....Jack Errit and his Jackbilts....

...nah Eric, it was a Mack before it was a mackworth so it's not up my alley...and Hi Beam tells how this one was written off in the 'Territory...

...wonder what that ???worth was?

Well I've read some great stories on here but nothing has come close to that one Hi Beam. Thanks for taking the time to type it up

Top story Hi beam a pleasure to read thanks.

that's a top one hi beam, australia was built on blokes blokes like that, pity it's all stuffed now...jk

HiBeam
One of the best stories I've read on here-and we all know there are lots of good stories told here. More please-what Knighty said, and what everybody else said too. More please
Cheers

Great story Hi Beam ,sorry to here about JC that bloke could get anything going with a screw driver &hammer RIP John. What every happen to Dennis Thanks Chappo
PS sorry Newto been painting the house missed your post

G'day Chappo

Don't know what happened to Dennis. After he wrote the Mackworth off he convalesced at Jacks place for over a year I think and last I heard of him he was working for Arnotts Syd-Melb in a big flash jigger in the early eightees. Nice bloke, best boozer I ever met, even Cold Cans would have had trouble keeping up with him I reckon. Bloke rang from SA a few years ago looking for him as his daughter had been hurt in an accident. Never did hear more than that.

Hi-Beam

Thanks for the nice comments blokes.

Jack Ehret was of mixed English, Irish, Scottish and German stock. His father John Ernest Ehret was a soldier settler who did a bit of carrying to make ends meet. The par. below refers to him not Jack.

The par is ambiguous in relation to the distance. Was it 45 miles return each trip, 45 miles for the day, 9 miles each way each trip. It could not have been 45 each way as this would have been 270 miles for the day. I am inclined to go for the 45 miles total. His biggest load was 12.85 tons.
His truck was a 1920 solid rubber tyred International of about six tons carrying capacity.


This par was lifted from The Argus of Wednesday 29/12/1926 Page 11 of 18

Rainbow Victoria.

A record in wheat carting was established on Friday by Mr. J. Ehret, contractor, who carted
429 bags of wheat to Rainbow, traversing a distance of 45 miles. His three loads comprised 119
bags, 150 bags, and 160 bags.

In those days of "Iron men and wooden machines" a bag of wheat was 3 bushels, or 180 pounds. 429 bags was therefore 34.47 tons. They would have been loaded and unloaded by hand. John Victor always reckoned his old man was a good doer.

I wonder if he ever knew just how good?

Jack told me that his father used to win the 200 yard sprint at the Rainbow show each year. I thought this was odd as Jack also said he was anchor man in the 1st AIF tug of war team. When I questioned him about this he told me that the rainbow sprint consisted of 100 yard dash down the oval, pick up a 3 bushel bag of wheat off the ground and run back with it. Jack said dad was always last at the turn but first at the finish!

Hooroo

dear hi beam he must have thought after the first load "she;s not even on the overloads" i can bang on a few more bags whale