Leonard Barty

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2021.

Leonard Bernard Barty (better known as Len) was born in Ingham, Queensland, in August 1942 and spent six years of his childhood living on a sheep station in outback New South Wales. In 1953, Len was sent to All Souls’ Boarding School in Charters Towers, Queensland for schooling.  At 15, Len started work on a sheep station, near Ilfracombe, Queensland, where he stayed for two years. Working on another property, Len was thrown off a cunning mare five times before deciding that it might be better to have his horses under a bonnet as he had always liked machinery.

At the end of 1959, Len found a job off-siding for Bob Bailey in Ilfracombe, where he was taught to drive and load wool. When he was 17, Bob’s mail run driver failed to show up so Len started driving the Ilfracombe to Isisford mail run which was to be a part of his life for the next 25 years. Len drove an International AS-162 tray-body truck on the mail run.

A couple of years later, Bob sold out and the new owners formed Ilfracombe Transport Co. An International AB 160 was bought for the Isisford mail run and Len drove this truck until it was nearly worn out. By 1969, the business was struggling so Len left and went to work for Frank Escreet who did mainly livestock cartage.  Len then decided to go coach driving with Skennars and was based at Longreach but he gave this up after a year. He started work on the building of the Goonyella railway line, working 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, for six months.  Len earned good money which turned his life around financially and helped set up his future.

In the meantime, Frank Escreet had taken over the Isisford and Summer Hill mail runs and offered Len a job. Len alternated between driving the mail runs and carting wool locally. Two years later, Frank sold the mail runs to Len who purchased an International ACCO D1600 which had an 18-foot bin tray, as well as a 16-foot trailer to handle general freight.

Over the next 12 years, Len carted 5,000 bales of wool a year into Ilfracombe Railway Station bound for Brisbane. Carting whatever needed moving, his ACCO was widely known as PUF, the Magic Dragon, due to the number plate, PUF915. Len was extremely well supported by his customers and his wife, Karin, who efficiently handled things in the busy times, did the bookwork and raised their five children.

Len sold his small trucking business in 1985 and moved to Noosa, Queensland to take up coach driving again with Skennars. Driving the Noosa to Brisbane run was challenging at first as Len had to get used to the city traffic but he enjoyed the lifestyle, his workmates and meeting different people. After 26 years on the job, Len retired in 2011.

Len and Karin were divorced in 1995 and he remarried in 2002. He lives in Tewantin, Queensland, and keeps busy with the Scouts as an assistant Cub Leader, a role he has held for over 30 years. Len’s hobbies now are the Isisford mail run history and coach history. Len was very proud of his own involvement when Ilfracombe and Isisford celebrated 100 years as Australia’s first mail service in 2010.