Community & Business
25 February, 2025
Jondaryan jack of all trades dies
Vern Iles, who ran the school bus, did the mail run and operated the Caltex distributorship in Jondaryan for 40 years, has died at the age of 94.
Vern had grown up in Jondaryan, where his father Eric Iles, a Justice of the Peace, ran the old Jondaryan Store (now an empty block next to the Town Hall).
Drawn back to the town in the 1950s, Vern signed a contract to operate the school bus run, which he did from 1954-1999 on the ‘Prairie run’, to the west and south of the town.
When he started, the route was Jondaryan to West Prairie Road to Proposch’s property, approximately 4km past the junction of West Prairie and Bowenville-Norwin Road, then back to the Berrybush corner south to W. Speed, and then returning to Jondaryan.
By the time Vern retired, it took the form of a circuit along Formartin Road, to Bowenville-Norwin Road, to West Prairie Road then returning via Evanslea Road.
His first bus was an Oldsmobile which he replaced four years later with an International KSS, then a Bedford VAM in 1967.
In January 1997, a new bus was purchased for the run.
At retirement in 1999, he was presented by the Hoopert family with a framed photograph of himself and passengers in front of his 1984 Mercedes Benz bus.
During the 1999 ceremony, The Oakey Champion reported that Vern paid tribute to the courteous behaviour of his passengers over the years and reflected that he had been very fortunate with his health during that time.
In fact, he could only recall taking two days off due to an accident, when he broke his left leg working on the fuel delivery business in December
That time, Vern spent the whole six weeks vacation in plaster, but was ready for duty by the first day of school.
For much of the time Vern lived in Jondaryan, he also held a mail run and a Caltex fuel distributorship, which mostly supplied local farmers.
As recalled by founding member Lindsay Richards, Vern was also the first Secretary of the Darling Downs Soaring Club in 1960, which continues to operate to this day out of the McCaffrey Field at Bowenville.
He was also a member of the Anglican Church, and had a sister, Verity Vohland, late of Adelaide who had her funeral in Oakey at St. Augustine’s Church last year.
He is remembered by generations of Jondaryan State School students for always being on time.
Vernon is survived by wife Noela, and a daughter.
