Doug & Joy Dunoon
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2011.
Doug Dunoon and Joy Chappell purchased their first tip truck, a Fargo, in 1958 whilst they were dating. Joy was working as a midwife at Bethany Babies Home in Geelong and Doug had begun driving and contracting to the Country Roads Board (CRB) and anyone else who required a tip truck. In 1959 they were married in Geelong and formed a business partnership, DP & JL Dunoon.
Doug began supplying loam and sand to the growing Geelong region and established early sandpits at Fyansford, Freshwater Creek and Drysdale. In the early days a load was five cubic yards and this would be loaded by hand and shovel at the pit. Screens were not heard of and sticks and clay were removed by hand. As access to these pits in winter time was limited, Doug leased a depot from the McMillan family in Fyansford where he would build up stock to carry them through the wet months. When LPG gas was introduced in the Geelong district, Doug and Joy supplied the pipe bedding sand for contractor McConnell and Dowell. Doug would do what it took to get the job done and this often meant working all night to repair trucks and loaders so they could be on the job in the morning.During the 1960s and early 1970s Doug and Joy's family grew by five children, Chris, Joanne, David, Pamela and Stuart who at stages have all taken a active interest in the business.
Front-end loaders had now come on the scene with Fordson Majors and Fordson Super Majors being purchased to replace the shovel at the growing number of sandpits. Updated four wheel drive Ford Scoopmobiles were also purchased. By this time Joy would often juggle the children and her role as relief driver taking charge of a newly purchased 7 yard D Series Ford and Fordson Major Front End loader. Doug had now taken charge of a secondhand red C1800 10 Yard International with a tandem track lazy axle set up. This vehicle doubled capacity per trip from his first Fargo only twelve years earlier. It tested Doug's patience over the next ten years with bell housing and power steering box troubles.As the children grew the family moved to their new house and retail garden supplies depot at Moolap. Newcomb Sand & Soil Supplies was formed in 1974.
Fifty plus years on, the business now employs over 25 direct and contract employees. The Fargos have been replaced by a fleet of Volvo trucks and trailers, excavators, dump trucks, scrapers, water carts and graders making up the earthmoving fleet. With third generation grandsons also actively involved in the business, Doug and Joy are now semi-retired, and, yes, it is true that old truckies never retire, they just have less pickups! Doug can sometimes be spotted on a work site operating a dump truck or front-end loader.
