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Digger Man

Digger Man Blog

by Nick Drew  |  Thu 15 Apr 2021

The Bob Marshall Story: A Life in Heavy Equipment (Part One)

My friend “Down Under” Eddie Marshall who we featured on this blog back in July last year, has been in touch with me once more to tell me more about his famous father Bob Marshall, who turns 90 later this month on April 26th who has spent a lifetime in the heavy equipment game. Eddie has kindly shared his life story with me, which I’m delighted to bring to the pages of the Digger Man Blog in this new series.

Part one is slightly different than the usual material we post on the blog, but it offers us the readers, some great insight into the man and sets up the story to follow.

The Bob Marshall Story: A Life in Heavy Equipment (Part One)

Bob Marshall has a “can do” attitude. Learning about his story has left me constantly amazed at what this man has achieved and where his varied interests have taken him. From a small farm in Monto to a beautiful 200-acre oasis on the Sunshine Coast – this is a man who could see opportunities where others couldn’t and had a willingness to work long and hard, while still remaining a humble and caring man.

Bob, as he was to become more well known, was born on the 26 April 1931 in Monto, Queensland. His parents, Harold William Albert and Rose Eva Marshall, named their young son Melville Robert Marshall.

The family of eight would move frequently over the coming years, moving from one small farm or venture as the opportunity arose for them.

Bob‘s father was a veteran of both the First World War and the Second World War. As a member of the Light horse Brigade Harold found himself fighting alongside infantrymen as they took to the beach at Gallipoli.

Photo: Private Harold William Albert Marshall, 2nd Infantry Battalion 1914-1915

Upon his return to Australia, Harold who was originally from Glen Innes in New South Wales qualified for the farm land grant under the soldier’s settlement scheme, and it was on this land at Monto that Harold and Rose started their family as well as growing corn, cotton and raising dairy cattle.

The Marshall children were expected to muck in around the farm and as a young child, Bob’s chores ranged from collecting sticks for the fire to cutting brush and wood. The family moved around a bit, selling small farms and buying new ones.

Bob recalls being three years old when they moved to North Arm and it was in this town that he started school at the age of six. The family has lived on farm’s at Crow’s Nest near Toowoomba, as well as Woondum near Gympie where the family had 150 head of cattle for dairy.

He looks back fondly on those days describing his family as battlers but assuring us that they never went hungry and that there were plenty of hugs to go around. When the Second World War started Harold enlisted again.

This time however he was able to stay in the country and was involved in the care of the submarines that were berthed at Brisbane, a lot of them were American, especially from 1942, following the bombing of Pearl Harbour. The war Didn’t stay on the Marshall’s doorstep but came right into their lives when tragically Bob’s eldest brother Jack, was killed while serving overseas.

After the war, Harold opened a small sawmill in Gympie. Bob was 14 years old by now and was already working in the mill cutting timber for the packaging cases for pineapples. Initially, a draft horse was used to strip the timber but later on the family purchased a tractor.

Bob had obviously been very enterprising from his youth and often on his way home from school he would cut a 3ft length of wood for the local bakery. On Saturdays he would work for a local fellow cleaning up engines for the local farmers milking machines, so it was clear to see he had a great work ethic.  

By the time Bob left school had manage to save £2000 – a huge amount of money for those days. His first big expense was the purchase of a BS a motorcycle when he was 16.

Lookout for part two of the Bob Marshall Story coming soon, we have some great classic photos to share as the series continues. 

 

 

 

 

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