John Price
John Price, better known as Johnno, was born in Beechworth in April 1933 to farmer and carrier’s Fred and Hilda Price. John went to school at Beechworth before leaving at 15 to work in the local post office. He remembers the days of delivering letters and parcels on the back of a motorbike.
At the age of 18 John left to begin driving for his father as a general carrier. The first trip on his own involved delivering a load of chaff in a 1943/45 Maple Leaf with a 6-cylinder engine. Other trips included carting general goods to the Co-store in Wangaratta and stock to the local markets. During this time, John was called up to complete national service at Puckapunyal Army base. When he wasn’t driving tanks, he was driving jeeps, carting Generals to their destinations.
Upon John’s return, he resumed general cartage which included delivering 5-foot logs of wood from the bush to supply the local tannery to run the boilers. His father had won the contract to keep the boilers going so they could make leather for boots for the soldiers. John laughs when he recalls loading the logs onto carts on railway lines that were then pushed downhill to the boilers, with some going too fast and not taking the bend in the track and rolling over!
John’s next truck was a brand new Chev with a straight 6 petrol that his father purchased out of Fishermans Bend. At 23, John married Elaine Boys and later went on to have 3 children, Linda, Neil, and Graeme.
John continued driving for his father, carting all types of loads including cows, pigs, sheep, horses, wool and ceramic pipes from Melbourne to Beechworth and any other freight available.
The next truck John drove was a 6.5 ton Commer with a slant 6 Chrysler engine with a 19.6 foot tray. In 1973 John took over the business from his father. The trips increased and freight changed to include furniture and also fruit from the local orchards to Ardmona in Shepparton and night loads to the Victorian Markets in Melbourne.
Trips were also made to Queensland, where on one trip with Elaine and his brother Laurie as passengers, they spotted some pineapples growing in a paddock just off the highway. They decided to pick a few and devoured them all on their journey, only to arrive at their destination with swollen lips and tongues!
John bought his last truck in 1973, a Commer with a 6354 Perkins, 8 ton, 21 foot 6 tray that he clocked up 183000 miles in, using it for general freight and stock. He even carted bulldozers and tractors for local contractors with it. The truck is now owned by his youngest son Graeme.
John donated his truck and time to the local Easter Parade for several floats. During those years he also drove a 7 ton Bedford that he used to deliver fuel to local farmers and houses for Golden Fleece.
Before fully retiring John drove a bus for the local aged care home transporting residents and taking them on picnics. John says things have changed and gone are the days of carrying loads at night with only a hurricane lamp for light. He continues to live at home with Elaine, his wife of 69 years.
