Tributes for Steven, Bob, Margaret Wheeler after shocking Nanango crash

Long-time family friends and the speedway community have opened up about the three family members tragically killed in a shocking crash near Nanango. SPECIAL TRIBUTE

Steven Wheeler (left), his mother Margaret (right) and father Bob were killed in a crash outside Nanango on the morning of Thursday May 30, 2024.

Long-time family friends of Steven, Bob, and Margaret Wheeler have opened up in a tribute to the Kingaroy family, saying they were driven by a “family attitude” and always happy to help anyone in need.

Steven Wheeler was a fixture of the Queensland speedway community for almost decades before he was killed with his parents in a horror crash outside Nanango early Thursday morning.

Mr Wheeler, 54, nicknamed Dessy or Ice Cream in the tight knit racing fraternity, died alongside his father Bob Wheeler, 84, and mother Margaret, aged 81.

Emergency services rushed to the D’Aguilar Hwy near the Nanango Tarong Rd intersection at 5.45 after the car they were travelling in collided with a B-double tanker in foggy conditions. All three were declared dead at the scene.

Steven Wheeler (left) was killed in a crash outside Nanango on Thursday May 30, 2024, along with his parents Bob and Margaret.

On Friday, Wayne and Nyree Jones spoke about the loss of the beloved family members who, if they were down to “their last 5c in their pockets, they would give it to you”.

Mrs Jones said Steven, Margaret and Bob had a “family attitude” which encompassed their approach to life.

“They would help anyone that needed help,” Mrs Jones said.

The Wheelers were Kingaroy residents for decades, with Bob moving to the region from Roma when he was about 5 years old, and Margaret moving there from Maryborough.

Mrs Jones said Bob spent his career working at the town’s Peanut Company of Australia factory.

Margaret Wheeler was an avid member of the region’s darts community. Photo Keagan Elder / South Burnett Times

The family home was only a stone’s throw away from the site, and Bob would walk to work “every day”.

Steven spent his work career at another of the region’s iconic business, Swickers Kingaroy Bacon Factory, including as a knife hand and chiller manager.

They said he had only recently received his 35 year certificate from the company, having joined its workforce out of school.

The three family members were killed in an horrific crash with a B-double truck outside Nanango on Thursday morning.

‘HE WAS ALWAYS HELPING SOMEONE’

The Wheeler name had become a common part of the speedway circuit too, Mr Jones said.

Not just in the South Burnett, but across the state from Gympie to Rockhampton and Mackay.

He had started attending the speedway events before he had a licence, she said.

When he obtained one he jumped behind the wheel to compete when he was younger, and had since become a jack-of-all-trades on the sidelines offering help wherever he could, either serving as an emergency passenger for a race of working in the pit crew, including for Mr Jones’ son’s team.

“He was always helping someone,” Mr Jones said.

The scene of the Nanango crash which claimed the lives of Steven Wheeler, 54, his father Bob Wheeler, 84, and mother Margaret, aged 81. Photo: 9 News

His passion for the speedway was such he would eagerly help water the track five days-a-week leading up to events.

“He learned to drive a truck around the speedway track,” Mr Jones said.

Speedway president Travis Barron said Steven was a “backbone” of the club he had been a member of for 39 years.

Mr Barron said he had put in “endless amounts of work” but was “never in the limelight”.

“It’s totally heartbreaking,” Mr Barron said.

Margaret Wheeler representing Kingaroy at a darts meeting, pictured here with Jess Cooper (left), and Pam Cooper.

The Wheelers’ community connections extended beyond the speedway track, though.

They were a fixture at the region’s darts club and competitions, too.

‘A LOVELY LADY WITH A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOUR’

Former Kingaroy Darts Association secretary Joan Brown said Margaret, an avid darts player with Bob and Steven, was a “dear, dear friend”.

Mrs Brown first met Margaret through the sport more than two decades ago.

The pair used to go “all over, travelling for darts”, and a lot of other fun too.

Lifelong family friends Wayne and Nyree Jones said Steven would offer his help to anyone at speedway meets, whether it was as an emergency passenger for races or working in the it crew.

“We used to go to bingo together, and darts, and just go all over the place,” Mrs Brown said.

They friendship became so close Mrs Brown even took the Wheelers on holiday to England to meet Mrs Brown’s own family.

“She was a lovely lady … (Bob Wheeler) had a good sense of humour,” she said.

Tributes for the family poured in from other corners of the community, too.

Jarrad Ash said “people like Steven are what make clubs and for the better part our country tick”.

David Musch said Steven was “the most unassuming bloke you could ever meet” and Ernie Daley said he was a “kind hearted, gentle” person.

Mrs Jones said there were many people around the region and the state who, even if they did not know Steve personally, would have met him over the years as a result of his desire to pitch in wherever he could.
“Steve was always there, saying g’day, even if they didn’t know him,” Mrs Jones said.