John “Jack” Molloy
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2022.
John Thomas Molloy, better known as Jack, was born in Young, New South Wales in May 1935. He grew up in Wombat, a small town ten miles from Young. After leaving school, Jack worked in shearing sheds, pressing wool.
In 1953, Jack purchased his first truck, a tray top International even though he did not have his truck license! That same year, he was called up to complete his compulsory National Service and it wasn’t until he returned home in 1956 that Jack finally obtained his truck license. He started carting various fruit, including cherries, to and from the Sydney markets.
In 1957, Jack married Pauline and they built a transport business which consisted of a fleet of 16 prime movers, 20 trailers and a staff of 30 people.
For 35 years, J & P Molloy Transport carted canned goods from Cowra and Bathurst in New South Wales to Melbourne. Their return loads were fresh Tasmanian-grown produce picked up in Melbourne and brought back to Bathurst for canning by Edgell.
Jack had a long-standing working relationship with many of the local farmers as he carted wool from their properties to Sydney. Because of this background, J & P Molloy Transport became the agents for Australian Fertilisers Ltd. Molloy trucks carted bagged superphosphate from Port Kembla and Newcastle on the New South Wales coast back to the local area for distribution to the farmers.
In 1980 construction began on the new Parliament House in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Molloy Transport secured a contract to transport the steel works from Young down to Canberra, a distance of some 160 kilometres. A highlight of this was carrying the iconic flagpole on a jinker trailer; the flagpole measured 81 metres and weighed some 250 tonnes. Jack always said this was a trip to remember!
In 1991, Jack and Pauline decided to sell the business. After dealing with some heart issues, Jack did not regard retirement as an option! Unable to stay out of a truck, he purchased a Ford LTL400 and tipper trailer. Over the next seven years, he continued to cart a variety of products including Causmag Ore, a magnesium fertilizer used by farmers.
In August 1998, Jack had just loaded his truck at the Causmag Quarry in Thuddungra, New South Wales when he suffered a life-ending heart attack. He was 63 years old.
Jack was known as a humble man with a strong work ethic. He always said his success was due to the great team who worked with him over the years. Jack was well respected by many in the transport industry. Jack is survived by his wife Pauline, three children, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.