John Ryan

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

Born into a timber and transport family in 1933, John celebrates his 77th birthday next month and has covered many miles over the years. He still makes the weekly trip across Victoria and NSW carting wood chips, firewood and garden supplies back to Morwell.

His family began carting timber from Noojee in the 1920s and today he drives an International T-line.

At the age of 14, John and his Pop handloaded sawn timber onto the 'Puffing Billy' line going into Melbourne from the Noojee railway yard. It was during the 1940s that the railways carted the groceries into town before the roads were made

John first began driving in an International 160 log jinker that his Pop purchased for him at the age of seventeen. During this time his weekly wage was 9 pounds. Noojee had the highest fuel consumption in Victoria as over 100 log jinkers loaded and refuelled upon leaving one of the many saw mills in the region.

John was the first truck driver to cart raw pine bark from the Maryvale Mill at Maryvale to Melbourne around 1968. It was during this time that he opened Morwell Garden Supplies commencing with local deliveries in a J3 Bedford and now running a fleet of trucks state-wide.

The American Federal has been upgraded by an International, Mercedes Benz, Bedfords, T-Lines, Hinos and Fuso. Yet John believes the 1418 Mercedes Benz single drive and trailer' which completed 1 million miles to be one of the best trucks ever made.

John has encouraged his three sons in the transport industry as they all work in the family business.

For his continual, honest and reliable contribution to the road transport industry, it is firmly believed that John is a true role model and legend of the open highway. He is worthy of a nomination in the National Road Transport Hall Of Fame.