George (Smith) Williamson

George Joseph Henry Williamson (Smith) was born in 1937 in Melbourne, Victoria, where he grew up.  After a short stint in the army he began his trucking career in the late 1950’s and continued driving through to the late 1990’s.  

George’s driving career was varied. Early in his career, he drove pan techs, freezer units and general freight on  the Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane route.  Those days were filled with fond memories of his adventures on the ‘Putty Road’, the shortcut used by heavy vehicles travelling from Brisbane, Queensland, to the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales.  George drove many different makes of vehicles but had a special love for Mack, Kenworth and M.A.N. trucks.  

In 1974, after Cyclone Tracey decimated Darwin, George and his wife decided to relocate with most of the family to Darwin in the Northern Territory. He converted a double decker bus and they headed to the Top End to join the rebuilding of the city.  George had a variety of jobs during this time from school care-taker to Transport Coordinator with the Department of Health, before he opened his own business, TECS – Territory Escort and Courier Services.  George travelled throughout the Territory escorting many  varied types of transport.  

In his later years George loved to recount stories of his adventures on the road which instilled a love of driving in his son, Neil, who continues to be part of the transport industry today.   George will always be remembered by family and friends as a nomad and a typical truckie,  always ready to give anyone a hand and have a chat about anything.

George passed away in April 2020, in Toowoomba, Queensland.                                                         Inducted in 2021