Transport, Published 10 May 2026
Move over Elon Musk! In the early 1900s, Brisbane had its own tech disruptor: James Trackson. While everyone else was still horse-and-cart, he imported Queensland’s very first motorcar - a hissing,…
Move over Elon Musk! In the early 1900s, Brisbane had its own tech disruptor: James Trackson. While everyone else was still horse-and-cart, he imported Queensland’s very first motorcar - a hissing, steam-powered “horseless carriage” that looked more like a runaway boiler on wheels!
This mechanical marvel had an exposed vertical boiler, brass pipes, steel frame, wooden body and spoked wheels. No steering wheel - just a tiller, so Trackson drove it like a boat on wheels! Steam was the smart choice: petrol was rare at the time, but every Queenslander already understood boilers from trains and riverboats.
When it rattled down the dirt of Elizabeth Street, horses (and their riders) bolted in pure terror!
Trackson didn’t stop at one. He imported the first petrol cars, built his own “The Trackson” in 1901, and became a founding member of the Automobile Club of Queensland (now RACQ).
Next time you see a yellow RACQ van, remember it all started with a visionary engineer, a bucket of creek water, and one steaming-hot dream that changed how Queenslanders get around forever.
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