Harvey Hearne

Harvey John Hearne was born and bred in Lismore in 1940. He married his wife Marcia there and they went on to have four sons. At 17 he worked Hensley's Transport for 12 months before becoming a Monumental Mason. Five years later he was employed by Norco Co-Op. Ltd. as a truck driver to run ran dairy products from Lismore to Brisbane. Harvey drove a Commer Knocker. It was under powered and had a top speed of 40 mph. It was hard physical work. There were no forklifts so all the loading was done by hand and Rollers were used to bring freight from the cold rooms to the trucks.

Harvey left Lismore at midnight to load smallgoods out of Norco in Byron Bay enroute to Brisbane. He drove all around Brisbane to pick up his back loading such as sugar which was used for the ice-cream, salt for the manufacture of the butter and cheese, and other products which were used in the Norco factories. The Commer was replaced with a petrol powered V8 Ford F800 and later a Ford F8000 with an imported super charged Cummins motor. Harvey left Norco in December 1972.

Hervey started his own transport business in 1973 with a 1924 Mercedes Benz and Freighter trailer. He ran from Lismore to Newcastle and then on to Sydney carting of goods from Norco in Lismore. In 1975 Hervey purchased a G88 Volvo truck from Brown and Hurley in Kyogle and a new palletised R.P. refrigerated van. Harvey also carted hydrogen for C.I.G. from Lismore to Sydney. This necessitated an extra axle to be fitted under the G88 to pull the gas vans.

Harvey Herne is well respected in the industry particularly among young drivers who are keen to hear his stories. Equally Hervey is interested in what they are doing and what company they are working with.

The road transport industry has been a big part of Hervey's life and still is now as he has a son in the industry. Harvey seen many changes over the last 50 years and believes that he had the best years.