Graham Holmes

Graham Holmes (Holmesy) was born in 1947 and grew up in Western Australia. In 1969, Graham made his home in the little western Victorian town of Harrow. He joined the local footy team and began his trucking career in a 1946 Dodge Fargo, carting sleepers for a living. Graham bought the Fargo at 22 years old with a loan from well-known local Jack Kennedy. The two signed a document at Jacks kitchen table and Grahams' trucking career was secured. In 1970 Graham joined local transport company Brown and Mitchell and in 1973, Graham (again with the help of Jack) bought the depot and began his own company. In 1980 Graham was carting freight when he met Patricia, the love of his life. Graham says with a smile that he told Pat that instead of driving through Ballarat all the time she had better come to Harrow and be his wife.

Over past 49 years Graham has owned and operated several trucks, including a '62 International with longer tray and lazy axle; V8 Petrol 760 Dodge Stock Crate; 1976 Louisville with V3208 Caterpillar and by 1978 he had a '71 International. He later bought a White Commander and a '92 Louisville until he purchased his current truck in 1998, a new Ford with a big Cummings engine that cost an arm and a leg and had all the bells and whistles.

His favourite yarns often concern his long-time driving partner, Maltese lap dog Coco. Graham and Coco were well known from the offices of Pivot to wharves of Geelong and Portland. Together they caused a bit of trouble particularly at the wharves. He loves to tell of the time a bloke down there told him he couldn't bring his dog due to quarantine restrictions. After a heated discussion, Graham pointed out the dog had to stay because Coco was a seeing-eye dog, the bloke replied that it wasn't a seeing-eye dog, to which Graham replied aghast 'well what have they given me?'.

Graham is still out on the roads and loves being a truck driver. He likes to point out (with a chuckle) that he doesn't do it for the money.