Frank Thorn

Frank Thorn was born in Stanthorpe, Queensland, in 1954.  He did not enjoy school and left, or was asked to leave, in Grade Nine. He went to work in a variety of jobs from the sawmills and railways to picking fruit.  

Frank’s first job in the trucking industry was doing local pickups in a D Series Ford and a Commer for Lindsay Brothers. Continuing to work for the company, Frank moved to Bundaberg, Queensland,  carting produce down to Brisbane. 

Frank moved between Stanthorpe and Bundaberg over the years, driving for different companies. In Stanthorpe he worked for Granite Belt Fruit Freighters and for Theiss Brothers on the Tarong Power House Project. He also worked for Weston Freight Lines driving road trains to the mines, mainly through Central Queensland.  At times, Frank also  carted grain and ran ‘singles’ to the markets. Eventually,  Lindsay Brothers bought out Weston’s and  Frank spent the next 27 and a half years driving on the market and express runs, working wherever he was needed.

In 2006, Frank left Lindsay Brothers and worked for Caspaland Haulage, carting produce in a new Western Star.  He then went on to drive for the LCR Group at Middlemount before starting at the Newlands Coal Mine where he drove road trains on the mine site.  

Frank retired in 2020 and lives in Mackay, Queensland.                                                Inducted in 2021