Passion for old trucks helps preserve industry’s history
Jack Hillier has been in the truck industry for almost 60 years. Photo: Tamara Whitsed
Gavin Spence’s 1969 Kenworth W921. Photo: Tamara Whitsed.
Jack was inducted to the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Alice Springs.
Jack Hillier’s 1954 International R190 on arrival at Alice Springs. Photo: Greg Bush.
Gavin Spence’s International Eagle 3070. Photo: Tamara Whitsed.
Archie Baines’ B Model Mack. Photo: Tamara Whitsed.
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Jack Hillier has been in the truck industry for almost 60 years. Photo: Tamara Whitsed
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Gavin Spence’s 1969 Kenworth W921. Photo: Tamara Whitsed.
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Jack was inducted to the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Alice Springs.
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Jack Hillier’s 1954 International R190 on arrival at Alice Springs. Photo: Greg Bush.
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Gavin Spence’s International Eagle 3070. Photo: Tamara Whitsed.
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Archie Baines’ B Model Mack. Photo: Tamara Whitsed.
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Historic trucks made a run to the upper Murray recently. Tamara Whitsed met them at Jack Hiller's shed.
Veteran truckie Jack Hillier has a simple explanation for his family’s passion for old trucks, tractors and machinery: "If somebody doesn’t preserve them they’ll all be scrapped, melted down and made into something else."
That’s why his shed at Corryong, Victoria, was on the list of places Archie Baines wanted to visit when he organised a truck run through the Upper Murray.
Archie, who has a large historic collection of his own at Broadford, organised the run for six of his truck-loving friends.
The truck enthusiasts travelled from Broadford to the Upper Murray in style. Archie drove his B Model Mack.
Terry Laffan drove his 1956 International R190. Gavin Spence drove his 1969 W921 Kenworth. And Barry Kitto drove Gavin’s International Eagle 3070.
The men called in to see several machinery collections during the day and continued on to Jingellic Hotel on the banks of the Murray River where they stayed the night.
Seeing 85-year-old Jack and his family’s collection of tractors at Corryong was a highlight of the weekend.
"He’s one of the old identities of the area," Archie says.
Jack’s restored 1954 International R190 was in the shed among the tractors.
And a few weeks later it was polished up, loaded onto a Walker’s Transport truck and carted to Alice Springs to take part in the National Road Transport Hall of Fame Reunion Parade.
You can read the full story in the October edition of Owner//Driver.
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