carted the first load
of railway irons from
Castlemaine to Port Hedland and did numerous
loads across the ‘paddock’ (the Nullarbor) and
along the ‘goat track’ (Hume Highway). Barrie
moved to Alice Springs in 1994 to drive
roadtrains for McBride Transport on the Alice
to Darwin run. He later relocated back to Nhil
to start Merrett Freightlines with wife Lynne.
Merrett Freightlines currently operates five
prime movers on local poultry and grain work.
Mathew MERRETT
As a toddler Matt would
often travel with his father
in the truck. He told his
mother he couldn’t possibly
go to kindergarten as what
would dad do without him.
As he got older Matt worked
in his father’s truck yard
after school operating the forklift and loading
and unloading the trucks. As soon as he turned
16 he left school and started his driving his
father’s Ford LTL complete with “Driver Under
Instruction” plates. Matt moved to Alice and
did local deliveries for Northline. When Matt
went back to Nhill he ran interstate hauling
fertiliser in a Western Star. Matt’s father started
Merrett Freightlines soon after and today Matt
works in the family business which operates
five trucks, three tippers and several trailers
carting live poultry, general, grain and fertiliser.
Transmission
Percival MERRETT (Dec)
Garry (Spud) MURPHY
Today, many road transport
hauliers use Nhill as their
‘change-over’ point. PA’s
brother George was there in
1912 working a bullock team
carting wool from Nhill to
Portland. PA worked with
George for a number of years
before he decided to acquire
his own horse team which he used to cart hay.
PA traded the
horses on a TModel Ford.
He carted fire
wood to local
flour mills and
bakeries and
wheat for local
farmers. PA also had a 1935 Ford he nick named
‘The Flipper’. The wheat was hand loaded into
bags, handloaded onto the truck and then
unloaded by hand at the other end. In later years
PA went into buying and selling scrap metal and
mallee roots in Melbourne so he could backload
his trucks. All PA’s sons still work in the road
transport industry in their own trucks.
Garry started his life-long driving career at 18
years of age driving for Claude Robbins carting
bottles for the Manufacturing Bottling
Company. In 1969 Garry bought an AEC
Mandator to cart grain from the Moree area
before deciding to move back to Warwick. He
has lived there ever since. After the AEC came
many different Macks including B, F and R
models before he switched his allegiance to
Kenworth before investing in a Mack Superliner.
Over the years Garry has carted everything
from general to grain, hay, timber, cotton,
produce and machinery. At one stage he drove
roadtrains to Darwin for Keith Smith. Garry
has worked for many iconic companies such as
Bells, Lindsay, Theiss, Brambles and Hoepner’s
Like most truckies of his era Garry has fond
memories of the early days including his fellow
truckies, trailers,side curtains and cap tarps.
Geoffrey MILLARD
Norman NAPIER (Dec)
Geoffrey Millard started driving interstate in
1972 with Terry Good Transport at West
Wyalong. In later years he also drove for Millers
Transport, Bennett, Days and Hayllars.
Geoffrey traded his car for an AC180 petrol
powered International truck later upgrading to
an F86 Volvo prime-mover to cart wool from
Moses’ wool store in Ardlethan to Melbourne.
As finances improved he traded the Volvo for a
Scania 111 later purchasing a Mack Superliner
to haul refrigerated produce and machinery all
over the eastern seaboard. It was time to go
back on wages. For the next few years Geoffrey
drove for Pattens in Leeton and K&S Freighters
before joining FLT Transport and Pattersons.
Geoffrey now drives around 6000 klms a week
in a Freightliner for Kee Force.
Vincent MONOHAN
Vincent (Vinny) has spent over 45 years in the
trucking industry despite having started his
working life as a pastry cook. By the time he
was 18 Vinny was working for Eldridge Brothers
in Colac driving an International R190 carting
livestock. After Vinny married Jeanette they
moved to Camperdown and a new job driving
for Mercury Meats. In early 1980 he began
working for Scotts Transport, Mount Gambier.
It was a job that lasted for almost 30 years. At
Scotts, Vinny worked all over Australia driving
semis and B-Doubles with general, carbon gas
and fuel. Vinny was one of the first drivers to
haul uranium ore from Roxby Downs to the
Adelaide wharf. Today, trucking is still very
much a family affair with Vinny working for
Sargeants Transport alongside his son David
running daily to Melbourne.
There are few places in Australia that conjure
up images of isolation and dry dusty inland
deserts as Meekatharra, 764 kilometres north
of Perth. Norman grew up on Balfour Downs
cattle station another 600 kilometres north east
of Meekatharra. It was in this harsh and
unforgiving landscape, in 1952, that 14 year old
Norman began driving trucks for his father who
owned several. He got his licence after the local
policeman caught him driving down the main
street to seek aid for the man he was offsiding
to who had taken ill.
After several years of odd jobs and driving
trucks for other people Norman purchased a
petrol powered Thames Trader and carted
livestock for Treasure Transport. This was an
era when mining in the north of Western
Australia was taking off in a big way and new
opportunities, particularly for carriers, were
plentiful. Norman decided that he would change
his operation to hauling general freight and went
sub-contracting to McShane Transport. The
conditions were better but it was still tough
going - battling the bulldust or being stranded in
floods for weeks at a time.
Norman’s work included Perth to Wyndam for
the meat works and occasionally a trip through
the Tanami Desert. In 1973 Norman changed to
driving interstate and was highly respected. For
many years he continued working interstate for
companies such as Jayde Transport and Starlee
Transport (Perth) and carting to Brisbane for
Perth Freightlines. You had to be very selfsufficient on those long and lonely trips in
Norman’s early days of driving. The isolation
meant mateship with fellow truckies was
essential to your survival if you broke down.
Sometimes you didn’t see any-one for days.
Norman was a proud Scania Man and owned a
total of 13 of them during his working life.
Despite all the challenges that truck driving
threw at Norman, he had no regrets. He passed
away a happy man in 2006 and well deserves
his place on the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame.
19
Edward NORLEY (Dec)
Edward Norley initially drove for Edwardstown
Bus Service before doing active service during
World War Two. On his return Edward
purchased a 1943 Ford tray truck and a 1942
Chevrolet and started his own carrying
business. He set up a depot in Kurralta Park
securing a contract with Super Elliot Cycles.
Before long one of his trucks was painted up in
Elliot’s smart livery. Edward joined Thomas
Nationwide Transport in 1954 and remained
with them for 23 years until he retired in 1977.
Edward never hesitated to help anyone who
needed a hand. At one stage various carrier stands
could set up in the Adelaide CBD to tout for
business. Local business houses and the general
public could arrange quotes and transportation
of goods on the spot in a market like
environment. Edward was there one day
representing the Ken Thomas organisation when
a young man approached to arrange transport
from the city to a nearby suburb. The man was
down and out but willingly helped load the
truck. Edward promptly delivered the young
man, his family and furniture to their destination.
The cost was to be thirty bob. As the client
went to pay, Edward noted it was all the money
his client had. Edward Norling refused to accept
payment and told the grateful young man not to
worry about it and that maybe the favour could
be returned one day.
Two years later Edward Norling responded to a
press notice. The Shell Company of Australia
were calling for quotes for the carriage of 44
gallon drums from their Birkenhead depot. On
TNT’s behalf Edward Norling dutifully lined
up behind several other applicants, and in turn
entered for the interview. He was surprised to
be immediately asked to sign a document
without any discussion or debate. He was told
the job was his. The door to an adjoining office
opened and the manager walked out, looked at
Edward and said, “I owe you thirty bob.”
Doug O’Brien
Douglas was 17 years old when he started
carting logs in a six cylinder International R160
for John Coombes in Victoria’s high country.
He next worked out of Jamieson for Zeth
Trentfield. Douglas moved to Townsville where
worked on construction of the new Greenvale
township. Later he drove roadtrains interstate
in a Flintstone Mack. Eventually Doug decided
to go it on his own and purchased a 1418
Mercedes Benz to cart livestock from Victoria
to New South Wales. He later returned to
interstate driving in a Mack 320 which became
his favourite truck of all time. Doug ran
roadtrains into Darwin after Cyclone Tracy and
shell fuel out of Whyalla for Cairns and
Townsville. Doug has since purchased another
320 Mack F model and has returned to being an
owner -driver pulling tippers and tankers.
Transmission
20
Tim PASSMORE
In 1973 Tim Passmore was working as a
bricklayer in Wagga. He’d travelled to a job to
find the bricks had not been delivered. Tim asked
his neighbour to deliver them to Hay and the
neighbour threw him the keys to his old
International. Later that year Tim purchased
his own D1950 International and started
delivering Viscount caravans around the country.
Tim went on to cart for Mountain Maid
Cannery until it closed and later carted Arnolds
cars and Chep pallets. In 2007 Tim’s sons
entered the business purchasing a fleet of
Internationals to transport from the mineral sand
mines on North Stradbroke Island. They also
expanded into quarry work and bitumen cartage.
Tim has personally experienced the good and
the bad times of the trucking industry over the
years yet remains a keen advocate it.
Kingsley PEACH
Kingsley started driving
trucks when he was just
16 years old carting wool
in a KS5 International.
He also carted superphosphate from the
Hawkesdale railhead and
groceries and beer from
Hamilton to Macarthur.
Kingsley has a long
history in transport.
Kingsley’s great grandfather carted supplies and
passengers in a wagon to and from Port Fairy in
the late 1800s and his grandfather purchased
their first truck in 1924. It was a Fiat with solid
rubber tyres. Twenty years later Kingsley’s
father, Jack Peach, entered the business followed
by Kingsley who went on to work in Peach’s
Transport, in various roles, for over 50 years.
In 1989, following the death of his father,
Kingsley took over the business. His son Peter
was also actively involved in the business.
Over the years Peach’s operated a varied fleet
including Bedford, International, Commer, Ford,
Atkinson and Mack. Peaches started carrying
livestock with one semi and a tray truck and
built the business up from there. Kingsley
worked carrying from farms to the salesyards
and from there to the various meatworks in the
area. He also carted wool for a local wool buyer
via Mt. Gambier to Melbourne to escape
oppressive intra-state trade legislation “but went
direct when the TRB weren’t watching.”
Peach’s Transport went on to become one of
the largest fleets in Western Victoria. The fleet
by then was primarily made up of Kenworths
and Western Stars. Kingsley sold out in 2004
and now spends his time working his cattle
property with son Peter. Kingsley looks back
on his trucking years fondly saying the best
thing was the mateship of the people he met
including his staff, agents and clientele.
Ron PATTEL
Kevin (Kev) PITCHER
Ron’s grandfather worked for
Cobb and Co and his father on
horse teams before moving into
motor transport in Townsville
in the 1930s. Ron was just 18
when he purchased a Ford
F600 in 1964. He has been selfemployed ever since. Ron
eventually upgraded to a TS3 Commer Knocker.
Two more Commer Knockers and an ACCO
followed. Ron and his wife moved to Collinsville
(Qld) to transport coal to the new Collinsville
power station. They called the business Pattel’s
Collinsville Transport. Shortly after Ron
branched into livestock transport starting with
a 1418 Benz. The fleet today includes tippers,
tankersand low loaders. Ron is also an executive
member of the Livestock Transporters
Association of Queensland.
Kevin’s first job was driving
milk trucks in Mt Compass
when he was 16. In 1957 he
purchased a side-valve V8
Ford tipper followed by a
Thames Trader to work on
the levee banks in Murray
Bridge after the 1956 flood.
In 1966 he purchased a B61
Mack and triple deck stockcrate and carted for
Charles David Abattoirs. He also transported
sheep from Armidale NSW to Albany WA on
one of the longest stock hauls in the country.
Kevin did his first run to Darwin just two days
after Cyclone Tracy ravaged the city. Kev did
that run for many years before purchasing a
concrete agitator in Alice Springs servicing
remote communities. Kev has returned to
Murray Bridge and drives casual for Bruce Scott.
Murray PEAL
William (Bunny) PRESTON
Murray’s first driving job was in an AEC
Mandator water tanker in Mt. Tom Price. After
relieving an injured driver at Sweeney Transport
on a trip from Mt Tom Price to Perth in a
Leyland Hippo Murray decided trucking was
for him. In the following years he drove for
Green McCandlish, Charles Coulsen and Eagles
& Brahm’s. After returning from a working
holiday in the UK Murray became manager for
McPhans Transport until Jetspress took them
over. For the next 14 years he operated his own
business transporting general, produce,
refrigerated goods, express and over-dimensional
loads all over Australia. In the 1990s he worked
in truck sales and cement haulage before setting
up business again with Mack and Volvo tippers.
Today he works in Distribution for GMH.
Bruce (Pissy) PEPPERILL
Bruce was born in Central
Australia and spent his early
childhood working in the
Wolfram mines at Hatches
Creek with his stepfather. He
later attended school in Alice
Springs before becoming a
truck driver working at
various times for some of the
Territory’s early transport operators such as
Ted Smith and Dave Baldock. However, it was
his years with Buntine Roadways carting
livestock throughout the outback that he became
most known for. Bruce suffered a massive heart
attack in 1991 while working on a road gang for
Spraypave. He is buried in Alice Springs.
Bunny’s father was an oil
company representative and
the family often transferred
around NSW. Bunny left
school and joined the Bank of
NSW in Armidale before
enlisting in 1941 as a RAAF
pilot. After the war Bunny
flew with Guinea Airways before taking a job
with Antill Ranger in the 1950s. He drove a left
hand drive Mack and tipper with Peter Antill
hauling pipes from Danks in Melbourne. He
later worked for John Drings travelling all over
the country. Bunny then took over the
Government road services to the Fleurieau
Peninsula and went on to establish Interstate
General Haulage and Road Tanker Fleet which
merged with Mayne Nickless. After working in
the USA Bunny retired in Australia in 1988.
Ian (Pricey) PRICE
Ian’s father Cliff was a general
carrier and later operated a remote
roadhouse in the Territory. Ian was just 17 when
his father put him in a Leyland Beaver and sent
him from Adelaide to Darwin across the Old
South Road (now Stuart Highway). The run
stretched 3,500 kilometres and in those days it
was known as one of the most arduous trucking
hauls in Australia. Ian went on to become a
renowned roadtrain operator. Over the years he
drove for Peter Sherwin carting cattle and Ascot
Haulage on interstate linehaul before doing a six
year stint with Co-ord Transport. Ian then joined
NT Fuels, the Shell distributor in Central
Australia, doing the notorious Tanami run across
the desert and all throughout Central Australia
in multi-trailer combinations. He did this for
over twenty years. Known as a character Ian is
also regarded as a professional and safe driver
and master roadtrain operator in the Outback.
Transmission
Jaci PRIDEAUX
Jaci grew up in the Mt Gambier among the vast
pine plantations and was driving trucks before
she had a driver’s licence. When she moved to
Victoria she helped her husband deliver building
materials to new housing estates before buying
a truck to deliver gas to the Wimmera. Jaci got
her heavy rigid and dangerous goods licences.
While her children were young she wrote
articles for a caravan magazine highlighting how
to share the roads safely with heavy vehicles.
After her children had grown up Jaci got her BDouble licence and joined her husband driving
‘two-up’ for Wettenhalls Interstate. Her work
ethic and professionalism on the road ensured
she soon gained the respect and admiration of
her male counterparts. Jaci loves driving trucks
and says she has diesel in her veins. Her latest
adventure is driving a roadtrain throughout
regional NSW carrying cotton bales.
Ray PRIDEAUX (Dec)
Ray grew near Shepparton, Victoria. When he
left school he worked in the Grocery Warehouse
of Frederick Blight & Co in Melbourne driving
their ‘Ruggles’ delivery truck. This was in the
days when every bag was loaded and unloaded
by hand. As he became more experienced Ray
was promoted to drive the ‘big truck’ and began
delivering to Geelong and Ballarat in a Morris
Commercial. At the time it was an all day trip
that involved crossing the Yarra river on the
Williamstown Ferry and returning home in the
dark by the dim glow of the kerosine headlamps.
Often the freight included barrels of beer and
these would have to be parbuckled, by hand,
into the hotel cellar. Ray Prideaux passed away
in 1976 at the age of 68.
Robert (Bob) PRIDEAUX
Robert grew up on a farm in Victoria learning to
drive all sorts of vehicles. His first cartage job
was driving a Nuffield tractor with a 30ft farm
trailer, loaded with wool bales, to the railhead at
Macorna. Robert then worked for Reed Paper
Products in Melbourne and convinced the
contract carrier, George Bolden, to give him a go
driving trucks. It was the beginning of more than
40 years in the transport industry. Over the
following years Bob drove for Fleetways carrying Holden parts and Grendas Bus Service in
Dandenong before going to Heatane Gas where
he became foreman. Later he and his wife, Jaci,
bought an LPG tanker and contract, to deliver
LPG in the Wimmera area. When they sold that
business Robert drove B-Doubles for Molloy
Brothers and later, livestock for Prendergast.
Robert is retired from the road now but enjoys
passing on his knowledge as a driver trainer.
21
Stephen RADFORD OAM
You can read the
full stories of all
our Shell Rimula
Wall of Fame
inductees from
2000 to 2012 on
our website
From the age of five years Steve Radford, known
as Bean Bag, spent all his spare time observing
his father’s earthmoving business. His father’s
plant included CAT 922 loaders and KB5
Internationals, AS160 Internationals, AB180
Inters, Bedford Tippers, Leyland Beaver and
Hippo tip trucks. Steve also spent much of his
time with his father’s employees, either in the
trucks going somewhere, in the left hand seat of
a Blitz crane giving a hand or learning how to
load trucks and trailers. He soon had a good
understanding of earthmoving and transport,
crane operation, rigging loads, loading and
unloading and how to drive and position trucks.
At 14, he was sick of school and left to work
for his father at the South Mine.
At this time he was nicknamed “Bean Bag”
which has stuck with him all his life. He left his
dad and started his own business at the age of
16. Steve’s first truck was a single drive Leyland
Beaver. It was the pride of his fleet (she was the
only truck in his fleet). He called her ‘Leyland
Lil’ and she was a low loader that used to pull a
D4 dozer around Cameron’s Corner and into
the Cooper Basin region. Steve went back to
work for his dad at the age of 18 where he drove
Acco 8 wheel tip trucks and 3070 Acco semi
tippers. Steve then got his truck licence in a
1966 Seattle Kenworth, powered with a V8
Jimmy (GM) and a 4x4 Spicer box. It was an art
to drive that old girl, something he really loved.
In 1981 Steve drove a brand new W-model
Kenworth hauling livestock from southwest
Queensland, Cameron’s Corner, Cooper Basin,
into central and southern parts of Australia
before returning to manage his father’s business
for 25 years. A highlight of Steve’s career was
moving Raise Drill Rigs for Western Mining.
This entailed loading and moving some 650
tonnes on about fifty semi trailers in a special
sequence: first truck loaded was the last truck
unloaded. Sometimes he shifted these rigs from
Kalgoorlie to Mt Isa.
Steve worked with the RTA to open up access
for roadtrains between Buronga and Curlwaa,
NSW and was part of the initial triple roadtrain
trials between Wentworth and Buronga, NSW.
His company was the first to legally operate
AB triples in NSW under the IAP system. Steve
continues to work with the RTA and is currently
conducting trials to run BAB quad roadtrains in
far west New South Wales.
Steve’s major companies, Consolidated Mining
and Civil and Basin Sands Logistics employ 375
people operating 525 items of plant and
equipment. Thats a long way since Leyland Lil!
Don & Margaret RAGGATT
Don and Margaret
Raggatt recently
retired after 40
years in the
industry. Their
first truck was an
Austin used to cart
road base on
remote area road
construction sites.
While Don drove
Margaret worked
as bookkeeper,
cook and co-driver.
Over the years the
Raggatts operated several types of truck and
two Bedford buses. They remember their
greatest challenge was the time they spent on
construction of the Stuart Highway when Don
worked with the Oodnadatta gang on the section
from Coober Pedy to the Territory border.
Today, the Raggatts are enjoying retirement
travelling around the country in a caravan. They
like to chat about their old days and old mates when road conditions meant high maintenance
and hard work, but they wouldn’t change it.
Terry ROBERTSON
Whether he is behind the
wheel of his Freightliner
or one of his champion
racing cars, Terry does
it for the love of driving.
Terry has been driving
for 34 years and has
10,000,000 kilometres
behind the wheel as an owner driver. Over the
years he has owned a plastic cab Atkinson and
a series of Kenworths. Terry’s current truck is
a B-Double Freightliner he calls the Wallabadah
Express after his home town. For the past ten
years Terry has worked for NQX out of
Newcastle and Port Kembla. Before that Terry
operated roadtrains to Perth, Kalgoorlie, Leigh
Creek and Roxby Downs for twenty years.
Terry was an inaugural member of the Australian
Roadtrain Association and fought long and hard
for better access for roadtrains in NSW.
Transmission
22
Eric ROBINSON (Dec)
Eric took the wheel ‘somewhat illegally’ driving
interstate by the time he was 16. He delivered
produce to the Melbourne Markets not realising
at the time that it heralded the start of a forty
year career carting fruit and vegetables there.
The business began with one truck with Eric
loading and unloading from the rail terminal by
hand. The business soon grew to 15 employees,
including his two sons. Eric played a key role in
the relocation of the market from Footscray to
Epping having spent considerable time overseas
researching the logistics of the shift. Eric is a
man who is remembered for being generous with
his skills, time and money. He loved his family
and was always on hand for his sons and
grandchildren. Eric Robinson lost his life at 66
years of age when he suffered a heart attack
after an accident on the Hume Highway in 2006.
liz martin’s
book $30.00
This is Liz’s
story - all about
growing up in the
Outback. It is a
journey through
the Territory of
the 1950s, 60s
and 70s that will
take you deep into
her experiences
in the buffalo and
truck industries,
the eye of Cyclone Tracy, some illegal
barramundi fishing, the snap of a
crocodiles jaw and the making of the
iconic National Road Transport Hall of
Fame. Liz is a natural story teller and
her sense of humour and personality
shows through in her writings.
Please add $12.50 Postage& Handling
Peter SCOTT
At 18 Peter got his first job driving for Hanley
Bros and soon after for Eastoe’s Refrigerated
Transport. Peter worked for many companies
over the years including Wettenhall Cartage Co
where he travelled Melbourne to Sydney and
later for Ansett and Kwikasair before driving
tankers. He went on to cart Courage Brewery
products and from there to John Rae Express
driving Melbourne - Brisbane return two trips
per week. Peter also travelled to Townsville and
Cairns carrying rocket freight before going to
Perth carrying Tetley Tea in 1974 when the
railway track washed out. Peter decided to have
a go on his own and bought an International
R190 and did a few West Wyalong changeovers
before buying his first tipper, a Diamond T
L966 that he worked through the Plant Hires.
Today Peter operates six Kenworths and carts
for Burdett Sand and Soil and for Holcim.
Frank SAULLE
Jill SCOTT
John SHEPPARD
Frank operates his transport company, F&J
SAULLE PTY LTD, out of Bruthen Victoria
with his wife Janet and son Jeremy. He also
has three trucks based in Sydney in a depot he
shares with his other son Damien who operates
Gippsland Direct. Both companies work in
conjunction with each other hauling freight
interstate and intrastate carrying general and
timber. Frank bought his first truck 35 years
and often brags about the Fiat truck he had with
a 17 litre motor and how economical it was.
Internationals have always been his thing and
he still runs two old S-lines. Frank has no real
loyalty to any specific truck these days. His
fleet consists of Sterling, Iveco, Isuzu and
Kenworth. Frank is devoted to his family and
staff and to his customers, many of whom have
been his clients for twenty years and over.
Jill Scott arrived in Alice Springs in 1969 to
work as a nurse. Soon after she formed a tourist
company with Di Byrnes called Western Road
Lodges which operated Glen Helen Lodge, the
Red Sands and Inland at Ayers Rock and the
Pines Homestead. Jill obtained her heavy rigid
and omni-bus licences and secured several
contracts including meeting the Ghan Train and
TAA flights, the Dunmarra mail run and the
contract to take tours to Ayers Rock for
SAATAS. The company had five and seven ton
Bedfords, Internationals, Toyota Coasters,
Izuzus, Pantecs and pickups. To Jill, they were
all favourites as long as they arrived on time
with the supplies. Jill Scott’s 23 year
contribution to the development of Northern
Territory tourism and the trials and tribulations
she faced during those years is remarkable.
John was 19 when he got a job with Dalgety
Lime Works hauling lime from the pit to the rail
siding at Warrnambool in a TK Bedford. His
next job was with Doug Murray carting bulk
fertilizer from Portland. He then spent 13 years
working with Merri Transport carting cheese.
In 1985 John bought his own truck, a 1980
S-Line International. He kept the truck for nine
years and did 2.5 million klms carting mainly
produce for HE Heather & Co all over Australia.
In 1994 John and his wife Lyn purchased an
established courier franchise in Geelong and
opened a new franchise in Warrnambool soon
after. Lyn managed the Geelong business and
John drove their linehaul truck to Melbourne
each night. After selling out John bought an
Aerodyne. Today Sheppards have a depot in
Melbourne with 16 trucks on a variety of work.
Alan SAVAGE
Ken SCOTT
Alan Savage commenced his long driving career
in 1954 just before taking a job with Robinsons
Transport in Kyabram. His first job was
delivering butter all around the country in an
R190 International. After an initial brief stint
working at Murray Goulburn Co-operative he
moved to Surfers Paradise but returned a few
years later and started working for the Murray
Goulburn Co-operative again. He remained there
for the next 37 years driving every conceivable
make and model of truck owned by the company
transporting milk all over northern Victoria. Alan
is well known and respected by communities
all over rural Victoria. He begrudgingly retired
in 2009 at the age of 75. He lives with wife
Teena in Rochester with their two dogs and “the
biggest collection of water tanks” in Victoria.
Ken Scott started as an
offsider with FJ Cawte at
Murray Bridge when he was
just 17 years old delivering
local freight in a lendlease
Chev and later a Maple Leaf.
In 1969 Ken undertook his
first long distance trip from
Adelaide to Darwin with Kennelly Transport.
He went on to spend many years hauling
throughout the Territory and the West for several
iconic companies including Hi-Trans, John
Collins, Wilson Transport and Ansett
Trailway’s express run from Alice Springs.
Today, Ken is employed by Australian Portable
Camps (APC) relocating portable camps and
general freight into Western Australia, the
Northern Territory and northern Queensland.
Sherrill Ives
[email protected]
sticker
station
Custom made stickers for
your car, ute, caravan or truck
Transmission
Janelle SMITH
In 1983 Janelle and her husband purchased a
trucking business from Peter Royter. Within five
years Janelle obtained her HC licence, gave birth
to her son and had her marriage collapse. She
was already known as a professional operator
and was offered a position with Jim Pearson
Transport carting woodchips to Newcastle and
bringing bricks back. She was soon doing four
round trips weekly from Port Macquarie to
Sydney and was often called upon to help run
the Sydney depot when staff went on holidays.
Over the years Janelle has also worked for Dave
Robson, Robbie Baker and Mick Calleja all the
while raising her son with the assistance of her
parents. Today Janelle operates a B-Double
from Port MacQuarrie to Grafton four nights a
week and to Brisbane every Thursday. She is a
great ambassador for what women can achieve.
William (Clive) STEWART
Ken THOMAS (Dec)
Clive initially worked for his
father in 1964 and since then
has clocked up over 50 years
in the industry. Clive’s first
and favourite truck was a
Cummins powered R184
International which he used to
subcontract to Mayne
Nickless and Brambles
carrying general freight from Brisbane to
Melbourne. Clive also carted timber for Hansons
out of Cann River and logs for the Eden chip
mill. The challenges Clive met, as an owner
driver, were similar to those facing the truckies
of today such as trying to get the right price for
doing the job. Clive is semi-retired and keeps
himself active within the local community with
farm maintenance and helping his truckie mates.
William SMITH
William (Bill) STOCKS
By the time he was 14 Bill was working as a
jockey for Vincent Ricco, a subbie for K L
McKenzie of Footscray. He ended up hauling
interstate with them for the next five years.
During this period he carted Olympic cable
drums for the Snowy Mountain scheme, Victa
lawn mowers, foam blocks and furniture. In 1975
Bill purchased a White 9000 and carted timber,
pipes to Moomba and grain from Western
Australia during the drought. Bill then drove
for Len Woods, Ricky Cobby and Express Fish.
Bill moved to Shepparton in 1991 and drove for
Freds, Brisbane to Sydney carting alcohol and
for Boggans carting rolls of paper, cardboard
and Coca-Cola. After a stint with RITS Bill
returned to work for Freds for a couple of years.
Today Bill works for Hicks Transport in
Cobram carting general freight.
Bill purchased an old Commer tipper when he
was 20 followed by an International R190. He
drove from Melbourne to Perth across the
paddock (the Nullarbor) for Madgewick
Transport. It was not unusual for Bill to be
gone for months at a time. Bill went on to drive
for Sartori’s Transport and Bunkers where he
drove their first new Kenworth. Bill returned
to Sartori for the next fifteen years before going
to work at Austrak in Geelong carting concrete
sleepers in his B61 Mack. Sixteen years later
Bill is still carting for Austrak with a fleet of six
trucks consisting of Kenworth K104s and Volvo
FL12s. A forklift accident nearly took his life in
2003 and Bill had to take things a little easier.
He only does an occasional trip here and there
and usually spends his days fork loading trucks.
Norman STEWART
Dennis THORBURN
Norman Stewart started driving trucks at the
age of 14 jockeying with Heards Transport of
Horsham and later with English Transport of
Dooen. Other companies he worked for include
Ted Parish, Bellinger and Vickery, Hastings,
Ryans Removals, Hienzes Transport and
Carsons. Norm travelled the east coast,
Melbourne to Adelaide and later to Perth. His
best memories of those days, especially the
early years, are of the camaraderie among drivers
who looked out for each other and were always
be willing to help when needed. As he drives
the bitumen highways of today, with the dual
carriage ways and passing lanes, Norm recalls
the corrugated, narrow, dirt roads of a time well
gone. Norm at 64 years of age in 2012, is still
working - driving and maintaining earthmoving
equipment for Miller Contractors.
23
Dennis started in the
industry driving for OD
Transport in Geraldton,
WA carting grain and super
in 1972. After that he was
transferred to Esperance to
drive a Mack carting to
areas such as Lake Grace,
Lake King and Newdegate.
Dennis then became an
owner driver hauling for many iconic companies
including Brambles, Bell Way, Kimbers,
Gasgoyne, Rand, Heavy Haul, Wesfarmers,
Doekie and Jetspress. After this Dennis built
his own Kenworth tow truck and worked as a
heavy recovery tow truck operator for Kimbers
Daynight. It was a job he loved. Dennis is
currently employed at Lampsons as foreman
supervisor in their transport division.
Ken Thomas started in the transport industry
in 1946 with the purchase of a five ton
International truck. He could have little realised
at the time that his name would go on to become
a household name the world over. Ken had
gained two university degrees in the 1930s so
had entered the industry with a wide range of
business skills. Never-the-less, it was tough in
those early years and Ken employed a driver on
his first truck while he held down another job
for two years to get the business going.
Initially Ken traded as K W Thomas but later
formed a company. In 1961, just 15 years later,
the company listed on the stock exchange as
Thomas Nationwide Transport, better known
today as TNT. The company still exists and
has services worldwide. Ken found long distance
interstate road transport to be the best option
despite the restrictions with road tax and
government permits. He believed in having
branch offices rather than agents and by 1950
had employees in Melbourne, Brisbane and
Adelaide as well as in his home base of Sydney.
Ken Thomas was an undisputed leader in
developing the interstate hauling fraternity.
Ken Thomas was instrumental in the formation
of the Long Distance Hauliers Association and
was the foundation vice-president and then the
trustee for some years. The Association led the
fight against interstate road tax and helped
finance the Hughes and Vale challenge to section
92 of the constitution which was won in the
Privy Council. Ironically Ken Thomas was the
son of an engine driver. He had a respect for rail
transport and did not regard it as the enemy
because it had an important role in the Australian
economy. Ken’s initiative and enthusiasm led,
in 1952, to the bulk loading scheme with the
railway systems. From there extensive
coordination activities, such as containerization,
piggy back and flexi-vans, made a huge difference
to the efficiency of rail transport. Australia led
the world in this field. In both forms of transport
Ken gave Australian companies door to door,
fast and frequent services. He was the first to
develop a freight note that gave all the
information needed which became the invoice;
unheard of previously but other companies
quickly followed and it is now a standard
operating procedure in all freight businesses.
Ken Thomas led the TNT organisation until
1972. He died in 1997 leaving Australia with
one of the most cost effective and efficient land
transport industries in the world.
Transmission
24
Alan (Toddy) TODD
Nick TOL
Alex (Darkie) WARNE (Dec)
Alan (Toddy) started
driving trucks when he was
just 12 years old helping his
father who grew vegetables.
When he was old enough he
drove for Tom O’Connell
carting stock to Sydney.
Negotiating the roads
around Oberon in single
drive Internationals and
Dodges with bogie axle trailers was a challenge
because of the snow, ice, mud and hills. In the
1960s Toddy purchased a Perkins powered
Commer to cart grain all around the central west
and western and northern NSW. At one stage
there were six trucks in Toddy’s fleet but today
he has only his 1992 Mack CLR Superliner and
is running from the east coast to Darwin with
three trailers swinging behind. Trucking has
changed a
lot over
the years
b u t
Toddy
wouldn’t
swap it!
In 1959 Nick purchased a red Ford V8 F600
and single axle strap trailer and worked as a
subbie for Freeman Transport hauling produce
from Victoria to the Sydney Market. The old
Ford gave him no end of trouble so he purchased
a 1960 Commer CX and carted for Hoover
products for Mercury Transport. Nick later
traded it on an International ABD182 which
threw a conrod. In 1963 Nick heard a Mainline
Transport driver describing a Peterbilt truck.
Nick was hooked and took delivery of his own
Peterbilt becoming Mainline’s first ever sub
contractor. With the demise of Mainline
Transport in 1966 Nick continued as an
independent operator for a few years before he
sold the truck to Consolidated SA. Nick went
into managing hotels for a while but now enjoys
playing lawn bowls on the Gold coast.
Darkie, a motor mechanic by trade, always
preferred driving trucks. He started in
Internationals and Dodges carting hay and farm
machinery and later livestock and hanging meat.
In 1979 he drove the first Finemore roadtrain
from Wagga Wagga to the Territory where he
ended up managing Finemores depot in Tennant
Creek before joining local firm Fadelli as a driver.
Darkie eventually moved into management roles
with Fadelli, Railex, Mayne Nickless, NTFS,
Shaw’s Darwin Transport and Frontline. Darkie
started his own business as a freight broker and
logistics consultant in 2003. He was president
of the NT Road Transport Association from
2004 to 2008. He died unexpectedly in 2010.
The truck parking bay 40kms north of the NT
border on has been named in his honour.
Ern and Bill WARD
Frank (Big Fella) WEIS
Ernie and Bill Ward began driving
trucks in 1951 carrying general freight
interstate from Sydney to Melbourne,
Brisbane and Adelaide. Ernie drove an
ex-army NR Desert Mack. It was a
very basic truck with no windows, a
canvas roof and travelled at a top speed
of 31 miles per hour. Bill began his
career soon after carting cement from Kandos to Sydney in a secondhand Commer subcontracting
to Ivory and Barton (later IPEC). By then Ernie was carting coal in the Blue Mountains driving a
Vulcan tipper truck although he eventually returned to general freight work after replacing his
tipper for a semi-trailer. By 1955 both Ernie and Bill were subbying for Barton driving Sydney to
Perth across ‘the paddock’ (the Nullarbor). The road was corrugated, dirt and the red bulldust so
deep that the trucks would often be buried in it. Much time was spent tightening every nut and
bolt as the vibrations of the corrugated roads continuously shook them loose. Damaged tyres were
also a major cost factor. Not many trucks made the crossing at that time and usually drivers would
travel in convoy so they could assist each other in times of need.
When the Trans Australian Railways started the ‘piggy-back’ system of loading semis onto
railway flat tops from Pt Augusta to Kalgoorlie the Ward Brothers were among the first to try the
scheme. Both agreed it was much easier on both the trucks and drivers. As the company grew a
depot was started at Homebush to enable servicing and loading. Freight was primarily Malleys,
Metters, Johnson and Johnson out of Sydney with tractors and farm machinery as return loading.
When the Wards sold out to TOPs Transport in 1977 there were 14 trucks and 22 trailers in the
fleet. Ernie and Bill Ward typify the legend that is the outback truckie from an era when trucks
weren’t made tough enough for the roads they had to operate on so the men had to be.
Bob WATTERSON
Francis WEBB
Bob started out driving
an old AB International
for Bollans Transport in
Dubbo carting vegetables
to the Sydney markets
before driving stock
crates for Finemores and
Thompson Bros. Bob
and his wife Edna moved
to Gunnedah in 1975 and
Bob soon got job driving
a car carrier between
Melbourne and Brisbane
for a couple of years for
Neville Foster. In 1975
Bob bought a 1418
Mercedes Benz and
started
Wattersons
Transport. A new red and white Kenworth was
next in 1977. Bob’s second new truck was his
pride and joy. It was a Fleetliner Mack powered
by a 410HP Renault motor and 18 speed
Roadranger. After 35 years on the road Bob and
Edna retired and sold their depot and trucks.
Bob’s best memories of his trucking days are of
the mateship and support of his fellow truckies.
Frank started out as a
drover and taking on odd
jobs such as driving a water
cart on road works. Franks
father purchased a new
Ford Thames Trader in
1951 and that marked the
beginning of CD Webb
Transport. Before long the
business grew to a fleet of
eight. Frank went on to spend 23 years in the
family business hauling super, wool and
livestock. When Frank’s father died Frank went
out on his own carting gravel. Two of Frank’s
fondest memories are carrying pipes for the
Cobar-Moomba pipeline in 1974 and in 1986
when he drove for Heggies Transport carting
steel from Port Kembla to Western Port.
Known to his mates as ‘Big Fella” Frank is an
owner driver operating under the name Frank
Weis Transport in Park Ridge, Brisbane. Frank
purchased a Scania in 1981 and went carting
nitropil to the mining industry in North Qld as
a subcontractor to R & H Transport where he
still works today. Frank has operated a variety
of trucks including Atkinson and Kenworth but
has a preference for Western Star. While he has
done a lot of long haul in the past, these days
Frank works mostly local on tipper or general.
Frank thinks if the industry is going to survive
we have to help young drivers to believe that
they can succeed in this industry with a bit of
dedication and hard work. Frank’s best memory
from his early days in trucking was that the
food in the old fashioned roadhouses was great.
Desmond WHITE
Des, like many young men of his era, started
driving long before he had a licence. He swapped
six longnecks of beer for a truck licence and
began driving for Barlows to Melbourne Sydney
and Adelaide. Over the next few years he worked
for Taylor Dalton and Eagle and Brahms where
he worked with John and Ron Doyle. Des did
the Perth run for five years from Sydney and
Melbourne. Each trip was 4300 kilometres to
Perth afterwhich Des would have to wind his
way up the west coast following the dirt tracks
along the rabbit proof fence to Marble Bar and
on to Mt Tom Price and Dampier. From there it
was to Exmouth to load prawns and head home.
Des went on to work for Mayne Haul before
setting up his own business in partnership with
friend John Francis. Ice Cream Distributors
(ICD) has now been operating for 32 years.
Des White is the Managing Director of ICD
Transmission
John WHITELOCK
25
Graham WILSON
Robert (Bob) WRIGHT
Over the
next few
years he
worked for
K r a f t
Foods,
Vaughans
Transport,
Bunkers
and Neils Transport. John then went to work
with Ray Higginson of Mooney Valley Bus
Lines doing tours through the Outback. John
settled in Bendigo in 1982 and with a Leyland
Albion carted stock feed for Water Wheel and
Barastoc. John still does this today with a fleet
of 15 vehicles and depots in three states.
Graham was born to the trucking industry. His
father operated five and six yard tippers in
Beaudesert (Q) from the 1950s. The deal was
that if Graham went out and shoveled gravel by
hand he could have a drive. By the time he was
18 Graham had his own KB55 International
that he worked after he’d finished his other job
at the Court House. In 1963 he set up his own
carrying business from Beaudesert to Brisbane
with six table tops. After this he travelled all
through the Outback and interstate with a B
Model Mack for a few years. Graham sold out
in 1974 but the call of the road was too strong.
He purchased a pogo stick M A N and started a
38 year working relationship with Pozzolanic
which still continues to this day. Graham thanks
his wife and sons for assisting him with his
career and running their farm in his absence.
Bob Wright Snr started his driving career in 1942
during World War Two working for the Civil
Construction Corps (CCC). At wars end Bob
drove for Brady’s Transport in Pittsworth to
Brisbane and Newcastle in a Thornton Ford. In
1948 he purchased a ten year old Ford and went
to work for himself carting timber which in those
days was all loaded and unloaded by hand. By
the 50s Bob was hauling grain and linseed to the
Wallangarra railhead and wool from Cunnamulla
to Sydney in a petrol powered Commer. Over
the years Bob operated many different types
of trucks including Internationals, Commers,
AECs and, finally a Mercedes to cart general
freight from Brisbane to Sydney. Bob then went
to work for his son on the Brisbane to Darwin
run hauling general and anhydrous ammonia.
Bob retired in 2000 and still lives in Pittsworth.
Royston WHYBIRD
Greg WISE
Terry (Mungus) WHITE (dec)
Royston Whybird was the fourth generation of
his family to be involved in furniture removals.
His great grandfather had commenced Whybird
Removals with a horse and cart in Ipswich in
1857. One of Roystons favourite memories is
driving a removalist truck from Ipswich to Perth
and return in 1965. Whybirds operated all over
the country. He also recalls the big changes in
the removal industry when containerisation was
introduced. Royston and Shirley Whybird took
over the business in 1986 and continued to
operate it until 1997 when they sold out ending
140 years of family business. After selling the
business Royston became involved in training
and implementing accreditation programs such
as TruckSafe for local trucking companies.
In 1981 Greg’s father bought a Flintstone Mack
heralding the day Greg’s life in the trucking
industry began. Every night, for the next two
years he carted grain from Gunnedah to
Newcastle to the Ingham’s chicken factory. He
recalls spending a lot of time dodging the ‘scalies’
at Willow Tree weighbridge. Greg eventually
traded the Mack in on his beloved 8V92 GH
powered White Roadboss and serviced the
wheat harvest throughout NSW and QLD. He
met his wife Sonya at the Shell Roadhouse in
Murrurundi. In 1986 Greg traded the Roadboss
in on a Ford Louisville 9000 and went
subcontracting for Refrigerated Roadways
towing a chiller van around Australia. In 2000
Greg moved to Darwin to drive for Bunkers
between Alice Springs and Darwin. He now lives
in Perth where he currently has three primemover sub-contracting to Northline.
Mungus was in the transport industry in
Western Australia for over 40 years mostly
carting wheat and livestock. The tyranny of
distance and isolation, often accompanied by
extreme weather conditions and poor road
systems, were hallmarks of the work Mungus
did. Roadhouses were few and far between and
mechanical workshops even rarer - and if you
broke down you either fixed the truck yourself
or stayed there. Over the years Mungus had
driven a variety of marques including Bedford,
Foden and Volvo and he became adept at fixing
them. One modified truck still operates today
as a reminder of Mungus’ mechanical know how.
It is a Diamond Reo fitted with a GM 6V71, a
Transtar cab, Kenworth W model front end,
and Volvo chassis rails. Amazingly, the ‘thing’
operates on a Kenworth compliance plate.
Paul WITTE
Thomas (Jim) YATES (Dec)
Paul Witte began his driving career in 1969
driving a Foden and float hauling earthmoving
machinery for John White Constructions in
Darwin. He moved to Alice Springs in 1971 to
work for Co Ord Transport carting freight from
your
the rail head to Larrimah. He returned to
Darwin to drive a car carrier for Gulf Transport
between Alice Springs and Darwin. Paul then
moved to Victoria and worked for Coldstorage
Transport running from Melbourne to Sydney,
Adelaide, Perth and Darwin. The Nullarbor was
dirt from Penong to the border. The coast road
from Perth to Darwin was dirt and the South
Road from Pimba to 12 miles south of Alice
was still dirt. Over the years Paul also worked
for Stevens Transport, Ascot Haulage and in
his father’s quarry in Katherine. He worked for
Boral for 16 years and currently manages
several quarries in North Queensland.
Jim started his working life as an apprentice
motor mechanic in Mount Eliza, Southern
Victoria and from 1959 operated RACV roadside
service vehicles. Jim purchased Mitcham Mobile
Cranes in suburban Melbourne in 1969 and built
the business up from one crane to four before
he sold the business. When Darwin was
destroyed by Cyclone Tracy in 1974, Jim
decided on a new start in an area that he had
visited many times and had a great affection for.
Jim moved his wife and four children to Darwin
in a 1946 Chevrolet truck and a Humber car
with a four wheel trailer. On arrival, Jim worked
for a crane hire company and then bought two
concrete trucks which kept him very busy. He
became very involved in the local car club and
continued to restore cars and trucks. Jim retired
in 2002 and moved back to Victoria. He passed
away from illness in 2009.
In 1968, with his father
guarantor on a $5000 loan,
John purchased a 1966
seven series Dodge and
towed a single axle milk
tanker for Carnation
around the Echuca and
Rochester area. John then
purchased a Leyland and
started running interstate.
You can read the
full stories of all
our Shell Rimula
Wall of Fame
inductees from
2000 to 2012 on
our website
26
Transmission
History of the Battery
A battery is actually an electric cell that
produces electricity from a chemical
reaction. A battery consists of two or more
cells connected in series or parallel, but
the term is generally used for a single cell.
A cell consists of a negative electrode; an electrolyte, which
conducts ions; a separator, also an ion conductor; and a positive
electrode. The humble battery has an interesting history.....
1748 - Benjamin Franklin first coined the term “battery” to describe
an array of charged glass plates.
1780 to 1786 - Luigi Galvani demonstrated what we now understand
to be the electrical basis of nerve impulses and provided the
cornerstone of research for later inventors like Volta.
1800 - Alessandro Volta invented the voltaic pile and discovered
the first practical method of generating electricity. Constructed of
alternating discs of zinc and copper with pieces of cardboard soaked
in brine between the metals, the voltic pile produced electrical
current. The metallic conducting arc was used to carry the electricity
over a greater distance. Volta’s voltaic pile was the first “wet cell
battery” to produce a reliable, steady current of electricity.
1836 - Englishman, John F. Daniel invented the Daniel Cell that
used two electrolytes: copper sulfate and zinc sulfate. The Daniel
Cell was somewhat safer and less corrosive then the Volta cell.
1839 - William Robert Grove developed the first fuel cell, which
produced electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen.
1839 to 1842 - Inventors created improvements to batteries that
used liquid electrodes to produce electricity. Bunsen (1842) and
Grove (1839) invented the most successful.
1859 - French inventor, Gaston Plante developed the first practical
storage lead-acid battery that could be recharged (secondary
battery). This type of battery is primarily used in cars today.
1866 - French engineer, Georges Leclanche patented the carbonzinc wet cell battery called the Leclanche cell. According to The
History of Batteries: “George Leclanche’s original cell was
assembled in a porous pot. The positive electrode consisted of
crushed manganese dioxide with a little carbon mixed in. The
negative pole was a zinc rod. The cathode was packed into the pot,
and a carbon rod was inserted to act as a currency collector. The
anode or zinc rod and the pot were then immersed in an ammonium
chloride solution. The liquid acted as the electrolyte, readily seeping
through the porous cup and making contact with the cathode
material. The liquid acted as the electrolyte seeping through the
porous cup and contacting the cathode material.”
1868 - Twenty thousand of Georges Leclanche’s cells were now
being used with telegraph equipment.
1881 - J.A. Thiebaut patented the first battery with both negative
and positive terminals.
1881 - Carl Gassner invented the first commercially successful dry
cell battery (zinc-carbon cell).
1899 - Waldmar Jungner invented the first nickel-cadmium
rechargeable battery.
1901 - Thomas Alva Edison invented the alkaline storage battery.
1949 - Lew Urry invented the small alkaline battery.
1954 - Gerald Pearson, Calvin Fuller and Daryl Chapin invented the
first solar battery.
Wall of Fame Induction Nominations
now open for 2013. Download forms at
History of the Sparkplug
According to Britannica a spark plug or sparking
plug is, “a device that fits into the cylinder head of an
internal-combustion engine and carries two electrodes
separated by an air gap, across which current from a
high-tension ignition system discharges, to form a
spark for igniting the fuel.”
Oliver Lodge invented the electric spark ignition (the
Lodge Igniter) for the internal combustion engine. Two
of his sons developed his ideas and founded the Lodge Plug
Company. Oliver Lodge is better known for his pioneering work in
radio and was the first man to transmit a message by wireless.
During the early 1900s, France was the dominant manufacturer of
spark plugs. Frenchman, Albert Champion was a bicycle and
motorcycle racer who immigrated to the United States in 1889 to
race. As a sideline, Champion manufactured and sold spark plugs
to support himself. In 1904, Champion moved to Flint, Michigan
where he started the Champion Ignition Company for the
manufacturing of spark plugs. He later lost control of his company
and in 1908 started the AC Spark Plug Company.
History of the Timken
Wheel Bearing
Story from the USA Inventors Hall of Fame
Henry Timken was a well known carriage maker who spent
countless hours researching ways to reduce friction in carriage
axles. As a result he eventually invented the Timken tapered roller
bearing. The new tapered roller bearings worked with both radial
and thrust loads and immediately found a place in the axles and
hubs of both horse drawn carriages and the newly invented
automobile. His two patents were issued in June 1998
Just earlier, in 1895, with the help of his two sons and a nephew, he
began experiments to make a better bearing. He developed tapered
roller bearings to bear heavy side loads and just a year later he
formed the Timken Roller Bearing Company in St Louis building
axles fitted with his new bearings. Henry Timken died in 1909 at
nearly 70 years of age but his invention lived on. In the 1920s, The
Timken Company was making 90 percent of America’s bearings
and by the early 1990s, they supplied nearly a third of the world’s
tapered roller bearings.
Born in Bremen, Germany, Timken and his family immigrated to the
U.S. when he was seven, settling in Missouri. As a teenager,
Timken became an apprentice to a leading carriage and wagon
maker. Eventually, he started his own carriage factory in St. Louis.
In 1877, Timken converted the factory to make the “Timken Buggy
Spring” which was in world demand as the trend for wheeled
transport exploded all over the world and interest in the horseless
carriage was growing at an unprecedented rate. In 1898, he received
two roller bearing patents, and in 1899, he established The Timken
Roller Bearing Axle Company in a corner of his factory. The
company grew so quickly that Timken decided to build a plant and
relocate to Canton, Ohio to be near the emerging automotive
industry. Timken bearings are today the most commonly used
bearing in the world
History of the Seat-Belt
Volvo had the first safety belts in 1849. It was 36 years later, in
February 1885 that the first U.S. patent for automobile seat beats
was issued to Edward J. Claghorn of New York, New York.
Claghorn was granted United States Patent #312,085 for a SafetyBelt for tourists, described in the patent as “designed to be
applied to the person, and provided with hooks and other attachments for securing the person to a fixed object.” Swedish
inventor, Nils Bohlin invented the three-point seat belt, now a
standard safety device in most cars. The lap-and-shoulder belt
was introduced by Volvo in 1959.
O RING
SEAL
of the
CENTURY
Transmission
WD40
if at first
you don’t
succeed
27
Western Star
Trucks at
Work in
Australia
The o-ring, as we all know, is a solid rubber
seal shaped like a doughnut and when its
pressed between mating surfaces it is used
to block the passage of liquid, gas or air.
Independent inventor, Niels Christensen is
credited with perfecting the o-ring while
developing automobile brakes. However,
there was a Swedish patent for a much
cruder version in 1896 which never took off.
Christensen patented his o-ring in 1937 but
manufacturers were not particularly
interested in this invention until the aircraft
boom of World War II.
After several successful tests by the military,
including some on a Northrop plane,
Christensen was able to sell his o-rings to
the airforce and the humble o-ring is
credited with enabling much more complex
technology to advance.
Early uses of round, resilient rings for
dynamic applications were in long grooves
in between sliding telescope tubes or on
pistons where the rings were not confined,
allowing them to slide back and forth.
These were not effective. Large crosssection India rubber rings were used as
gaskets in counter-bores for water-works
piping in the mid 19th Century and Edison’s
1882 light bulb patent shows a round rubber
ring at the neck of the glass bulb to keep
the mercury in and the air out.
By the early 1940’s, Christensen’s o-rings
became the standard seal for the Air force
hydraulic systems. This established the
basic sizes and design information. In the
1950’s, came acceptance for industrial
hydraulics, farm equipment, passenger cars
accessories, plumbing, appliances, pumps,
valves, and many other devices. Today,
billions of o-rings are sealing every
conceivable apparatus all over the world,
in the air, on land, and sea, and outer space.
The o-ring is the most widely adapted seal
in history because of its simplicity, low cost,
ease of installation, and small space
requirements without supporting
structures. It is suitable for dynamic or static
seals within the temperature limits of
elastomeric materials, Successful use
depends upon proper groove dimensions
and selection of the right compound, or
personal experience with like applications.
Ever wondered why a
woman dressed in
leather makes a man’s
heart flutter?
WD 40 was invented by the Rocket
Chemical Company of San Diego USA
back in 1953. At the time the company was
working on a range of industrial products,
rust inhibitors, degreasers and solvents
for the growing aerospace industry.
Ascot Haulage NT: Some dry and dusty
roadtrain work in the Northern Territory
According to company records WD-40
literally stands for Water Displacement 40th
attempt and the name came straight out of
the laboratory note book used by the
chemist who helped develop it. Norm Larsen
was attempting to concoct a formula to
prevent corrosion by displacing water and
his persistence paid off when he perfected
the formula on his 40th try.
WD-40 was first used to protect the outer
skin of the Atlas Missile from rust and
corrosion. It was so successful it was
repackaged. The most popular was in
aerosol cans for consumer use and sold to
the general public in 1958. In 1969, the
Rocket Chemical Company was renamed
after its only successful product ; WD-40.
WD-40 has been used for many purposes
over the years since but some of the more
unusual include a bus driver in Asia who
used WD-40 to remove a 20 foot python
snake which had coiled itself around the
undercarriage of his bus, and police officers
who used WD-40 to remove a naked burglar
trapped in an air conditioning vent.
Smith’s Cloncurry Transport: Three trailers
of cattle in Australia’s harsh outback.
Dennis Transport: Roadtrain heading north
from Port Lincoln SA
Letter to the Truckie’s Wife
Its time we had a little talk
about the one you call your man
I know how much you love him
but I’ll steal him if I can
Even when he’s with you,
thoughts of me are in his head
But then, I have heard him call
your name when he’s in my bed
He calls me his special baby,
and holds me oh so tight
He whispers secrets to me as
we travel through the night
He buys me lots of little things
and loves to see me shine
I take him lots of places you cant,
in my bid to make him mine
Dont try to use your children,
you see, they love me too
though even when they’re with me,
I know they’re missing you
I realise that you love him,
and wish you lots of luck
Just remember, he’s also mine!
Yours Sincerely,
THE TRUCK
Kevin Williams: Carting timber in his 1995
FL 363 Western Star
ABOVE: Goodman’s Western Star
BELOW: N&L Transport takes a break
She smells just like a new truck!
28
Transmission
ATKINSON: The Big Aussie Mover
Photograph by Steve Morris Photography (Rags)
The Shell Company of Australia was a prolific user of the Atkinson marque.
This photo was taken at Whisker’s roadhouse in the early 1970s. Photo: Alison Coop.
in the collection
This rustic Mk1 was donated by the
Parkinson family. This truck is powered
by a 6LX 150hp Gardner engine and was
used by Loves Creek Station (near Alice
Springs) to haul general and livestock all
around Central Australia. It sits in wait
until the day we can afford to restore it.
The Big “A” for many years was the symbol of trucks big and tough enough to weather
Australia’s unpredictable operating environment; a truck that was actively promoted as
being ready willing and able to handle just about every obstacle the Australian road
transport industry could throw at it and more. Atkinson, despite its English origins, was
aggressively marketed as being the ideal big truck for our big country.
Atkinson proudly declared they built their
trucks to specifications demanded by sunhardened Aussie truckies who knew exactly
what they wanted and wouldn’t put up with
anything less. Indeed, for many years the
Atkinson Big Mover was King of the Road
in Australia both for both highway linehaul
and tough off-road applications such as
log haulage, fire tending and quarrying.
Atkinson prided themselves in developing
units that efficiently and effectively
matched prime-movers and their trailers with
the environmental conditions they worked
in. It was a concept considered very forward
thinking for the 1960s and 70s but it ensured
Atkinson would remain this country’s best
selling truck for a decade and more.
The Atkinson story goes back to 1907
when brothers Edward (1880-1932) and
Henry (1882-1921) Atkinson set up a small
steam engine repair business in Preston, a
rural cotton producing township that was
the administrative centre of Lancashire in
England. It wasn’t until several years after
WWII that the first Atkinson vehicles
started to filter into Australia.
There is scant information about the
number of Atkinson vehicles that came into
the country before this but there is no
doubt that several did. Research does show
that there were at least four early Atkinson
steam engines to enter Australia around
WW1. Three of these went into service in
New South Wales and little is known of
their history. The fourth was shipped back
to Atkinson UK in 1976 after it was
discovered sitting derelict in the Western
Australian gold mining town of Wiluna. The
Road Transport Historical Society has been
trying to track the fate of this vehicle with
no success. We can only hope it was
restored and is housed somewhere safe in
a museum or private collection.
Atkinson entered the lucrative bus market
with several options and were leaders in
the development of the two pedal bus
transmission. The Adelaide firm of G&R
Cole are believed to have imported the first
two medium powered Atkinson buses into
Australia in the mid 1950s. They were
L644EXL models with Gardner 4LK engines.
In the decades following Atkinson buses
would fail to achieve the same following in
Australia as their trucks would although
these two were reported to perform
“magnificently”. Atkinson Lorries (UK)
formalised the introduction of their product
into the Australian heavy vehicle market
by appointing Mayne Nickless Limited their
Australian franchise in 1954. In addressing
the company annual general meeting in
December 1954 the then Chairman of Mayne
Nickless, Mr. O. E. Bowen, told his
shareholders he was excited about the
appointment and that following “severe
testing” in Australian conditions he had no
doubts that the Atkinson truck would stand
up well in the marketplace and “maintain
the high reputation which they possess in
Great Britain and other countries.” Mayne
Nickless were one of Australia’s most iconic
companies in that era and, for a time, were
avid users of the Atkinson marque in their
own transport operations.
Atkinson Lorries UK took this a step further
when they formed an Australian subsidiary
called Atkinson Vehicles Australiasia Pty
Ltd in 1961. They then appointed Diesel
Industries, owner of Diesel Services Ltd,
the right to assemble and distribute the
Atkinson range in Australia from 1962.
Diesel Services relinquished their well
known Foden franchise at the same time
and simultaneously Mayne Nickless
severed their Atkinson connections and
purchased Antill Ranger.
The Hall of Fame is also home to this
1969 Mk 2 Atkinson that started its
working life on roadtrain haulage for the
Shell Company of Australia in the
Northern Territory. Powered by a small
cam NTC335 Cummins this truck found
its way to the TAFE College in Perth WA
where it was used for training mechanical
apprentices. TAFE WA donated to the
museum so it could return to the NT.
The most recent Atkinson to come into
the collection is a 1976 Mk 3 donated by
Harris Transport from the Riverland in
South Australia. Powered by a small cam
350hp Cummins and fitted with 44,000lb
diffs and 15 speed Roadranger this truck
was originally owned by John Avery who
used it on line haul out of Port Augusta.
COMING SOON: The latest Atkinson
in our collection, donated by the CMV
Group, is pictured on the front cover
Transmission
Mayne Nickless however, did maintain a
50% share in Atkinson Vehicles Australiasia
for a time, primarily through their Parceline
business in Great Britain. At the time the
Atkinson range covered just about
everything from four to one hundred tonne
carrying capacity vehicles and were soon
making a name for themselves in the rugged
Australian outback on heavy haulage
operations such as on the Snowy
Mountains Hydro- Electric Scheme.
These trucks were steel cabbed and heavy
with little driver comfort or ergonomics and
could hardly be called pretty but they could
pull, and pull hard. Most were powered by
C6N Rolls Royce 210 hp diesel engines.
There were only about dozen of these heavy
duty TD1366 6x4 Atkinson’s imported into
the country. Australian operator Bob
Thompson purchased one of these second
hand a few years later and operated in his
towing business in the Blue Mountains
region. He reported that while his previous
truck, a 6x6 GMC, could just manage 25
tonnes up the notorious Victorian Pass the
Atkinson could handle 95 tonne from a
“standing start”.
While many oil companies used
Atkinson’s it was the Shell Oil Company
of Australia that did most to enhance
Atkinson’s reputation in Australia.
Shell are often credited with Atkinson’s
decision to turn its priority to specialising
in custom built trucks. Their bright yellow
Atkinson’s, usually in roadtrain
configuration, were a common sight on
outback roads throughout Outback and
Central Australia. By 1972 Shell had over
100 Detroit, Gardner and Cummins powered
Atkinson’s in their Australia wide 500
vehicle fleet. This probably had a lot to do
with the fact that Murray Venning, the SA/
NT Atkinson Factory representative, was
an ex-Shell Company employee and
understood the technical requirements of
fuel haulage first hand.
Venning had much to do with the
development of the roadtrain fuel tanker
haulage industry in the Northern Territory
managing fuel transports on the notorious
Adelaide to Alice Springs run on the Old
South Road. The hundredth Atkinson in
Shell’s fleet was handed over at a small
ceremony in 1972. It was a model T3866C
with two spring bogie suspension.
It was powered by a 250bhp Cummins
hauling a 7,200 gallon tanker. The Shell/
Atkinson connection had actually started
a decade earlier when a 6LX Gardner
powered Atkinson was put into operation
in Victoria. In the years since, under
guidance of Atkinson’s Australia’s
Managing Director of the time, the late James
(Mac) MacInnes, Atkinson were able to
engineer a chassis specification that
enabled it to be used throughout all the
states of Australia. MacInnes managed the
Australian and New Zealand Atkinson
businesses from 1965 until his death in 1971.
He had originally started work for Atkinson
in 1959 in Airdie Scotland. At that time, most
state jurisdictions had quite different
legislation governing the operation of
heavy vehicles and Shell wanted a truck
they could take anywhere. Atkinson
Vehicles A’asia operated out of a
sophisticated factory in Clayton Victoria
where a high Australian design and
component content was made a priority by
McInnes. Atkinson’s design engineer at the
time was Phillip Smith whose father had
owned and operated the first Vulcan
Agency in Australia.
29
Graeme Johnston
There were quite a few earlier Preston
Cab type Atkinsons in the country
earlier. This 1959 model (above) was
owned and operated by Graeme
Johnston who upgraded from Commers
and Bedfords to start hauling
overdimensional loads throughout
Victoria including to the Loyang Power
Station in Gippsland. In later years
Johnstone upgraded to a 1976 Atkinson
tipper truck (below) and dock trailer. He
used this unit to haul bark, wood chips
and garden supplies between NSW, SA
and Victoria for over twenty years.
He came to Atkinson with an extensive
knowledge of the workings of the
Australian road transport industry and was
well known for his engineering skills. In 1972
Atkinson Lorries UK decided to market
nationally and Westfarmers Tutt Bryant Pty
Ltd was appointed the Western Australian
distributorship for Atkinson and Seddon.
Shell introduced Atkinson’s into its South
Australian fleet in 1966 and within a year
they were also operating them in the
Northern Territory. Within a few years the
Atkinson marquee had pride of place in
Shell fleets all around the country as well
as in their New Guinea operations. Within
ten years of the first Atkinson joining the
Shell fleet Shell had invested some $3 million
dollars on Atkinson trucks.
The first Atkinson’s produced in Australia
were the Mk 1 range. This was virtually an
exact replica of its British counterpart except
that the Australian version had a windshield
with four parts instead of the two panoramic
glasses in the British version.
This Shell roadtrain operated primarily from Darwin on the Alice Springs / Yulara run
and was operated by well known Shell Driver David Day who spent over twenty years
with the company before taking over the Camooweal (QLD) Shell roadhouse (and later
another in McKinlay) with his wife Aiden and two daughters. Photo: David Day
30
Transmission
Seddon / Atkinson
Sedden Atkinson Vehicles Limited was
formed in the mid 1970s when Atkinson
was acquired by Seddon Vehicles
Limited which was in turn acquired by
International Harvester. In 1983 it
became a subsidiary of Pegaso (Spain)
and in 1990 was acquired by Iveco who
ultimately ceased production.
Mayne Nickless Heavy Haulage Division hauling Donald Campbell’s record breaking
Bluebird in their Rolls Royce powered Atkinson. Maynes operated many Atkinsons.
Cont from previous page.....
The other distinguishing feature on the
Australian Mk1 was extra ventilation
elements above the headlights. It also
featured the first of Atkinson’s fibreglass
cabs. Previous to this Atkinson’s cabs were
metal and coachbuilt hardwood. Mayne
Nickless operated several British versions
in their fleet. The Mk 1 was in production
from 1962 until 1966. This was also a period
when the “Circle A” eight wheeler Atkinson
was gaining popularity. The Clayton
factory produced several for Collins and
Leahy of New Guinea that were fitted with
an altitude kit on their NH250 Cummins to
give maximum power at 10,000 feet.
In 1966 the Atkinson 3800 Mk 2 came into
existence. While it did feature some
modifications it was basically a taller
version of the Mk1. It was to stay in
production until 1969 although it’s double
skinned fibreglass tilt cab, made by
Australian company Reinforced Plastics
Pty Ltd was used right up until the 1980s.
Called the “Skippy” cab the double skin was
installed to allow cooling between layers.
The truck also featured large intake vents
set into the cowl above the windscreen. The
Mk 2 was available with Detroit, Gardner,
Caterpillar or Cummins engines with output
ranging from 250 to 340 bhp.
The Atkinson Mk 3 released in
1969 and lasted until 1988.
The later models had few modifications.
The distinctive Atkinson radiator
disappeared and was replaced with a false
radiator grille. Additionally many other new
features were introduced. Atkinson were in
a constant race to keep ahead of the
competition in meeting driver demand for
increased safety and comfort. Seddon took
over the Atkinson company in 1970 and
developed the Mk 3 RP Monocoque tilt
cab. The independently sprung cab was
considered revolutionary. It too was double
skinned but included upgrades of many
features including doors, full mounting
stirrups, flush door handles and larger
steps.
Visibility was enhanced with slim-line
window pillars and a bigger side window.
The thicker trim provided better durability
and improved sound suppression. The
sleeper cab was fitted with air vents and
twin luggage lockers immediately under the
berth both of which proved popular with
long distance hauliers.
One of the first companies in Australia
to use the Seddon Atkinson Mk 3 cab
was Albury Border Transport. Their
T3866C was powered by a Cummins NTC
250. Another user of the Seddon
Atkinson was Readymix Concrete in
Melbourne who had their prime-mover
and trailer units specially designed by
the Atkinson engineering team. Powered
by a Detroit 8V-71 GM developing 318
bhp the prime-mover was designed with
a short 138" wheelbase allowing them to
haul longer tippers enabling a 22%
increased
payload.
Increased
maneuverability with the use of self
steering rear castor wheels on the tipper
produced a 10% increase in trip times.
Charles Hall
Another impressive Atkinson unit was
operated by Croft-Bank Dairies of
Cranbourne, Victoria, who hauled what was,
in 1967, the largest bulk milk tanker in
Australia behind their 6LX Gardner
powered Atkinson T3266XP. The Mayne
Nickless organisation also operated the
T3266 which, by 1968 was available with a
choice of Rolls Royce Eagle, Cummins NH,
G.M Detroit or Gardner 6LX or XB engines.
By 1969 Atkinson claimed to “offer more
with built in reliability” than anything else
on the market at the time and could be
powered by a variety of engines including
the economic Gardner 6LXB 180bhp engine
and the big power of the General Motors
12- V71 475bhp and could be fitted with
10,13 or 15 speed Fuller transmissions. The
later Gardner 8LXB was also a popular for
Atkinson’s.
It wasn’t exactly a low cost or cheap engine
but by most accounts it provided good fuel
economy. Never the less, Australian
operators were slow to take it up despite
the fact that extensive use of aluminium
alloy in its construction made it significantly
lighter than most of its American
counterparts. In the first three years of its
introduction only 14 had been delivered to
Australia and of these, 13 went into
Atkinson trucks. Finemores of Wagga
Wagga used the 8LXB in their Atkinson
T3868XB with great success hauling their
triple deck sheep crates.
Atkinson would also build trucks for
specific applications and many Australian
operators took advantage of this. G F
McMahon Waste Disposal in Adelaide had
a high capacity 17.5 M3 compactor for
waste disposal custom built.
Charles Hall carted for Ormonoid
Roofing (Melbourne) in this Seddon
Diesel. He had four more Seddons in a
row until he ultimately upgraded to a
1418 Mercedes Benz. Charles hauled
for Ormonoid for over thirty years and
was a keen devotee of Seddon.
William (Bill) Norling
Heather and Bill Norling in front of
their North Clayton Engineering Shop.
Bill was known as a gifted engineer and
developed many design solutions to
imported vehicles to suit Australian
conditions and applications including
to Seddons and Atkinsons. He also
converted vehicles to left hand drive for
on-selling to overseas markets and was
involved in developing a national code
for heavy vehicle modifications.
Transmission
Mecho Plant Hire’s L6066C 6x4 and 48 Wheel Drake
The Victorian civil Engineering company of Mecho Constructions Pty Ltd, founded by
Mr. E Watts in 1951, worked through a variety of marques before settling on Atkinson.
31
ATKINSON
The Big
Mover
In the mid 1970s Herb Adkins operated
Internationals and Atkinsons hauling for
Mt Isa Mines and construction material
into Darwin after Cyclone Tracy. Pictured
above he is pulling the crusher out in
the closure of the GunPowder Mine.
In the mid 1970’s they introduced a low loader service to the business. The impressive
looking unit was a massive L6066C 6 x 4 Atkinson powered by a Cummins six-in-line NTC
350 that was both aftercooled and turbocharged. It had two Spicer gearboxes giving
twenty ratios and pulled a purpose built 48 wheel Drake “Swing-wing” float that could
carry up to 75 tonnes. Grossing 88 tonnes fully loaded it was one of only two units in
Australia at the time and was considered the ultimate heavy haulier of the day.
Cont from previous page.....
The compact twin steer was powered by a
General Motors 6-71 Detroit through an
automatic 6 speed Allison and was fitted
with heavy duty ZF steering. This was also
a period that Atkinson started paying more
attention to the ergonomics and driver
comfort their product delivered. Features
such as hydraulic seats, vinyl or leather
panels, reading lights, adjustable arm and
head rests could be ordered along with zip
up sleeper curtains and foam mattresses –
true luxury in its day!
Other innovations considered state of the
art at the time was an air ventilation system
that projected cool air to the drivers face
and legs in summer. For the winter months,
a 6 kilowatt heavy duty heater was assisted
by a two speed electric fan. Frigmobile of
Australia were another of Australia’s
leading refrigerated transport companies
who chose to let Atkinson show them “the
way to larger profits”. They operated a fleet
of purpose engineered and built primemovers that were well known on the road.
In 1970 Atkinson was purchased by Seddon
Diesel Vehicles Limited and the SeddonAtkinson was born. In 1974 it was taken
over by the North American company of
International Harvester (IH). In 1979 IH
updated its 3870 series models to include
modifications in the cab that eliminated
noise and reduced ride. The electrics, which
were a problem that plagued Atkinson
trucks and frustrated drivers over several
models, saw a heavier chassis wiring loom
fitted to improve wiring reliability along with
additional switches and relays and a higher
rated 75 amp parallel switch.
Another problem that impacted Atkinson
was the 1982 national recall of all T386 and
F3870 models manufactured between 1977
and 1981 following failure of the main spring
leaf under certain conditions. This caused
a subsequent failure in the second spring
safety wrapper that was remedied by the
fitment of a stopper behind the rear axle to
restrain excessive rear movement
The Atkinson 4870 and F4870 came into
being in the 1980s. It was manufactured by
the International Harvester Company which
had taken over the Seddon Atkinson group
some twelve years earlier in 1974. These
were generally available with either
Cummins or Detroit engines up to 475 hp
and were very similar to other trucks from
the International stable that were marketed
and sold the world over as ACCO.
Australia Post operated International
Atkinson 4870 prime-movers hauling 12.5
Pantechnicons on its intercapital overnight
bulk mail service. This service was
controversial at the time as it replaced both
sub-contractor and rail services between
Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane at the
time. Austpost’s Atkinson’s were all
powered by the Cummins Formula 300 hp
diesel engines and were fitted with 9 speed
Roadranger transmissions. Australia Post
reported that with a relatively light gross
combination mass of between 30 -32 tonnes
the Atkinson’s provided both driver
comfort and god fuel economy.
Another devotee of the 4870 was Zurcas
Transport of Shepparton. His unit was
powered by a NTC350 Cummins and was
used to haul produce in a freezer pantech.
Express Freight Atkinson roadtrain
refuelling at the Caltex tanks at remote
Inverway Station near Kalkaringi in the
Northern Territory.
Imported Fire Tender
Some Atkinson’s were imported from
Great Britain. One of these was the
massive 6 x 6 FM2266C Fire Crash Water
Tender of which several were put to
service for the Department of Civil
Aviation at Tullamarine (Melbourne)
Airport. Powered by a 300bhp turbo
charged Cummins engine and fitted with
an Allison Torqmatic transmission the
tender was state of the art for the day.
32
Transmission
ATKINSON STORY : Kain & Shelton
IPEC’s 4870s
An impressive line up of Kain and
Shelton Atkinsons in the
company’s Melbourne depot.
Today known as K&S Freighters
the multi-million dollar business
had its humbles origins in Mt
Gambier in 1945 specialising in the
cartage of paper and timber. K&S
were also pioneers in the use of
refrigerated vans for long distance
haulage and operated and Ampol
fuel agency. In 1972 the business
was acquired by AA Scott. NOTE:
K&S Freighters is a Platinum
sponsor of the National Road
Transport Hall of Fame.
Ronald James
one of
Ron started in the trucking
industry by skipping school to
do the odd trip with his brother
Bill. Bill told him, “if I see you
using the clutch I’ll kick your
ass”. After WWII Ron
purchased two ex-military NR
macks and operated his
business from Mildura. He had
many trucks over the years
including this Atkinson (right).
Norm Robinson
Norm Robinson, Labertouche,
was known as Australia’s oldest
truck driver until his death in
2001. Known simply as “the
Boss” Norm was renown for
having a story for every
occasion. He started trucking at
just 12 years of age hauling logs
with his father and on the family
orchard. In later life he used this
Atkinson to haul his cattle (left).
Brian Bracknell’s 1981 4870 was powered
by a 400HP Cummins. Brian used it in his
WA based business to haul cattle. Brian is
a Life Member and Inductee at the National
Road Transport Hall of Fame. Bracky’s
MOO-777 number plates and other
memorabilia are on display at the Hall.
One prolific user of the 4870 was IPEC
who put nine into their linehaul fleet in
1981 quickly followed by scores more over
the next five years. This initially caused
ripples of concern throughout their own
workforce and the industry generally.
Kenworth had been the mainstay of the IPEC
fleet almost from the beginning but their
decision to swap from a company owned
branch in Sydney to a dealership saw IPEC
seeking a new brand. IPEC wanted direct
manufacture contact but also wanted to
retain the American driveline concept which
IPEC felt set the standard for durability in
express linehaul work. The Atkinson 4870
was the answer. IPEC had also experimented
with their own truck successfully for a time.
Called the ‘Tiger’ the truck combined
European ergonomics with USA efficiency.
The introduction of the F4870 series was
heralded as having stood the test of “a
nightmare of trials” at the most
comprehensive truck testing facility in the
country. New features included low profile
sleeper cabs, CB radio, cassette players,
and hanging lockers. Operational
improvements included an integral full width
visor and a high tensile steel chassis
IPEC chose to eliminate the second drive
axle in some of their units. This reduced the
purchase price by about $3000 and
increased fuel efficiency by up to 5%.
Further economies were achieved when
IPEC fitted their Atkinson’s with roof
mounted air deflectors following testing
their effectiveness with the truck
aerodynamics team at the Royal Melbourne
Institute of Technology. The dashboard
was virtually the same as those used by
International in their T and S Line models.
This twin Steer Atkinson ‘Diamantina King’
was operated by Shaws Transport in
Winton, Qld and was used to cart livestock.
As it turned out, the F4870 turned out to be the last Atkinson in Australia, and
indeed the world. The Atkinson nomenclature, which was simple in style, had lasted
from 1933 to 1975 despite the fact that Atkinson merged with Seddons of Oldham
in 1970. The last true Atkinson in England was an eight wheel rigid which was sold
to G & B McReady of Newcastle-on-Lyme where it sat for many years deteriorating.
Hopefully, an enthusiast has managed to purchase and resurrect the vehicle .
wanted: any photos, storys or
information about Atkinson and the Seddon
and International connection in Australia
Transmission
ATKINSON STORY : In the Beginning
Atkinson has a long and illustrious history in England dating back to 1907 when brothers
Edward and Henry Atkinson and brother-in-law George Hunt established their business,
Atkinson & Co, to repair steam engines. The business was also the local agency for
Alley & MacLellan, makers of the famous Sentinel Steam Wagon. By the time WW1
broke out the British automotive industry was already turning its attention away from
steam and towards petrol power. It was a decision that set back the UK trucking industry.
During the war the United Kingdom found
itself struggling to cope with an inadequate
railway network and the road transport
industry was called upon to supplement the
need for local delivery. The Atkinson’s
decided the best way to capitalise on this
demand was to design and manufacture
their own vehicle. Their six ton, four
wheeled steam driven wagon was released
in 1916 and was an instant success. As were
several subsequent steam models. By 1920
the manufacturing business was operating
in new premises and had twenty employees
and a smaller premise in Liverpool
continued to service their original customer
base, primarily steam powered vehicles
working on the docks.
Henry Atkinson died unexpectedly in 1921
leaving the business to his brother Edward
who favoured steam despite the fact that
many other transport manufacturers were
developing petrol and diesel engines for
their product. With sales rapidly declining
into the late 1920s Edward Atkinson entered
into a merger with Walker Bothers of Wigan
who produced Uniflow engines for
Atkinson lorries. This venture was far from
successful with only around 550 units
manufactured. In 1932, following the death
of Edward Atkinson, the business went into
receivership and was operated for a time
by Jenkins, Johnson and Lytheer of St
Helens. In 1932 Atkinson & Co. was
acquired by WG Allen whose father had
started the Nightingale Garage.
Nightingales were an engineering
business and for many years had been
the London agent for Atkinson product.
Allen renamed the business Atkinson
Lorries (1933) Ltd and immediately
redirected production to the manufacture
of “affordable lorries” to compete with the
lucrative Foden and ERF marques. Allen
used the tried and true combination of an
Atkinson chassis powered by Gardner
engines driving through a David Brown
gearbox to rear Kirkstall axles.
Despite marketing aggressively only 50
trucks were built by the time WWII broke
out in 1939. Atkinson was one of very few
UK manufacturers permitted to continue
civilian production during the war. In 1947
Atkinson Lorries moved to there now
famous Winery Lane site in Preston, not
too far from where the founders had first
established the business exactly forty years
earlier.. However, the use of Gardner
engines was reserved strictly for military
applications and Atkinson fitted AEC 7.7
litre to their civilian range during this time.
By wars end Atkinson was a leading
manufacturer producing a wide range of
specialised trucks in four, six and eight
wheel configurations. Most were powered
by Gardner engines. In the 1950s as roads
improved and demand for a better road
freight service increased operators called
for more powerful engines than Gardner
could supply. The biggest Gardner at the
time was 120bhp. Atkinson responded by
offering options of Daimler, Rolls Royce and
Cummins engines as well as Gardner.
By 1968 Gardner had released several
engines up to a 240bhp. Atkinson’s world
markets expanded considerably during this
period with assembly plants and
distributorships being set up in several
countries including Australia, Africa and
New Zealand where production was tailored
to local technical requirements. In 1954 the
name of the business was changed to
Atkinson Vehicles Limited and the main
units of this era were the 4 x 2 Borderer and
the 6 x 2 rear steer Leader
During the 1960s Atkinson Lorries UK
introduced their Knights of the Road range.
These usually had a colour pre-fix such as
Black Knight for rigid vehicles, Silver
Knight for tractor prime-mover units and
Gold Knight for tippers, concrete mixers and
other short wheel based vehicles. Several
models were produced (some by Krupp in
attempt to get into the European market)
but operators, particularly in Australia,
preferred the macho appearance of exposed
radiators with the Big A in a circle logo
centred on it.
Atkinson was taken over by American giant
International Harvester in 1974 and in 1983
became part of ENASA Spain. This made it
a subsidiary of Pegaso. In 1992 it again
changed hands becoming part of IVECO
which continued to use the name for
specialised vehicles throughout the United
Kingdom for a time. These trucks are readily
identifiable from other IVECO product
because they were still adorned with the
company’s former logo of an A within a
circle on the radiator grille.
In Australia, the fact Atkinson could be
tailor-made to suit customer requirements
ensured it had a ready market against its
stablemate International range. In general,
Atkinson’s were more expensive to
purchase than many of its competitors and
this held it back in more conventional
applications to some degree. In 1992
International Australia was taken over by
European truck builders Iveco which in turn
was owned by the Fiat group.
33
Are you coming to
ALICE SPRINGS
And do you have your own
caravan or motorhome? Are
you interested in being a
VOLUNTEER
You can volunteer at the
National Road Transport
Hall of Fame or the Old
Ghan Heritage Railway
in exchange for a
FREE CAMP
Trucks
and
Trains
The Road Transport Historical
Society Inc. is a community
based, volunteer organisation
dedicated to the preservation and
presentation of Australia’s unique
transport heritage. It’s huge facility
includes the Kenworth Dealer
Hall of Fame and the famous Old
Ghan Heritage Railway as well
as a meeting and conference
venue and function facility.
No matter what your skill - or
your interest, we have a job to
suit you - stay for a month, or
stay for a year - it’s your choice
The requirement for volunteering
is 20 hours per week per couple or
14 hours per single person. There
are toilets and showers and dogs
are okay if they are contained in
your area. A small power contribution is applicable to all on site.
Museum: 08 89527161
Liz Martin: 0429 201 549
Kel Davis: 0421 771 4 12
34
Trucks In Action Shed
Transmission
CURRENT BUILDING FUND
LIFE MEMBERSHIPS
$10,000 PLATINUM MEMBERS
K & S Freighters
National Transport Insurance
Shell Company of Australia
Liz Martin OAM
Stephen Radford OAM
Gary Radford OAM JP
1. A & F Transport - Nick Absolom
2. AME
Systems
Pty Ltd - Peter Carthew
Old
Ghan
Museum
There was much excitement all round as,
finally, the first foundation for our new
“Trucks in Action” Shed was laid.
The shed, currently having the walls clad,
will be the biggest yet on site measuring 58
x 30 metres enabling us to display our
roadtrains in full combination. Funds to date
have allowed us to go ahead and erect the
shed. The Building Fund Life Memberships
for this building as Stage #2 will be for
construction of a concrete floor which will
cost around $150,000 to complete. Thanks
to the efforts of all at ReUnion 2012 we have
been able to actually order the floor although
we are still a little shy of the mark.
CEO Liz Martin said it had been a mammoth
task getting the building to this stage thanks
not only to those members who have contributed significantly in kind and financially
but to the fundraising committee and all the
volunteers who have worked tirelessly at
function after function and at every reunion
for the past six years to raise money.
Liz, who has managed this project from
inception, said it was a credit to all involved
that, in these hard economic times, we are in
the enviable position to be able to pay cash
for this wonderful museum.
wanted
While we still need to raise funds to meet
fire requirements and to put three phase
power and water to the building the biggest
task ahead of us now was setting up the
display itself. The shed will feature
roadtrains and trucks in full configuration
as well as displays on all the various makes
of engines and some iconic road transport
companies from the past. Any-one who has
any memorabilia or photographs is invited
to send them in to Liz Martin at “New Shed”
RTHS, PO Box 8099, Alice Springs, NT 0871.
3. Bendigo Coachlines - George Dawson
4. Barry Stoodley P/L. - Barry Stoodley
5. Alan Brown - Brown & Hurley NSW
6. Robert Brown - Brown & Hurley Qld
7. Jeff Bush - Londonderry, NSW
8. Ed Cameron - Frankston, Victoria
9. David Dawson - Victoria
10. Patrick Day - Days Tspt Oaklands
11. Eaton Pty Ltd - Robert Clarke
12. Gearbox Services QLD
13. Geoff Ferguson - Gosford NSW
14. Gilbert Transport - Peter Gilbert
15. GST Transport - Graham Spargo
16. Hallam Truck Centre - Ron Gysberts
17. Noel & Dianne Heppell - Kilmore, V
18. Holland Hitch Pty Ltd
19. Chris and Sue Howlett - Victoria
20. Jack Hurley - Brown & Hurley NSW
21. Lever Coachlines - D & D Lever
22. Marshall Lethlean Industries
23. Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems
24. National Transport Insurance
25. Nolans Interstate Tspt - Terry Nolan
26. Phillips Tspt - Ian Phillips (deceased)
27. Pickering Transport Group
28. Porter Haulage - Noel Porter (Colac)
29. Tony Rice - Maiden Gully Victoria
30. Pam and Glen Richter - Tieri QLD
31. Alan Shearer - Wagga Wagga
32. Neville Story - Ulladulla NSW
33. Peter Story - Ulladulla NSW
34. Transport Connection - David Rees
35. Ian & Dawn Lee - Tylden Collection
36. Shell Company of Australia
37. Caterpillar Engines - Doc Holliday
38. Butch & Marg Vigor - Bacchus Marsh
39. Volvo Truck Australia - Jill Brown
40. CJ Bulk Handling - John Abbott
41. James (Jim) Pearson - Pt MacQuarrie
42. Westco Truck Sales - Toowoomba
43. John Camplin - Whyalla Norrie
44. Bruce Holt - Corowa NSW
45. Retractable Tarps - Brendale QLD
46. Barker Trailers - Queensland
47. Glen Cameron Transport - Melbourne
48. Carlisle Motion Control - Tullamarine
49. GKR Transport - Welshpool
50. Ed Cameron - Kenworth Importer
51. Kevin Pitcher - Murray Bridge
52. Daniel Whitelock - Golden Square, Vic
53. Gary Dunster - Ararat, Victoria
54. Truckin’ Eddy Van Dongen - WA
55. * Your Name
56.
57. could be here
Special Thanks go to the
FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE
Liz Martin, Kel Davis, Greg Whitford,
Annette Bateson, Sherrill Ives,
David Kent, Sandra Sauer and our
huge family of function volunteers
Trucks In Action
Building Fund
Life Membership
APPLICATION
Name_________________
Company______________
Address_______________
______________________
______________________
______________________
Phone_________________
Email_________________
Please tick one box
Bronze
$1500
Silver
$2750
Gold
$5000
Platinum $10000
(Includes GST)
PAYMENT OPTIONS
MAIL:
RTHS Building Fund
PO Box 8099, Alice Springs
NT, Australia 0871
EMAIL:
Credit Card Details to:
[email protected]
FAX:
Credit Card Details to
08 89529895 / 08 89532955
DIRECT DEPOSIT:
Road Transport Historical Soc.
ANZ Bank, Alice Springs
BSB: 015881 ACCT: 2575 49867
* free *
Join as a friend of
the Hall of Fame
and show you like
us on facebook
facebook.com/Trucks.n.Trains
NOTICE
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The AGM will be held in the
Boardroom at the National Road
Transport Hall of Fame at a date
to be set in FEBRUARY 2013
All documentation pertaining to the AGM
will be included in the January newsletter.
Transmission
AEC gets a Workout at the ReUnion
Pre-Dinner Drinks with Kenworth35
Our legendary 1934 AEC roadtrain had a bit of a workout at ReUnion
2012 as rides in it were auctioned to raise funds for the new Trucks In
Action Shed. Special thanks to Kel Davis who took the winners for a
ride through the back blocks of the Hall of Fame grounds. It raised
nearly $3,000 for the cause - the concrete floor in the new shed.
It was a great night
to remember with
pre-dinner drinks
and nibbles in the
Kenworth Museum
during ReUnion
2012. Below left is
Wall of Fame inductee Ross Hardy
and family. The
event was hosted
by Jim and Clare
Hurley (below).
ABOVE: Paul Harrison (Harro)
from Newcastle thoroughly
enjoyed his experience in the
AEC. Harro was one of our
Icons of Industry inductees for
the ReUnion 2012 intake.
LEFT: Ian Latham, another
2012 inductee also enjoyed his
ride in the famous old roadtrain
Stephen Corcoran gives a cheery
wave as he sets off on what he called
“the trip of a life-time” in the AEC.
Proudly hosted by the Hunter Valley Classic Commercial Vehicle Club
Congratulations
36
to our 2012 Shell Rimula
Wall of Fame Inductees (see inside for all stories)
Transmission
Stephen Radford OAM Alex (Darkie) Warne
Paul (Harro) Harrison
Jill Scott
Bernie Mawson
Murray Peal
Victor Laurie Snr and Jnr
John Leech
Vincent Monohan
Brian Bertwistle
Alison (Aly) Coop
“ Billy Mac” MacMillan
Kingsley Peach
Ron Pattel
Mick Best
Ern and Bill Ward
Bruce (Pissy) Pepperill
Janelle Smith
Jaci Prideaux
Ron Boardman
Garry Murphy
Des White
Graeme Dyer OAM
John Whitelock
Kevin Pitcher
Bunny Preston
Carl Douglas

Transmission October 2012

Transcription

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