Walter Spears

Walter Henry Spears was born on 4th April 1928 at Narrandera NSW. Later his family moved to Gippsland, Victoria. Wally left school at age 13 starting work wheeling sawdust for Maurie Dyer and growing spuds. Later Wally graduated to driving an International KBR 11 truck for Mrs Hugg after her husband died , carting logs from Tanjil Bren the 100 miles to Melbourne.

Wally first travelled to Alice Springs at age 21 to work for Jim Bullen on Derwent Station doing station work. Wally stayed there 12 months before returning to Victoria. In 1951 Wally married Alvena

Just prior to Christmas 1956 Wally packed Alvena and children Ian, Dallas and Gwenda into a 1956 Austin with semi-trailer and headed back to Derwent arriving in January 1957. He again worked for Jim Bullen until the drought drove them out two years later. The Austin had remained in Wally's possession and he has recently restored it to its original condition.

Wally moved to town, setting up his own business, Mt Nancy Transport, carting cattle using te Austin., making his own single deck crate. The roads weren't good enough for a Road-Train at that time. Purchases of Commer, AEC, Diamond T and Mercedes trucks followed.

The AEC was the first used in front of a Road train towing two 36' trailers to suit the Rail carriages which took most of the stock south to markets in Adelaide (Gepps Cross)

Not long after starting up the carting business Wally started transporting stock of Micky Brown on Marqua Station. Over the years Wally carted 15,00 head losing one in the crate which Micky complained over the RFDS radio have you joined the butcher's club. Wally carted everything, oil rigs, steel, subcontracting for Co-Ord and paramount transport company.

3 more children arrived in the Northern Territory, Robert, (Dec), Barry & Graeme.

Wally had trucks for 21 years in the Alice Springs area transporting livestock, goods and machinery.

After retiring from driving trucks Wally maintained his involvement in the local trucking industry through his engineering business in the Mount Nancy area till 2010.

Now completely retired Wally still lives in Alice Springs with Alvena during the colder months moving down to Cape Jervis SA for the balance of the year.