Mervyn Galway

Mervyn (Golly) Galway was born in Cunnamulla , Queensland on the 7th July 1950 then at an early age moved to Bourke with his parents Ted and Pat.

Golly started going to the Greens Transport depot sticky beaking with his dad who was their part-time mechanic. At that time in the 1960s he was just eight years old. Every weekend Golly would turn up. Eventually he was allowed to go with the trucks on short trips, then gradually longer and longer, mainly roadtrains carting stock.

When only 14, Golly drove a Deutz roadtrain from Bourke to the meatworks, approximately seven kms when the driver became ill, unloaded the sheep and returned to the depot, a feat not many could do at his age.

While waiting to get his licence, Golly decided to work as a boner at Tancred's Meatworks. At 17 he left the Meatworks to go back driving for Green's Transport.

When Golly was 18 he drove a Valiant ute and trailer on the Hungerford mail run in Queensland leaving early Saturday morning arriving back Sunday night, a round trip distance of 440 kilometres.

He started with a Deutz roadtrain carting cattle from Durham Downs in the Cooper, northern South Australia, Bollards Lagoon and Linden to name a few, all to Tancred's Meatworks. Graduating to new Diamond reo 335 horsepower, many trips of general freight were carted to Darwin, Townsville, Mt Isa, Blackwater all state capitals.

When Green's decided to scale back in 1982, Golly went to Geoff winter Transport carting stock for two years driving a Kenworth roadtrain, then to Bowden's TPT for five to six years driving a Mack Superliner.

Leaving Bowden's, Golly started at Clyde Ag where he stayed for 22 years, driving a variety of trucks carting fertiliser, cotton seed and chemicals. He also drove their mobile cranes up to 50 ton. Leaving Clyde Ag was had to do but he was soon snapped up by the Bourke shire where he has been for the last six years driving a Western Star roadtrain of side tippers.

Golly and his co-driver Peter met a fellow called Pissy at the Three Ways on their way to Darwin. Pissy was laughing like hell. When asked what was so funny he said Here are two white blokes driving a black truck, I'm aboriginal driving a white truck. I think we better swap, don't you?

Golly has been driving mainly roadtrains for 48 and he isn't finished yet.