British Lorries Wool-carting in Australia.
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• A LTHOUGIT American manufacturers have secured a firm foothold in the motor vehicle market of Australia, of late years the British product, and particularly the vehicle intended for business uses, has made considerable strides in the country, both as a medium for passenger carrying and goods transport. Moreover, evidence is not. ware.fag to show that., providing adequate
facilities can be arranged for the service requirements of the user to be met, more especially in the matter of spare parts, many owners and prospective buyers express a decided preference for the products of commercial vehicle makers of the Mother Country.
It is pleasing to note that British manufacturers are now giving greater attention to the Australian market, for its potentialities are very considerable, and there is little doubt that, as the country's development proceeds and trade expands, motor vehicles will be called for in increasing numbers. The commercial and industrial expansion of Australia is proceeding apace, and its future economic status is largely dependent on transport, and particularly the road motor. Keen rivalry must inevitably arise between British and American makers who are paying heed to this market.
John I. Thornyeroft and Co., Ltd., figure prominently amongst those British manufacturers who have not been slow to recognize these facts and, of recent years, quite a number of vehicles of different types produced in their Basingstoke works have been exported for service in the Commonwealth of Australia.
By a recent •mail the company have received some interesting evidence of the invaluable work which is being performed by machines of their make in this country, and some idea of the rigorous conditions under which these vehicles operate can be ascertained by reference to the pictures on this page. The machine which we illustrate is a 5-tanner of the Q type, and it is in the service of Messrs. McCamey, of Rode reds. It is regularly at work in the Roobourna district, which is located some 1,000 miles from Perth, on the north-west coast, from which centre it carries big loans of provisions to stations as far as 300 miles inland. When the vehicle has shed its outward-bound consignment of goods it usually returns with a cargo of wool. .
In one of the pictures the vehicle is shown with a load of wool, in another with a load of general merchandise, whilst in the third it is to he seen at work in an up-country district side by side with camel-drawn wagons.
We learn that the owners are extremely satisfied with the mechanical efficiency and reliability of this vehicle, and their West Australian agents at Perth report that it was the first motor vehicle to operate in this territory.
Another Thornyeroft vehicle of the Q type is also engaged in similar work in conjunction with a four-wheeled trailer, and, although the manufacturers have received a picture of this machine, it is not sufficiently good to reproduce. We understand, however, that when the photograph was taken the vehicle had just hauled a full load, i.e., g0 bales of wool, for a distance of 90 miles to Adelaide. Some idea of the size a load of this description can be gained by studying the centre picture of our group, in which the first vehicle to which we make reference is to be seen carrying 24 bales of a similar weight and shape.