“The Hippo”

A Leyland Hippo prime mover was used to supply food and essentials to the remote Leigh Creek township in the 1950s. At the time it was the largest conventional vehicle on the road with a top speed of 30 mph. “The Hippo” had a refrigerated section for meat and other perishables, a section for fruit and vegetables and a cargo section for beer, groceries and many other pre-purchased items. This was an important part of “life on the track” delivering necessities - such as library books to Pt Augusta, ice to the Parachilna Hotel and emergency transport to all people along the way.