A long haul journey through Life with Michael J. Kerrigan
This year sadly saw the passing from our ranks, our esteemed life member – Michael Kerrigan –
On the Road 5
On the Road 5...
Road scenes and trucks of the 50’s and 60’s
By Peter Morrow. Images from the Peter Morrow Collection
The switch to transporting wheat in bulk transformed the way it was handled. The main attraction was no more back breaking lifting and stacking of bagged wheat. Bagged or bulk still involved the inevitable queuing up. This little line up is at the Quambatook rail siding and silo area, 300 kilometres north-west of Melbourne.
First in the line-up is a 1959 Ford, then a 1952 Dodge, a 1937 or 38 ‘D’ Model International and finally a 1958 model Ford.
(Quambatook is famous as the Tractor Pulling Capital of Australia and the birthplace of country singer, John Williamson. Gerry Laws).
On The Road 4
On the Road 4...
Road scenes and trucks of the 50’s and 60’s
By Peter Morrow. Images from the Peter Morrow Collection
Sealing the realigned Princes Highway at Cemetery Corner, east of Pakenham in Victoria’s Gippsland region in November 1955.This was a period of rapid road construction and a common sight as roads were sealed or pushed through, mostly by the Victorian Government’s Country Roads Board.
On The Road 3
On the Road 3...
Road scenes and trucks of the 50’s and 60’s
By Peter Morrow. Images from the Peter Morrow Collection
Optimism on display.
A brand new Ford–Thornton photographed in 1945 in Melbourne prior to its maiden trip to Alice Springs. This truck would have had the new 239 cubic inch V8 motor of 100HP @ 3800 rpm. Impressive and ambitious even more so, I don’t know how this truck performed, but carrying people in the front of the trailer and cattle behind them, and the dog trailer carrying freight and more cattle, it would certainly have had its work cut out. None too pleasant to ride in I would think. At the time it was state of the art and a reasonably comfortable ride to Tennant Creek from Alice Springs, its intended route. I wonder in what order it was loaded, cattle or people first? Some people probably objected travelling with cattle so close, but then some cattle can be pretty fussy too.
On The Road 2
On the Road 2...
Road scenes and trucks of the 50’s and 60’s
By Peter Morrow. Images from the Peter Morrow Collection
City end of New Footscray Road in 1962.
The entrance to Appleton Dock just to the left at the traffic lights. A good array of cars and trucks caught here. A mid-fifties Austin Loadstar passing a battered Volkswagon Kombi van. Behind them is a 6-cylinder Morris Commercial LC trying to get enough speed up to join the traffic flow before being collected by the Bedford ‘S’ Model carrying a heavy load of compressed bales of sheep’s hides. The Morris Commercials were excellent trucks but slow when loaded. Closely following the S Model is a Bedford J model. A Morris J van can be seen travelling in the opposite direction.
On the Road 1
On the Road 1...
Road scenes and trucks of the 50’s and 60’s
By Peter Morrow. Images from the Peter Morrow Collection
A Melbourne bound R190 International, operated by H.E. Thomas Transport of Main Ridge, Victoria, is seen in the early morning on the Hume Highway on the outskirts of Wangaratta around 1963 or 64.
Memory Lane!!
Memory Lane !!!!!
Story – Peter Morrow
Photos – Copyright Peter Morrow
If you drove trucks around the city in the fifties and sixties you will remember how busy the intersection of Dudley Street and New Footscray Road was. And also what a bunfight it was, no traffic lights or policeman on Point Duty and a railway through the middle of it.
To make matters more interesting there was a very low bridge a few metres up Dudley Street. Chaos ensued if a truck with a high load became stuck there or the driver tried to reverse out on discovering his error.