This year saw 54 legends of the transport industry inducted into the Shell Rimula Transport Wall of Fame in Alice Springs.
Their stories will hang in perpetuity at the National Road Transport Museum alongside the hundreds of other trucking greats.
Amongst the worthy inductees on August 24 was one Mario Giacci.
Migrating from Italy to Australia at the age of 15, Mario’s story is not just a tale of business success, but of the migrant making a profound impact in a new land through his resilience and innovation.
In the 1950s, Mario and his brother Tony established A&M Giacci. What began with one truck would mark the beginning of the legacy spanning over five decades.
The company evolved to Giacci Bros, then to Giacci Group, before being sold in 2012. Mario’s ability to complete jobs on time, with minimal fuss, earned him reputation for reliability that his children wore keen to emulate in their business, MGM Limestone and, later, MGM Bulk.
Based in Bunbury, Western Australia the business has operations and depots scattered throughout Western Australia, employing around 550 people – many of them FIFO workers.
Possibly in that FIFO spirit, grandson, James, who is the company’s marketing manager, flew 66 family, friends and employees on a chartered jet to witness Mario’s induction into the Hall of Fame.
“We are a family business,” said James. “We have been in the transport industry for 65 years now and these are all people who have played a vital role in our company.
“Bringing all these people along for the ride as well is the least we could do. These are long-standing relationships with a lot of the people over here so it’s important to have them here celebrating with us.”
“They all helped me to get this award,” added Mario, talking about his people. “Without them I would be nothing. It is an honour.”
Today at 85, Mario still travels up to Port Hedland and Geraldton every fortnight to check in on his operations. He reckons this makes him the country’s oldest FIFO worker. He also gets up the boys if the trucks are dirty.
The company has just taken delivery of its 200th Kenworth, but Mario’s first truck was a Mack, which was on display at the induction ceremony.
Encyclopaedic knowledge rewarded
Sue Wright celebrates her induction with incoming chair Frank Bilato.Sue Wright’s face was one bewildered surprise when her name was called to receive her plaque commemorating her induction into the Wall of Fame.
Sue has dedicated over 50 years to the transport industry and is known as one of the best parts interpreters in Australia. She may not have driven a truck but she is responsible for having thousands of them on the road.
Her attitude towards triple checking that the right parts were being sent, might have frustrated her colleagues but made her an asset to every business she was part of.
She was working for herself when she had her daughter, Yvette. She gave birth on a Saturday and was out delivering to her customers the next Monday with baby in tow, such was her dedication to her job.
In 2010 she was recruited to run the spare parts division of Mick Murray Welding in Darwin, and later to open and run the Alice Springs business.
“I couldn’t believe that she actually wanted to work for us,” said Mick.
“We have had a wonderful relationship, never had a cross word with me or with a customer – and that’s worth its weight in gold alone.
“Ask her about a part for a 1991 Ford Louisville and she will reel off the number without glancing at the computer. I’m surprised she didn’t call her kids AV6014 or B6013 instead of names.
“I’m constantly in disbelief that not only did I secure an employee of Sue’s calibre, but that I’ve managed to keep her on board for the past 10 years. She has an absolutely brilliant knowledge of anything relating to the transport industry. She is an encyclopaedia.
“I bought her a St Patrick medallion, a Guardian Angel medallion and another Saint medallion to look after her, because she is always talking about the saints that find you things. Our Sue though, is the Patron Saint of Spare Parts.
“She is talking about retirement to Adelaide. I’m going to tie her to her desk!”
Mick flew Sue’s daughter, son, sister and a couple of friends to Alice Springs to witness her induction.
Laurie has last laugh
Laurie Williams once retired for a whole fortnight.Lawrence Williams was told by a teacher that he’d never amount to anything looking out a window.
As it turns out, Laurie’s life has been very successful, looking through the window of his truck! He started his career by driving tow trucks in Redcliffe.
Buying his first truck, a D-Series Ford, He went on to start Laurie Williams Car Carrying Company.
When he sold his business in 2000, Laurie retired for a whole fortnight, before landing a role providing dealer delivery of Isuzu trucks under his new company, North QLD Truck & Machinery Movements.
He is also the proud owner of the famous Bullet Burnout Truck (previously the Bandag Bullet), which is held the Guinness World Record for the fastest diesel-powered truck since 2005.
Boyhood dream comes true
Inductee Richard Beaumont, centre, flanked by Shell’s Nick Lubransky, left, and incoming chair Frank Bilato. Image: Graham HarsantWhen Richard Beaumont was a boy, he dreamt of having trucks with his name decorating the side.
He couldn’t have imagined that one day he would have 200 staff and more than 100 trucks and 300 trailers that proudly carried his name.
Richie started tracking in 1969 and, within two years he was out on his own, marking the beginning of Beaumont Transport. He secured a contract for coal, gravel, grain and ammonium nitrate.
His willingness to take a risk set Beaumont Transport apart. He was amongst the first to run bulk B-doubles and use BAB quads in south-east Queensland.
After 45 years in business, Richie sold in 2014 and today has reacquired a couple of his oldest trucks for restoration.
Not all work and no play
Ivan Bull’s induction capped a long and successful career that started at the age of 14.Ivan Bull, or Bully as he’s widely known, began his career in transport at age 14, driving Blitz and Chevy trucks for his father’s roadwork business.
From 1976, Bully purchased his own trucks – from an International AB 180 carting general freight, to an LTL Ford 400 Cummins running from Melbourne to Perth.
He and wife, Laurene and their family company for 10 years which they grew to a fleet of 11 trucks, two fridge vans and 14 semi-tippers.
It wasn’t all work and no play for Bully. He remembers a time when he and his best mate Barry, after pulling an all-nighter in the pub the night prior, turned up in suits to load sheep.
No plans to retire just yet
William Harney, centre, plans to keep on truckin’ for as long as he can.William Harney first started driving in 1959, carting a Chevrolet truck on the family farm.
By 1969, Bill was driving full-time for local carrier to Adelaide. On one ‘routine’trips, he popped the front wheel brake cylinder and lost all breaking mechanisms.
This made him the first person to use the safety ramp in the Adelaide Hills. Bill and wife, Kate, purchased Stawell Haulage – now Stawell Freighters – in 1990.
Three prime movers, five trailers and a forklift formed the fleet for their new business.
They picked up a great team of drivers, some of whom are still with them today. With 57 years in transport under his belt, Bill has no plans to retire just yet.
Community-minded driver has great run
Ronald Jackson was celebrated for a varied driving career that includes standout service to the community.Ronald ‘Jacko’ Jackson was born in 1939 in Arncliffe, New South Wales. His first experience of trucking was in his childhood, spending time travelling with his parents carting hay after World War II.
In 1953, Jacko got pulled over by the police for not indicating. Aged only 14, his hands were too small to be indicators!
For 10 years, from 1965 to 1975, Jacko was driving around Sydney, delivering television tubes in a Daihatsu Delta.
He then moved to Edgell, driving freezer trucks, he went on to drive school buses, coaches and, in 1999, finished up driving a 15-seater bus as a volunteer for Centrecare.
Jacko has very much enjoyed his time helping the community.
From US city traffic to remote mining sites
Trevor Perry has packed a lot in since he first started driving in the 80s.Trevor Perry started offsiding for a local maintenance contractor in Woomera in 1986. The business had two concrete trucks that Trevor learned how to operate. Soon enough he was driving the smaller trucks himself.
Trevor, looking for a change, secured a role with CalArk in the US. He covered 42 of the states on his travels, facing all weather conditions and hauling combinations up to 70 foot through the busy Los Angeles, New York and Chicago traffic.
Upon returning to Australia, Trevor was introduced to Rhodes contracting, now Exact Contracting, where he would spend the next 17 years.
As a heavy haulage driver Trevor’s role involves the mobilisation and demobilisation of machinery to mine sites and road construction jobs across South Australia, the Northern Territory and as far as Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales.
More time on dirt roads than bitumen
Lance Thompson knows every corrugated inch of the Tanami Road.Lance Thomsen would hear a truck start and he had to be in it.
This, before he could walk. His passion showed no signs of settling in his teenage years and he left school at 14 to work in the industry.
Lance has carted everything from fridge vans and general freight, to oversized work and tippers.
In 2001 he spent multiple days at Uluru unloading and reloading a Chinook helicopter that was sent from Townsville with emergencies supplies to send to the flooded communities.
There is not a desert Lance hasn’t worked in, declaring he has spent more of his life on remote dirt roads than he has on bitumen.
Now in his 19th year with G&S Transport, Lance may well be in the running for the title of the most time spent driving the Tanami Road.
These men and women, along with all the other inductees, are worthy of recognition by the transport industry, and it is thanks to the Alice Springs Road Transport Hall of Fame that they rightfully take their place on the walls with those that have gone before.
Full list of inductees for 2024
Brendon Armanasco (dec)
Richard Beaumont
Alan Bechley
Andrew Benedek
Beverley Betts (dec)
Ivan Bull
Ian Burkinshaw
Rodney Burkinshaw (dec)
Ian Carlin
Mark Castagna
Leo Castles
Wayne Cross
Brad Embrey
Kevin Englefield
Robert Hall
Alan Hancock (dec)
Brett Harder
David Harford
William Harney
David Hart
Edmond Hart (dec)
Scott Harvey
Albert Hogben
Bruce Horsfield
Barry Houghton
Ronald Jackson
Dion Langguth
Barry Lightfoot
Darrell Lightfot
Andy McEwan
Reg McLennan
Mick Molloy
Noel Molloy (dec)
Leslie Pangquee
Howard Parker
Tony Pedemont
Trevor Perry
Ross Ranger (dec)
Mark Rucioch
Shane Ruhl (dec)
Peter Sands (dec)
Steven Smith (dec)
James Souvlis (dec)
Michael Spears
Dennis Steenholdt
Lance Thompson
Ray Wellman
Robert Whitehead (dec)
Lawrence Williams
Sue Wright
Mario Giacci
Industry Icon: Gordon Martin
Industry Icon: Sam Sali (dec)
History Maker: Kurt Johannsen (dec)
For more pictures and stories from this year’s Festival of Transport in Alice Springs, grab your September 13 issue of Big Rigs from the usual outlet.
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