Gary Parker Electricians & Electrical Contractors
I was born in Winton in 1969, I went to school in Winton until grade 9 when I went to St Teresa’s Catholic College Abergowrie, when I left school and got my first job on the Winton Shire Council on the road gang then I soon moved into the parks and gardens department where I had done many jobs from mowing lawns to driving a street sweeper then to the ganger position, also from 1986 to 2007 I was a DJ playing at the Australian Hotel in Winton as well as many large events in Winton, my disco machine was name The Rock Machine. In 2007 I moved to Townsville to start an apprenticeship as an Electrician under my farther in law Graham Butterworth. In 2013 I became a member of the Townsville Veteran Vintage & Historic Motor Club and in 2016 became the Club Captain and Magazine Editor, i remained Club Captain untill 2020, in 2022 I become Vice President and in 2023 got elected as President.
I take to my work the same determination and quality of work that I put into all of my tasks, work or pleasure. I am a firm believer in you tell me it can’t be done and I’ll prove you wrong, as long as it abides by the Australian Standards. I am building a business and working as a tradesmen using the same qualities I have learnt from Graham Butterworth and the western life. I hope to bring a quality service to your home.
3rd Jun 2016
Truckin’ in the Tropics: Gary Parker
ONE of the undoubted highlights of Townsville’s Heritage Day on May 15 2016 was a 1934 Dodge K32 truck.
It was on display at Townsville’s West End Park and is owned by Gary Parker who has lovingly restored it.
“It was my dad’s and used to deliver water to Winton and originally was a fuel truck. I got it in 1985,” Gary said.
The wonderful Dodge is registered with the Townsville Veteran Vintage and Historic Motor Club.
Gary started restoring it in mid 2009 and finished in September of 2010.
John McLean was one of the many who checked out the
Dodge and was highly impressed.
“This is a beautiful old truck and stands out and lots of people have been looking at it,” John said.
Mary Small was another who liked the Dodge.
“It must have taken a lot of time to restore and seeing it has been great for me,” she said.
2nd Aug 2018
Dodge’s touch of glamour
A 1934 DODGE truck gained a touch of glamour when pin up girls group Scarlett Dolls gathered around it at the Townsville Show.
The Dodge was in a hall where the Townsville Veteran, Vintage and Historic Motor Club had numerous displays.
More than 60,000 people attended the show held from June 29-July 2.
The club is based in Townsville and was started in 1968 and has members in Ingham, Burdekin (Ayr and Home Hill) and Charters Towers and its objectives are to encourage the preservation, restoration and use of veteran, vintage and historic vehicles.
Scarlett Dolls is a popular promotional entertainment group of young woman who wore World War II military uniforms.
Gary Parker is the owner of the Dodge one and half ton truck which his dad gave to him in 1985 and since has been lovingly restored.
“It was the Shell truck at Winton from new and I think it was until sometime in the late ’50s,” Gary said.
“In WWII it was used to refuel the US Air Force at the Winton Airport. In the ’70s and ’80s she was used to cart water for pigs out of town and was hooked up to a table saw.
“I tried to restore it in the late ’80s but could not find the parts or the time, but I still got it going for the Outback Festival in Winton for the following years (1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993) and was on display for the 1995 Outback Festival, after this she became unsafe to use.”
Gary said the Dodge was in Winton during the January 2000 floods when water went over its roof.
“In February 2000 we dried it out and started it to drive it to our new house in Winton,” he said.
“She sat there until we moved to Townsville in June 2007, so we moved it to the Truck Museum in Winton. In June 2009 we had it trucked to Townsville to be restored, and started the restoration and finished on September 24, 2010.
“This time most of the parts where easy to find thanks to the internet and eBay, and some parts we have changed to modern parts like alternator, thermostat, condenser, and new set of VDO gauges.”
This Dodge has a 218 small block motor and a four speed gearbox it was imported into Australia by TJ Richards and Sons and they built the cab and tray.
The model is K32, engineering code and wheelbase is T-6-E-136.