Graham Wilson
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2012.
Graham Wilson was born in Brisbane during the Second World War. His family moved from Brisbane to Beaudesert in 1950 where Graham's father, a mechanic and a truckie, operated a small fleet of five and six yard tip trucks. Over the years these progressively included KB, DS35 and R180 Internationals and a 1952 Maple Leaf.
As a lad of 12 years old the deal was that if Graham shovelled gravel by hand on the weekends, he was rewarded with being able to have a drive. He left school at the age of 16 taking up a position at the local court house which he held for six years. When he turned 18 Graham purchased a 1946 KB 55 International for £90 - it was all he had at the time. He worked the truck moving cattle and hay after court house hours. In 1963 Graham left the court house and established a general freight business operating six tabletops including petrol powered R160 and R180 Internationals and Commers and of course, his KB 55 International. In later years Graham hauled interstate with a B-Model Mack. In 1974 Graham sold out and purchased a pogo stick MAN and joined Pozzolanic. This was the beginning of a 38 year relationship which continues to this day.In the early 1980s Graham turned up in Townsville to pull a roadtrain of cement tankers with his 211hp B-Model Mack to the Kidston Dam Project. He was treated as a bit of a joke by the other six operators on the job with their fast trucks. Graham knew he would have to prove himself. It was thought he wouldn't make it up the 'jump ups' but Graham says they hadn't allowed for that gear in the quad box, where the left hand went over and up and the right hand went over and back. After a month on the job the B-Model kept going back and forward with no break downs. Graham and his Mack had both proven themselves. Graham says the industry has been good to him. Mary, his wife of 44 years, and his two sons have worked within the business and have contributed much to its success. Retirement is not on the horizon while he keeps good health and Graham fully intends to continue servicing his clients for as long as he can.