Princes Highway - Hallam and Berwick

If you ever drove the Princes Highway from Dandenong to Gippsland then here are a few photographs from the 1950s to bring back memories.

This is Stoopman Motors in Hallam, on the Dandenong side of the Hallam Hotel.

This is High Street in Berwick (as seen from Gloucester Avenue). Apparently that's Series 2 Land Rover. The photograph, below, is also of High Street - looking east. That's the Berwick Inn, the earliest parts of the building date from 1857.
The Princes Highway climbed up through the Berwick hill, eastbound, and John described it as 'bad going up, but terrifying coming down'. This 'exciting' stretch of road was by-passed when the Berwick by-pass opened December 14, 1983.

Tarped loads

These photos all show tarped loads - a good tarp job is a work of art.

John's 1418 Benz, taken mid 1970s, near West Wyalong, when he was working for Vaughans.

Jim Forrest's Atkinson, early 1970s, Cunningham Highway, near Inglewood.

Fleetway's Leylands, taken late 1960s, at Wallace Road House.

The first truck John ever owned a 1964 K100 Kenworth. Photo taken at Beveridge.

This Loadstar was taken at Fleet Express' Depot in Adelaide, early 1970s. John had just finished loading it in 43 degree heat.

This was taken on the Olympic Way, near Wagga Wagga, when the Murrumbidgee River was in flood.

One of Camerons Kenworths, taken in the early 1970s at Tubbs Hill near Avenel.

Last of the Chrome Bumpers 2011

The Last of the Chrome Bumpers Show has moved from Cora Lynn to Lardner Park at Warragul, because it just got too big for the Cora Lynn Recreation Reserve. There were a squillion cars there - every make, model etc you could think of - plus a few trucks. Here are some of the truck photos, mainly different ones that I haven't featured in my blog before.

An Austin, above, and a Bedford below. The Bedford is owned by Robert Johnston.

A Chev pick-up and, below, a Dodge pick-up.

A nicely restored fire engine. Photograph by Eric Shingles.

Joe Beaumont's 1942 Ford and 1946 Chev.

1957 AS-120 Inter and Geoff East's AB100 Inter.

Leyland Octopus belonging to Terry Burrows.

Leyland with an angle door cab.

Overview of some of the cars.

1980 911 that is owned by Mercedes Benz – it was restored at great cost by the Adelaide branch, but now resides in Melbourne. Unfortunately it was not taken off the back of the tilt tray that brought it so it wasn’t shown to its full advantage, but despite this, because it's a Benz, I will give you two looks at it.

Our Benz and Eric Shingles 1974 1418. And just to keep Eric happy, below is a picture of Eric's Massey Ferguson tractor.

Rod Calleja's trucks at the Gatton Mack Muster

These are Rod Calleja's three trucks at the Gatton Mack Muster held September 24 & 25, 2011.

1964 B61 model, above. Originally owned by McMullens of Orbost and known as the Gippsland Princess. John can remember it when it was new, it was an absolute show piece. Still is a show piece as it won "Truck of the show".

The recently restored 1984 Superliner, won the "Best working truck" award.

Not a Mack, but a 1971 Diamond Reo, formerly owned by Fred Love of Morwell.

Here they all are on the way up.

HCVC road run to Kinglake

The Historic Commercial Vehicle Club (HCVC) had a road run and "Christmas in August" to Kinglake on August 28, 2011. The weather was great and here are some photographs.

This great photograph was taken by Warwick Bryce, at the top of Mount Slide, corner of Melba Highway and Healesville Road.

That's our Benz - beautiful. Paint job by Robbie at Victorian Truck Painting in Dandenong and 'line and sign' job by Bob Conway.

A bevy of Bedfords - Jim Parker's above, and another one below.

What is a truck display without Dave Horne's British Bedford? Another British Bedford, below.

Another neat little Bedford.

Peter and Tracy Rochow's Chev and Warwick Bryce's Leader.

Stephen Corstorphan's flash Diamond T.

Two blue Dodges, not only alphabetically organised but colour coded as well, that suits my Librarian mind. Above is Brian Dawes and below is Bill & Pat O'Hallorans.

Donny McGregor's International, above, and a Corstorphan Dodge below.

Two red Internationals - Ken Whitworths fire engine, above, and Bruce and Helen Paroissien's below.

Two white Inters - John Wright's (above) and Jarrod Blair's is below.

A Leyland fire truck.

Finally, a White.

Volvo advertisements from 1972

Here are some more advertisements about our favourite truck make, the Volvo. They are from the Truck & Bus Transportation magazine from 1972. To see the 1971 ads click here. Click on all images to enlarge them.

January 1972 Truck & Bus Transportation magazine.

February 1972 Truck & Bus Transportation magazine.

June 1972 Truck & Bus Transportation magazine (four page special, above and below)

This ad for Swedish Motors also appeared throughout 1972. Steven King wrote a history of the early years of Volvo in Australia which appeared in Issue 5 of Vintage Trucks and Commercial magazine www.vtcmagazine.com.au. He said that Max Winkless, who was the principal of Swedish Motors in Wollongong, imported the first three Volvos into Australia in 1967. They were F86 prime movers.

August 1972 Truck & Bus Transportation magazine.

This ad for M & S Diesel appeared in November 1972. The article about the company which was in the December 1972 edition, is reproduced below. The company was started by Michael and Stan Goldfarb.

December 1972 Truck & Bus Transportation magazine. Click here to see all the 1971 ads.