Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Following school Jim took up a position at the Newcastle Chemical Company in Mayfield West as an Accounts Clerk. When he became of eligible age in 1942, he tried to enlist in the RAAF, like his father Flight Sergeant Lindsay Gregory Searant.

He was not accepted due to being colour blind, and his employment was in an essential war time industry.

Jim successfully enlisted in the Army on 8 January 1944, aged 19, and served in Borneo. During his service he, like many, contracted Malaria. He also mentioned a frightening experience when a snake crawled into his sleeping bag one night – luckily it ended well!

Jim well remembers returning to Sydney wearing only tropical gear in the in the middle of winter, sister June recalls he looked like a “scarecrow” when he came home! He was discharged from the Army on 5 December 1946.

Jim returned to his previous job, which had been kept for him. Sometime later he applied for, & accepted, an administration job with the Australian Government in the Treasury Department in Port Moresby, New Guinea for almost 2 years.

Whilst there he witnessed the devastating eruption of Mount Lamington in 1951. Jim returned home in 1952.

He then joined, in a commercial role & later as Manager, a mineral sands company called National Minerals, which had sand mining plants around the state, including locally at Jewells.

On the work front national Minerals purchased the transport company A F Toll Pty Ltd in 1958, following the death of founder Alfred Toll, to service their transport needs. Jim also took on the management role of running this business.

As the mineral sands industry grew (including allied company “Rutile & Zircon Mines” RZM), together with its transport, treatment plants, storage & shipping requirements so did the demands on A F Toll Pty Ltd to grow.

In the 1960’s prominent mining company Peko Wallsend purchased National Minerals & A F Toll, which then continued to expand after purchasing H.H Chadwick Transport, to build a national carrier Toll-Chadwick with more than 500 employees and 300 vehicles in the 1970’s.

Jim always had the best interests of Newcastle in his heart, particularly liked the shipping side of his business dealings.

There is absolutely no doubt that the phenomenal growth & success of the Toll Group of today would not have been possible without the solid foundations and business structure achieved under Jim’s stewardship.

Jim finished with Toll-Chadwick in 1984 and with his ongoing interest in shipping Jim started his own business called “Newcastle Cargo Services” to help fill the gap in semi-retirement.

Jim turned 97 in February 2021 and died in October of that year.