Geoffrey Tunnicliff

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2011.

Geoff Tunnicliff commenced driving semi-trailers interstate in December 1963 on a Queensland licence obtained when he was 19 years of age.
The first truck Geoff drove was a Thames Trader commonly known as a 'sputnik' from Sydney to anywhere in Australia. He carted mainly Ford products from Sydney and Melbourne and grain and produce from Queensland and also Malley's products to all Australian capital cities. Over the years Geoff owned various trucks including D-model Fords, Commer Knockers, a 190 International, an 84 International, a 1418 Mercedes, a Ford F8000 and a White 7000. Some of his unusual work was the cartage of the full manufacturing and conveyancing systems from Sydney to the Swan Brewery in Perth, as well as all new mining infrastructure from Sydney to the Mary Kathleen uranium mine near Mt Isa, Queensland. In the mid 1970s he was involved in the cartage of pipeline equipment on the natural gas pipeline from White Cliffs to Tibooburra to Moomba gas field in South Australia.In 1976 he relocated to the mid-north coast of NSW and commenced livestock, timber and produce cartage. The 1980s saw Geoff still doing interstate truck work and outback coach camping tours. In the mid 1980s he had a break from driving and commenced employment with HW Crouch Pty Ltd as a truck salesman and then branch manager in Grafton. The company sold the International, Mercedes Benz and UD brands. Geoff returned to coach driving doing Australia-wide accommodated tours and interstate express in1988. In the mid 1990s he drove a SAR tipper on grain and fertilizer work for five years. 2000 saw him return to coach driving for 7 years on long distance and outback tours. For the last 3 years he has driven a crane truck with an excavator all over NSW doing Telstra installations. Geoff finally retired in March 2011.