HVIA’s 50th anniversary legacy project starts now!

It’s a story with many chapters. In order to understand where we are going with this, we’ll need to take you back to a couple of crucial events.

The Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Queensland (now HVIA), was incorporated in 1970, (which means we turn 50 in 2020!)

That only came about thanks to the ingenuity and determination of twenty-one transport industry exhibitors who came together for the first Queensland Truck Show, at Haulmark Trailer’s premises, Ipswich Road, Rocklea, two years earlier.

In images of the official opening of the inaugural event you can see the stage – a 1926 Thornycroft A2 flatbed.

Prior to the 50th anniversary Brisbane Truck Show, a concerted search established the whereabouts of the old girl in Glen Innes, in northern NSW, thanks to the great detective work of Past CVIAQ Director Cameron McFadyen.

Avid collector and restorer Steven King had her in his paddock.

“I bought it at a Kingaroy clearing sale a few years back,” Steven said. “I was told that it was some kind of famous XXXX beer truck.”

As you can see she hasn’t exactly been garaged all this time.

“Sadly, it has been badly weathered, and the bonnet, wings, and cab are missing.”

However, the story is going to have a happy ending. This week we collected her and dropped her off at TAFE Skillstech Queensland, where the restoration process will be undertaken in time to be featured at the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show.

Now, we know there are a lot of HVIA members who have a passion for, and a lot of experience with, restoration projects and there will be a whole bunch of opportunities for you to get involved and to support the restoration.

We’ll tell you more about that when we are back in the New Year.

This is the beginning of an exciting and, obviously, challenging journey. We look forward to sharing the journey with you here.

With enormous thanks to Steven King, Heritage Hauler editor Michelle Wilkie and to past-CVIAQ Director Cameron McFadyen.