Garry Goulthorpe
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2023.
Garry William Goulthorpe known as ‘Gilly’ was born in 1947 in Wagga Wagga New South Wales. Gilly fell in love with trucks at the age of 13, obtaining his licence at the age of 16 in 1963. Gilly had no family members in the transport industry but that did not deter him. The first truck Gilly drove was a Leyland, for Rosso Transport. Gilly did numerous trips from far north to west, before marrying Kerry in 1969. They went on to have four children.
After driving for many years Gilly brought his first truck in 1972, a Commer Knocker. He then went on to purchase two more Commers, pulling Vaughan Transport trailers. After four years Gilly sold his trucks to spend time with his family working as a jack of all trades as there was nothing Gilly couldn’t do. He could turn his hand to mechanical repairs, to station work or to being a property manager.
After 10 years Gilly bought 4 trucks, an Atkinson, a White Road Commander, an S/Line International and a MAN. Gilly was on a run from Narrabri to Sydney, driving a Kenworth, when he got bogged in the Pilliga scrub not too far from home. Loaded with fencing brush his truck was stuck for 21 days! At the end of each day he would walk 12kms back to the main road where his wife would be waiting with the car. She would drive him home for dinner and a night’s sleep before dropping him back off the next morning. After trying everything Gilly was out of options so he would jack up a wheel and pop a discarded railway sleeper under it. Once all wheels had a board under it, he would walk the truck out until he got bogged again. Out would come the jack, the sleepers and he would start the process all over again.
Nevertheless, Gilly continued running the highway and country roads for another four years until he sold all 4 trucks. In 1986 he bought a White 4000 fondly known as ‘The Mistress’ which was to become his pride and joy. Craig, his eldest son, who loved trucks as much as his dad did, wanted to enter ‘The Mistress’, in the Truck’in Life magazine. When Gilly had a weekend off Craig polished the old girl up, and ‘The Mistress’ came second in that edition in 1987.
After keeping the wheels turning for 10 years, Gilly sold his pride and joy but continued to drive trucks until 2012 when he slowed down. After slowing down he brought a car and caravan and travelled up north doing harvesting until he passed away in September 2022 at the age of 75.
