The Varied Life of Francis Tapim

Truckin Around Oz

4 Aug

Former truck and bus driver Francis Tapim is a talented dancer and guitar player who is enjoying life to the fullest at age 71. Francis, of Murray Island descent in the Torres Strait was employed by the Townsville City Council as a truck driver for 10 years.

In 2015 he was enjoying retirement until recruited as a bus driver in Townsville.

That lasted until early in 2020 when his age, putting him amongst the high risk category for the Coronavirus Pandemic, forced him to give it up.

Francis was also a former quality all-round sportsman, I spoke to Francis on July 11 when he was a VIP guest at the jumper launch for the women’s team of his old footy club, the Garbutt Magpies. The season commenced on July 15 and it was the first time the club had a senior team in the Townsville Australian Football League since 1988 when it then fielded a men’s side.

“I have enjoyed coming here today meeting lots of people, playing the guitar and singing the Garbutt Magpies Club song,” he said.

**Truckie, Bussie, Muso, Athlete, not a bad dancer - and what a smile!**

A few years back, Francis was delighted to take part in a traditional Torres Strait Islander dance beside champion Australian basketballer Patty Mills who was an ambassador for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Patty is a champion American NBA basketballer who plays for the San Antonio Spurs

**Francis with NBA champion basketballer and friend, Patty Mills**

In July 2019 Francis was amongst invited guests for the wedding in Honolulu of Patty Mills to his long-time girlfriend, Alyssa Levesque.

**Francis and Patty show off their dancing prowess**

When I yarned to Francis, I asked him about his years as a truck and bus driver.

“I drove a five tonne truck carrying gravel from the Bohle Quarry to Mather Street and the Townsville Flinders Mall for the Council. That lasted 10 years,” he said.

From 2015 until early this year he enjoyed driving a public transport Sunbus around Townsville. “I drive both a 57 seater and the smaller Coaster which could take 22 passengers.”

Francis attended his early primary school years on his beloved Murray Island (Mer) and later the family moved to Thursday Island where he went to Waiben State School. “I was there from grade two till age 10 and then my dad Melpal Tapim got a job with the railways down at Innisfail. We caught a plane from Horn Island to Cairns and then a train to Innisfail where I went to school,” he said.

In 1958 he moved to Townsville and married Agnes Ross.

Francis’ jobs have included working for the Railway Department in Townsville as a fireman and then in WA on the Dampier to Mt Tom Price line. “I came back to Townsville after that and got a job with my uncle Roy Wano in a railway maintenance gang for several years,” he said.

Always versatile, Francis also worked in child care and his last fulltime job was between 1996 and 2005 as President and later CEO of the Magani Kes Information and Resource Centre.

Francis was a decorated multi-talented sportsman who excelled at Australian Rules, rugby league and basketball. A tough-as-nails ruck rover and utility forward, he played for Indigenous AFL Club Garbutt Magpies from 1959 until the late seventies.

Francis also represented Townsville at the sport and in the rival rugby league and was a member of the Australian Aboriginal and TS side which toured New Zealand in 1973.

“I used to play Aussie Rules on Saturday, Rugby League on Sunday and then basketball that night. We were tough competitors on the field but had a beer with opponents after games,” he said.

These days Francis is simply loving life.

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