James Leahy
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2021.
James Leahy (Jimmy) was born in 1912 in Colac, Victoria. Jimmy purchased his first truck, an International KB5 or KB6 (without a passenger door) in 1944. Jimmy carted onions to market for his two brothers Pat and Jack, who were onion growers at Balintore, near Colac. The three-day trips to Sydney were eventful with drivers labouring up “Pretty Sally” ( a very steep hill near Wallan) in first gear at five m.p.h. The shaft would often seize up and both the driver and passenger would have to pull on the lever. Drivers would then stay in Sydney until a backload of cars was ready to go. The load of mainly Morris cars was tied on by ropes which sometimes ruined the tyres. Refuelling was by way of 44-gallon petrol drums that were guarded by Alsatian dogs to prevent any theft.
In 1939 Jimmy purchased a cattle truck in 1939 and one of his regular loads was the Coragulac Football Club players, as he gave them a lift on the back, to their “away” games! Jimmy loved the camaraderie and larrikinism of those days on the road. For his livelihood, Jimmy carted scoria from Red Rock, Alvie, as well as four-foot logs to feed the boilers. At times, Jimmy also carted peas and potatoes from the Colac District. Another driver, Jock Lineen (now 93), says if they were early to Sydney Market, they got “ten bob” a bag of peas and if they arrived late, only “two bob” per bag. One time, a loaded pea truck rolled over at Colac and Jimmy’s daughter, Mary, remembers the Leahy kids eating the fresh peas from the accident site. Jimmy also handled the local BP agency.
When road transport services were abolished during World War 2, Jimmy carted ammunitions for the Explosives Factory at Maribyrnong, Victoria. He decided to buy a Bren Gun Carrier, remove the gun carrier turret and organised a licence to rip out rabbit warrens. When the Army commandeered two of his second-hand trucks for the war effort Jimmy complained long and loud about “no trucks, no income,” and the Army eventually bought him a brand-new truck!
Jimmy died in 1967, aged 55, leaving a fleet of 80 trucks including subcontractors. Robert, his son, took over the BP agency and developed a major fuel distribution network in the Western District, Victoria.
