I’ve been wanting to do a story on Barnes Auto Co., for a while. Any of us from Brisbane, Qld, and surrounds is well acquainted with the name that has been around for 100 years. I’ve had the pleasure of conversing with Mark White, son of Michael who used to drive the 8-wheeler Mack that I’m sure anyone around in the 1970s and 80s would have seen everywhere.

The history on Barnes Auto mainly deals with the time up to and including when the White Family owned the business. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Barnes Auto, I’m going to start with what I’ve taken from their own site, as it gives a great overview of the company and its origins.

A Brief History of Barnes Auto Co. 

John Barnes was the original founder of the company that has now become syn