Photos from our collection
Whitey is on the Loose again!
The historic re-enactment left this morning from the Commissariat Store, 115 William Street, headquarters of The Royal Historical Society, at 9.35 am, on 5 July 2018 precisely 100 years after the original trip.
On the fifth of July at 9.35am 1918 Fred Eager left from the Treasury buildings in Queen Street carrying a sealed watch provided by Hardy Brothers to attempt to break the then record of 2 hours 35 minutes set by W.A. Elvery in a Studebaker in 1916. The route taken was Brisbane, Redbank, Ipswich, Calvert, Grandchester, Laidley, Gatton, Helidon and finally Toowoomba. Despite the risk of having railway gates closed due to two trains being on the main line and having to ford a creek at Helidon due to the bridge being under repair, Fred Eager drove “Old Whitey” to the front of the Toowoomba Post Office in the record time of 2hours 7 minutes and thirty seconds.