Georgina Marley
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2023.
Georgina Marley, nee Kokai and known as Georgie, was born in Brisbane in 1950. She was introduced to the transport industry in 1969, when she wed Frank Marley the day before she turned 19 and moved to the small town of Nageenan, Western Australia. This was a vast change from the hustle and bustle of Cottesloe, Western Australia.
As Frank was only 19 years old at the time and you needed to be 21 in order to drive a truck, they employed a couple of truck drivers. These drivers boarded with Frank and Georgie in their ramshackle house that Frank was still constructing in his spare time. Georgie cooked and did washing for all of them, as well as answering the phone and scheduling the loads, not to mention running the Nangeenan telephone exchange.
Georgie continued this work for the next 10 years while giving birth to and raising 4 sons. Eventually they bought a transportable house and built some workers quarters.
On countless occasions Georgie would pack up the four boys and drive the 260km to Perth to get parts, pickup Frank or another driver and provide assistance where needed at all hours of the day and night.
Georgie was the rock that saw them through plenty of tough times, droughts, accidents, repossession agents and not to mention those 4 rowdy boys!
As the business grew Georgie continued to answer the phone, schedule the work, do the bookwork, ensure the boys got to school and that Frank had enough food and clothing for the trips he was doing.
When Frank became involved in the Livestock Transports Association and the business continued to grow, Georgie once again had to do the lions share of the work ensuring they had enough drivers, organizing livestock, grain and fertiliser loads as well as maintaining the household. She was a full-time mum, wife and transport operator.
As the boys grew up and became involved with the business, Georgie continued to be the driving force that kept everyone in line. Even today after over 50 years of scheduling and running Marley’s Transport, even with the boys and a good management team Georgie’s still the person that answers the phone 24/7, schedules loads and keeps an eye on everyone.
Georgie is very well known and respected by her customers and staff. Out of all the Marley’s she is by far the most dedicated and deserves to be recognized by the Road Transport Hall of Fame for her 52+ years of service to the transport industry.
