Graeme Laird
Graeme Neil Laird, better known amongst the trucking fraternity as “Trapper”, was born at Kellerberrin Hospital in December 1948. He grew up on the family farm at Kodji Kodjin and went to primary school in Trayning. Graeme’s secondary education was at Kellerberrin High School with his last 2 years spent at Cunderdin Agricultural School in 1964 and 1965.
Graeme’s entry into trucking began through the family farm. Graeme’s father had a heart attack when Graeme was only 18 years of age, so Graeme gained a special license so he could cart fertilizer and wheat with their Bedford J5 or J6.
In 1969 Graeme went to Leonora to work for Mr Williams carting cattle from Carnegie to Leonora where they were put on a train to go to Kalgoorlie. After doing many trips with the local cop, Graeme asked if he could please have a semi license so he could work over the 1969 harvest back in the Wheatbelt. The cop was unaware he didn’t have one and was only too obliging.
After the 1969 harvest, Graeme went to work for Reg Russell and Sons at the Tammin Abattoir carting livestock and meat and even spent a bit of time inside the abattoir itself.
Trapper has worked all over WA carting fuel, fertilizer, grain, hay and livestock either working for himself or Russells. He has driven trucks including Bedfords, Leyland, D series Ford, AB 160 International, Dodge 318, Kenworth, Macks and an SAR. The final truck Graeme drove was an Iveco. In 2018, Russell Transport presented Trapper with an award recognizing his 50 years of sheep carting.
The truck business has certainly been a family affair with Trapper’s wife, Christine, taking calls for bookings and doing the accounts, and his children, Jane and Philip, loving to tag along with their dad in their preschool days as well as a few sneaky days off school! Jane loved to do the trips delivering the skins and Philip has continued the family involvement in the transport industry.
Trapper describes his 58 years of trucking as a good journey, meeting many and although he can’t always recall them, they know who he is! If his body wasn’t worn out from hanging off stock crates, Graeme would probably still have more trips in him! After a few failed attempts and 56 years in the transport industry, Trapper finally retired in 2024. He is rarely found at home for long and is usually found helping around the district organizing gear at clearing sales or down at the Men’s Shed restoring his vintage trucks.
