Barry McCraw

BARRY McCRAW was born in May 1935 in Carnegle Victoria to Donald and Elsie McCraw. Barry married in 1959 and six children later, the marriage ended in divorce after 40 years.

Barry purchased his first truck in 1964; it was a three tonne Austin tray truck which he used to cart hay from paddocks to sheds for farmers in his local area. It served him well and three years later he swapped it for a Ford Thames Trader which he worked for the next five years doing local farm work and carting hay.

When the Trade4r wore out his next truck, purchased in 1975 was a Commer Knocker with a 32ft single axle trailer which he worked for three years when he upgraded it for a larger model in better order. A few years later he traded them both on a 1987 Volvo which he operated for the next three years. Barry went on to acquire two more Volvos. At one stage Barry had three trucks running interstate and local for five years. The shortage of drivers on a national level after often caught him short and compounded his decision to sell two and keep the Volvo Globetrotter and operate as an owner driver.

In 1988 Barry was invited to go to Sweden with 50 other Volvo buyers to view the release of F16 Volvo. He bought one which he used to tow a B-Double interstate for nine years before going back to pulling a single trailer in 1997.

Barry decided to stop driving interstate in 2005. He finished his working life driving a semi-tipper carting grain and sometimes cotton and other local produce.

Barry retired in 2009, sold his house and set himself up with a caravan and vehicle. He enjoys travelling the country and has spent the winter over the past few years in Alice Springs as a volunteer. The rest of the year is spent at a house he has bought in the country.