Bill Lamond

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2010.

Bill first became involved in trucks at 16 years old, but being too young to drive, his job initially involved loading, unloading and spreading the super. He eventually began his trucking days as a driver but also spent time as an owner/operator.
He began by carting wool and superphosphate by the bag and railway sleepers both intrastate and interstate but he also did stints in a tip-truck and hauling fruit loads to markets in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.
Over the years he drove a variety of trucks including a 1947 International KS5 and later a KS6 for Alf Hennig & Sons  in Edenhope, Victoria again carting wool and superphosphate and spreading super. The KS 5 International did so many miles it wore out the International motor and was replaced with a 6 cylinder Herculse motor. It was a full on job with little break. Later on he drove a Mack NRs and ENs and Deutz, MANs and Leylands.
Driving for Hennig it was Edenhope to Melbourne or Geelong with wool down and super back. All that it ever was, in between, we carted stock, usually sheep; the pay was around twenty pounds per week. No overtime wouldn't matter a bugger. On weekends we spread super for no extra money, said Bill.
In 1950 Bill Lamond and his mate, Ian Andon, bought an old Blitz. They carted wool pulling a four-wheel McGrath trailer; 60 bails of wool per load. On the third trip in, Ian pulled over on top of Box's Cutting between Beaufort and Ararat at midnight and the police, who drove their own cars then, also pulled in asking Where is the rest of your number plate? Bill replied, That was all there was when we bought the truck. No numbers, just the letters IOU. He was ordered to get a proper number plate before the next trip.
Bill said camaraderie was great on the road. Truck drivers are always mates, we pulled up to help each other and we chastised out of hand drivers. They would be told at the next roadhouse by other drivers.