George Goold

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Re Union 2004.

George was born in 1935, in Ulverstone Tasmania and has had a licence to drive from the age of fifteen. His first job as a truck driver was at Bronte Park, working for the Hydro Electricity Commission.
He then worked in NSW for two seasons, lumping and carrying wheat until 1953 when he went to Melbourne and started driving interstate (aged 19 years). John Baker taught him how to drive a Seddon semi trailer, with a P6 Perkins, carrying cars to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide .He started driving for Harvey and Bilson in a Commer and then drove an R180 International with bogie trailer.

Following this came an R190 International with a bogie trailer. He bought this truck and became its owner/driver at the age of 22 carting for Cousins Transport, East Coast Transport and later for Transcontinental Transport and Alan Hancock who put him in a 630 Diamond T which was well-known on the highway. It had a Lux packet painted on the door. George was married at 27 and went to live in Albury, NSW where he drove an R200 cab-over International pulling a petrol tanker for H R Hane.

The Goolds then moved to Sydney where George drove for Ansett Pioneer on Express and Tours. He later transferred to Brisbane and drove on Express for a number of years where he was elected as a full-time official with the Transport Workers Union. He was there for eight years after which he bought a taxi in Brisbane which he drove for a number of years before buying a taxi on Bribie Island.

George has not retired from transport. He now operates all the taxis and limousines on Bribie Island (QLD).George has spent the past few years restoring, back to its original condition, a 1959, 630 Diamond T, painted in Oppermans Transport original colours.The unit is immaculately restored and is George's pride and joy, attracting plenty of attention at truck shows and events around the country.