Western Transport
| Company type | Road Transport |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1934 |
| Founder | Cyril Anderson |
| Defunct | 1972 |
| Fate | Sold |
| Headquarters | Toowoomba, Australia |
Western Transport was a road transport company that commenced operation in 1934 [1] in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.
Background
[edit]Founder John Cyril Anderson worked in a family grocery store in Toowoomba, and he purchased a two-ton Studebaker truck in 1934 to bring supplies into the store from Brisbane. Eventually this supply run was expanded to a general carry business venture and by 1936 the operation had increased to four vehicles, becoming Western Transport Pty Ltd.[2]
In 1950 Western Transport acquired Maranoa Transport company and greatly expanded their operating area.
Overview
[edit]In its heyday of the 1950s through to the 1970s, Western Transport operated the largest fleet of trucks in Australia, over 500 trucks and trailers in all. The company serviced every mainland state with depots in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin and fifty-three Queensland towns.[3]
Through Western Transport, Cyril Anderson was instrumental in starting up the local truck manufacturing company Leader Trucks, having previously had a large shareholding in Mack Trucks Australia.[4]
Western Transport, Anderson Agencies, Maranoa Transport, Westco Motors, Great Western, Wesco Truck Sales and Western Oilfields Trucking were all part of the Western Transport organisation.[citation needed]
In 1972 Western Transport was sold to Bell Brothers of Western Australia.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Great Western Group lift out feature supplement Toowoomba Chronicle 6 August 1971
- ^ French, M. Anderson, John Cyril (1904–1983). Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- ^ "Western Transport". westerntransportmuseum.com. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ British Group in Bid to Take Over Western Transport Truck & Bus Transportation August 1965 page 119
- ^ Large transport company sold to interstate group Truck & Bus Transportation August 1972 page 127