Back of Beyond

[Keith Webb]

July 2004 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the Australian movie "Back of Beyond" which was, until Crocodile Dundee the most internationally-awarded film.
In the late 90s I made another film with the original star of the movie, Tom Kruse (yes, really) called "Last Mail from Birdsville."
Both films star a 1936 Leyland Badger which was one of Tom's mail trucks on the toughest mailrun in the world down the Birdsville Track in the remote outback.
Tom's other truck in the original film was an incredibly beaten up F60L Cab 12.
Also used in the making of the film (but not seen in it) are a variety of interesting CMPs ranging from C15As used as camera platforms to this beauty, a F60L retrofitted with the front half of an Australian pattern #9 gun tractor.

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi all
And here is another of Tom's trucks restored by basically the same team that did the Badger.
Bob

[Richard Farrant]

Keith and Bob,
Some years ago I bought a book at a rally in England, called, I am sure, "Back of Beyond", relating tales of Tom Kruse, Harry Ding (I am doing this from memory, because I lent it and did'nt get it back). Made wonderful reading of the hardships these guys had to suffer. Making a new clutch plate on the side of the track from the bottom of an oil drum, repairing drive shafts with mulga, etc. There were some pictures of the making of the film, unfortunately I have never seen the film, but having travelled in that area a couple of times I can relate to it now.

Richard

[Keith Webb]

Hi Richard
I think the book you are referring to is called Mail from the Back of Beyond by Jack Maddox and has a pic of Tom's cab 12 on the cover.
It contains the stories you mention as well as plenty more.
Our 1 hour documentary covers a lot of those tales, and this is soon to be released as a double DVD with the original movie, along with interviews with Tom who is almost 90 now.

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Bob Moseley
Hi all
And here is another of Tom's trucks restored by basically the same team that did the Badger.
Bob

Hi Bob
The truck in your picture is of course a replica. This is the real thing, the pic being taken during filming of the Back of Beyond.
Tom recalls doing a valve job on this engine crouched upside down. The truck being used as a crane was their high platform filming vehicle, used for the shot looking down on the Badger as it circles around gathering speed to attack a sandhill.

[Keith Webb]

In the script, the Cab 12 was called the "Open Air" for obvious reasons.
In this shot Tom cruises past the camera for a dramatic low angle shot.
John Heyer, the director is crouched far right.
For more info on the production, see our website

[Keith Webb]

This is at the Cooper Creek which was in flood and where Tom and his mate Henry had to tranship the goods including drums of fuel across in a punt. The Cab 12 on the other side was used for the second section of the trip North to Birdsville.