Alfred “Harry” Edmonds
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2015.
Born in Albury, June 10th, 1930, Alfred Henry Edmonds who has always been known as Harry, grew up on the family farm in Wagga Wagga where he learnt to drive anything and everything on the land. With 40 years behind him and five brothers also part of the transport industry, there is a tale or two of trucking history to be told.
Harry joined the army in 1948 at the age of 18 and drove all the army vehicles for that time. After serving 12 years, in 1960 he began working for McIlldowie & Rodgers carting rum, whisky and other general freight around Melbourne, driving trucks such as Bedford's, Internationals and Dodges with most pick-ups from the wharves.
In 1961 he moved to Wollongong with his family where he locally drove an International carting coal. In the late 1960s Harry worked for Coniston Trading Company delivering building supplies to the Wollongong farms in a five tonne Isuzu with an International semi trailer. Harry highly respects his boss Bob Woodhouse from Coniston Trading especially for the support he gave when Harry's son John was involved in a serious motorbike accident.
In 1979 Harry and his family moved back to his hometown of Wagga Wagga where he spent a year in a managerial role at Finemores Transport before joining Fearnes Coaches where he started driving local school buses which soon led him to driving coaches all around Australia, including Tasmania.
Harry retired from Fearnes Coaches in 1990 but continued to work part time for Twomeys driving a Scania Coach locally around Wagga Wagga for a few years.
Harry's wife of 61 years Margaret, along with their seven children were always very supportive of his career. Now enjoying retirement, he has been fortunate to have seen most of Australia, not only has he loved the places he has seen but enjoyed meeting the many people along the way. Harry is still very active tending to his beautiful vegetable garden and also spending three days a week at the Wagga Wagga RSL Sub-branch where he is currently vice president.