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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-07-26 Daily Xml
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KRUSE, MR E.G. (TOM)

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:03): I move:

That the House of Assembly expresses its deep regret at the recent death of Esmond Gerald, better known as Tom, Kruse MBE, the outback pioneer who won international recognition as the mailman of the Birdsville Track, and places on its record its appreciation for his lifetime of outstanding service and dedication to our remote families and communities, and that as a mark of respect to his memory the sitting of the house be suspended until the ringing of the bells.

Like so many South Australians, and countless people around Australia and across the world, I was saddened by last month's passing of Tom Kruse. For more than 70 years, Tom's name was synonymous with the spirit, the values and the character of the great Australian outback. Through his fortnightly mail runs from Marree in our state's far north-west up to Birdsville in remote southern Queensland, he became more than a legendary character. For many families and individuals, he was their only regular link with the outside world. He was the provider of not only eagerly awaited letters and parcels from loved ones but also essential goods, fuel and even medicine.

Tom Kruse's mail deliveries became just as important to folks living in some of the world's most isolated terrain as were the services of that other great bush institution—the Royal Flying Doctor Service. At the same time, Tom's story very much reflected the story of South Australia: his willingness to take on the toughest challenges, his refusal to be daunted by obstacles in his path and his ability to innovate and adapt to make sure he always delivered, which meant he earned the trust and the esteem of so many people he met during a most remarkable life.

Tom Kruse was born on 28 August 1914—eight months before the Gallipoli landing—at Waterloo near Manoora in our state's Mid North. He was the 10th of 12 children born to Harry and Ida Kruse and, at age 14, he left school to begin work as a casual labourer on local farms. However, due to the effects of the Depression, he went bush in 1934 to work for a haulage firm at Yunta.

Two years later, when the owner of the haulage company took over the region's Royal Mail contract, Tom made his first mail run. With his trusted Aboriginal partner, Henry Butler, riding alongside, Tom took his 1936 Leyland Badger truck along more than 500 kilometres of the uncharted and unpredictable Birdsville Track. Each run took two weeks, although sometimes it was longer, depending on mechanical breakdowns, flooded creeks, rutted roads and the likelihood of getting bogged in the shifting sand dunes.

In 1942, Tom married Valma Fuller. In 1947, he took over the mail contract in his own right. In 1954, Tom was immortalised in John Heyer's award-winning documentary The Back of Beyond. This is a film that not only broke new ground in Australia but won awards at Venice, Edinburgh and Trento, amongst other places. It is widely regarded as the first Australian film to make a big impact on the world stage.

During her historic first visit to Australia in 1954, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, saw the famous movie. As a result, when her New Year's Honours list was released in 1955, Tom Kruse was awarded an MBE for services to the community in the outback. The wife of the then governor-general, Sir William Slim, flew to Birdsville to present the award. Unfortunately, even though the wife of the governor-general had flown from Canberra, Tom could not make it because he had been stranded in the outback due to flooding, so it had to be awarded in Adelaide at a later date.

Tom made the last of his regular rounds in 1957, the same year as the Leyland Badger was abandoned when it broke down at Pandie Pandie Station, near Birdsville. In 1963, Tom sold the mail contract and, the following year, Val moved to Adelaide for the benefit of the children and their schooling. Tom stayed up north, doing what he loved: building roads, sinking dams, hauling loads.

Eventually, in 1984, the couple retired to Cumberland Park but Tom's life was anything but sedate. In 1986, he was involved in the Jubilee Mail Run re-enactment that featured 80 vehicles and, during which, his old Leyland Badger—abandoned so many, many years before—was found and retrieved. The vehicle was then lovingly restored and, in 1999, a second re-enactment of the famous mail run was staged. The Leyland was trucked to a few kilometres outside Birdsville to allow Tom to make one final grand entrance into town. The next morning, loaded with more than 7,000 letters, many from wellwishers, he set off for Marree. 'The Mail Truck's Last Run', as the event was known, allowed everyone along the track to bid Tom goodbye and also raised thousands of dollars for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

In 2000, Tom was inducted into the National Transport Hall of Fame. In 2003, Australian Geographic magazineawarded him one of its prestigious Lifetime of Adventure awards, an honour he shares with our home-grown astronaut Andy Thomas and Arkaroola's Griselda Sprigg. Also that year, Tom, along with his truck, were nominated as South Australian icons by the National Trust of Australia. In 2008, life-size bronze busts of Tom were placed at Birdsville, Marree and at the National Motor Museum at Birdwood, where the unveiling was performed by the then governor-general, Major General Michael Jeffrey.

Tom Kruse was a true pioneer, an exemplary citizen and a quintessential Australian. The Leader of the Opposition and I attended his funeral quite recently, and it became very clear that he was a devoted husband, inspirational father and grandfather, and a great, great friend to countless people he met during his work and through his travels. The regard in which he was held, and the special place he carved in our state's history was so evident at the celebration of his life at Morphettville Racecourse earlier this month.

On behalf of all members on this side of the house, and all South Australians, I want to express my gratitude for his outstanding contribution to our state and our nation, and also my sincere condolences to his friends and family, especially his children Pauline, Helen, Phillip and Jeffery; his eight grandchildren; and his 18 great-grandchildren.

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:12): It is my privilege and my pleasure to second the Premier's motion. Tom Kruse was an outback legend, a South Australian icon and Australia's most famous mailman. From the 1930s to the 1960s, Tom was also a lifeline to people along the Birdsville Track. During this time, he provided a critical service to some of the most remote areas of Australia, delivering mail, general supplies, fuel and medicine once a fortnight along the track from Marree to Birdsville.

But Tom was more than just a mailman to the people along the Birdsville Track. He was also a friendly face, providing company and good cheer to them as he delivered information from the outside world. People were dependent on Tom: if he did not make his fortnightly deliveries, many of the stations along the Birdsville Track would have been isolated from the outside world. But Tom disagreed that he was some sort of hero, insisting that he was simply doing his job.

Esmond Gerald, otherwise known as Tom Kruse, was born on 28 August 1914, the 10th of 12 children, to Ida and Harry Kruse. He left school in 1927 at the age of 13 and undertook various labouring jobs, including a job in his father's blacksmith shop and in a small garage owned by his older brother. He started his truck driving career in 1932 at the age of 18, working for a Yunta storekeeper and postmaster by the name of John Penna.

Tom began working for outback transport operator and mail contractor Harry Ding in 1934 when he was just 20. Ding's expanding business empire soon included the Birdsville Track mail contract and, on 1 January 1936, Tom made his first Birdsville mail run in scorching 45° heat. The mail run between Marree and Birdsville normally took between seven days and a fortnight to complete, but it sometimes took a lot longer, depending on the condition of the track. On one occasion, Tom was away for six weeks. Tom regularly battled difficult conditions including dust storms, sandhills, flies, floods and swollen rivers and creeks. Back then, the journey was tough and dangerous. The track itself was only graded for the first time in 1957—so, for the first 21 years that Tom was driving the mail along it, the track had not even been graded.

Breakdowns were also common, and Tom had to rely on his own initiative and resourcefulness as a skilled bush mechanic to overcome the harsh conditions on the track. On one of his first mail runs in 1936, Tom had to walk to Mungerannie and back to Mulka in 40° heat to get a broken tail shaft fixed. On another occasion, when the fuel pump broke, Tom put a container of fuel up on the roof, knocked a hole through the bonnet, and put a pipe down to the carburettor to fix the problem. It sounds like something the boys on Top Gear would have been really proud of.

Tom bought the mail run and the contract for it from Harry Ding in 1947 but stopped doing regular trips along the Birdsville Track in 1953 when he started an earthmoving and tank-sinking business in the pastoral north. His last trip to Birdsville on the mail run was 1963. It is remarkable, and a mark of the man that, so many years after that last mail run, Tom remains famous for that work. As the Premier has indicated, the story of the Birdsville mailman entertained many generations and became an international award-winning documentary. Tom starred in The Back of Beyond in 1954, which won the Grand Prix at the international film festival of Venice that same year.

Of course, Tom's most famous truck was the 1936 Leyland Badger, which was abandoned when it broke down on Pandie Pandie Station in 1957. However, in 1986 the Badger was rediscovered in the desert and restored by Tom and a group of enthusiasts. The truck's last run was in 1999 when Tom, by then aged 85, drove the truck from Birdsville to the National Motor Museum in Birdwood, delivering more than 7,000 letters from around the world on the way. During that trip, $12,000 was also raised for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Although Tom remains famous for his work as the Birdsville mailman, many may not be aware of his other work in the outback. In 1939, Tom helped transport supplies for explorer Dr Cecil Madigan, the second European person to cross the Simpson Desert by camel. He was also involved with the early exploration of the oil and gas industry in the Cooper Basin and worked as a contractor in the early days of Santos.

In 1955, as was mentioned, Tom was made a Member of the British Empire for his services to the outback. He was supposed to receive his award in Birdsville from the wife of the then governor-general but missed the ceremony because he was cut off by floodwaters across the track. He officially received his title in Adelaide in 1956. As the Premier also mentioned, Tom was inducted into the National Transport Hall of Fame in 2000 and recognised as an Outback Legend by Australian Geographic in 2003.

Despite all the recognition he received, Tom remained a very humble man. Kevin Oldfield, from Clayton Station, also remembered Tom as being easygoing. He said:

When it got tough he would just laugh; [he was] a very casual sort of old fella, who took everything in his stride.

Above all, though, Tom was a proud family man. He was happily married to Valma for 68 years until her death in August last year. Together they had four children—Pauline, Helen, Phillip and Jeffrey—eight grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. I offer my sincere condolences on behalf of all those on this side of the house to the family, the extended family and particularly to those who are present in the gallery today.

Tom passed away peacefully in Adelaide on 30 June 2011 aged 96. Tom's large extended family attended his funeral, despite some of them having to travel a very long way to do so. It is not surprising, given the large extended family over the generations, that I saw cousins actually meeting cousins they did not know for the first time at Tom's funeral.

Tom was larger than life, but also a gentle giant, a true gentleman and a truly great South Australian. His contribution to the outback and his dedication to the job will never be forgotten. I commend the motion to the house.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:18): It is with sadness about his death but also with pleasure about his life that I speak today, on behalf of the people of Stuart, of the passing of one of our heroes, the late Tom Kruse MBE, who died on 30 June just two months short of his 97th birthday.

While I do not pretend to have known him well, I do consider myself very fortunate to have met Tom on two occasions. The first was in the year 2000, when he came in with a group of friends for dinner at Spud's Roadhouse at Pimba, where I lived and worked. He was an elderly man then but still full of life and internal energy and was engaging company.

Although completely unintentional on his part, he was instantly recognisable and obviously considered a star by everyone who saw him. I can clearly remember the excitement of a woman from one of the nearby stations, who rushed in from the bar and burst into the kitchen to tell everyone, with great enthusiasm, that Tom Kruse had come in for dinner. Well, as you can imagine our first thought was, 'Which one?' and as one sharp young staff member instantly quipped, 'Roast lamb or roast beef?' To everyone there that night, Tom came across as a friendly, down-to-earth, genuine person who was comfortable being the centre of attention but certainly did not yearn to be. He was open and welcoming to everybody who wanted to talk with him.

The second time I met Tom was in 2008 in Marree, a very important outback town at the southern end of the Birdsville Track, when a life-size bust of him was unveiled and placed at the Marree telecentre. This vivid and realistic sculpture is a timeless reminder to locals and visitors alike of the importance that Tom Kruse has had and will always have to the town of Marree and the outback more broadly.

That day Tom was physically frailer than he was at our first meeting, but he was certainly on the ball mentally and had lost none of his laid-back charm or his star attraction. We have heard much today from the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition about the history of Tom and his family, including his late wife, Val, sons, daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and also about the tremendous achievements and accolades that he has deservingly received throughout his life.

Tom Kruse is a hero, and Tom Kruse will always be an Australian legend. He was one of the very rare people to deservingly earn both those titles during his own lifetime. He does not just stand out today as an icon of a romanticised, bygone era. Tom stood out among his contemporaries and was well recognised for this at that time. Just to put it into context, very few people have had or ever will have a movie made about them during their own lifetime and, because nobody else is up to the task, play themselves in the leading role.

Far more important to his family and close friends than these accolades is that Tom was a very down-to-earth, normal and decent man. He did not seek the limelight, but he did accept it with modesty and openness. He did not set out to be famous but became famous by doing what he did. For me, Tom Kruse is the best kind of hero: a grassroots hero. He achieved and became famous on the back of his own work.

Whether crossing the Simpson Desert, helping to explore for oil or gas in the Cooper Basin, delivering the mail and supplies along the Birdsville Track or, as most of his working life was spent, undertaking earthworks contracts throughout outback South Australia, Tom was recognised for his strength, resilience, determination, skill and, most importantly, his nature. This is so admirably demonstrated by his most notable quote, 'I'm simply doing my job.' Tom Kruse did not do his unique jobs so that he would be well recognised, but he was recognised for doing his unique jobs so well.

In this age of mobile phones, emails, internet shopping, computer games, 24-hour news cycles and virtual reality, and in a world where unfortunately so many people's self-esteem is based on how many website hits, Facebook friends or Twitter followers they have, I applaud a man who lived and worked for decades in the harshest of environments and whose personal capacity, dedication and character shone through above all else.

I have never lived on a cattle station. For several years I did live and work in a very small outback town with a population of 35. I understand how important having good relationships with the people who passed through is, and the people who provide a regular service are especially appreciated.

This is as true today as it ever has been on the Birdsville Track and throughout the rest of outback South Australia. Today, the people who live in these areas want their friends and associates to call in. They look forward to it, and they need it. I can only imagine how important that must have been back in the 1930s, forties, fifties and sixties, when communication with people from off your station was primarily based on rare conversations, letters, telegrams and two-way radios.

One of the most important aspects of the service that Tom Kruse provided to the people of the Birdsville Track is that, as well as delivering newspapers, mail, passengers, freight and supplies, he was also the conduit of communication between station homesteads. In many ways, to locals this was an equally important part of the service. It goes without saying that only a person of Tom's character could have been so trusted to do this for so long.

To Tom Kruse's family I offer my condolence and also my appreciation for their contribution to his life, including great care in later years. To Tom Kruse himself, on behalf of the people of Stuart: thank you for everything that you did for us through so many decades of your working life; thank you for being a real life, grassroots hero for the rest of your life and for being so accessible to all those who wanted to engage with you; and thank you for so deservingly being one of our outback legends forevermore.

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (14:25): Tom Kruse was a friend of so many Australians, an Australian legend and a real Australian inlander. Tom (real name Esmond Gerald Kruse) was a friend of our family and is related by marriage to my son-in-law, Anthony Haynes, is the son of Marlene, daughter of the late Reg and Mabel, and Reg was Tom's brother. I saw the film The Back of Beyond in the mid-1950s when I was approximately 10 years old and, like most Australians, it left a huge impact on me, and still does. Because of my interest in things mechanical and historical, I marvelled at what Tom achieved.

Born at Waterloo, one of 12 children (nine boys and three girls), Tom (as I said, not his real name) was the last survivor of the family. Harry and Ida, his parents, were blacksmiths and undertakers at Waterloo. Tom was married to Valma, who predeceased him only a few months ago so, certainly, they were a long time together. They had four children—Pauline, Helen, Phillip and Jeffrey. He was to be 97 years on 28 August this year.

He began the first mail run on 1 January 1936 and helped supply the explorer Dr Cecil Madigan on the first European crossing of the Simpson Desert in 1939. In 1947 he bought the mail run from Harry Ding, who lived in Yunta. The Leyland Badger, built in 1936, was his legendary truck, as we all know.

At home in my shed I have some parts off the original Leyland truck, and I am happy to display them. They were taken off the original wreck parked outside Mungeranie many years ago, a long time before they recovered the other one. I am so proud that I have these, and what is most important and so precious is that they are signed by E.G. (Tom) Kruse as genuine articles. I did not steal them. He told me where they were, and there was not much else on the truck worth salvaging. I am happy to display them, Madam Speaker, in this house next week, if you wish. They found the Badger truck in 1986, and it was restored and is now, of course, in the Birdwood National Motor Museum.

As we know, Tom was awarded an MBE and inducted into the National Transport Hall of Fame in 2000. He certainly was an icon in the National Trust, and a living Outback Legend in 2003. Eight hundred people attended his funeral, madam, as you know. He was a thoroughly nice man.

Our condolences go to Pauline, Helen, Phillip and Jeffery and their families, and also Mabel and Marlene. You are so proud of him, and so are we all. Thanks, Tom, for all you have done for South Australia and our outback people. You will never be forgotten. RIP E.G. (Tom) Kruse. You have gone, but the legend will truly live on.

The SPEAKER (14:28): I rise today as Speaker but, more importantly, as the member for Giles to also add my comments. Giles being an electorate of over half a million square kilometres of outback, I certainly have travelled all the areas that Tom Kruse covered. Even though they are not in my electorate, I have certainly been in those areas as well. As I drive around in my four-wheel drive with my fridge in the back, two-way radio, satellite phone, GPS and EPIRB, I never cease to be amazed by the resilience, tenacity, bravery and dedication of men and women like Tom Kruse.

Tom Kruse was truly a legend in the outback, along with a number of others. One in particular was Len Beadell, who also I think has the same amount of notoriety, or whatever it is, out there. Men like Tom Kruse and Len Beadell were incredible pioneers and incredible people, and part of our history. With the distances Tom Kruse travelled, the conditions he travelled under and the state of the roads, without any of the safety equipment that we have nowadays, it is incredible that he was able to do it for all those years and continue on. He truly was a legend.

I was very pleased to hear the comments today from members. I know that he will be remembered in the outback with a great deal of respect and fondness by many, many people. His family can be extremely proud of him and the legend that he leaves behind, and I pass on my sympathy to them. I was not able to go to the funeral because of my duties here, of course, but I would love to have been there. I ask members to stand and recognise him in the usual way.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.


[Sitting suspended from 14:31 to 14:37]


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