 Full Throttle's earliest predecessor, Tropic Line, was founded by Jean-Pierre Voos in 1986 to replace Michael Lanchberry's Matchbox Co. which had ceased when he left James Cook University (JCU) in 1985.Tropic Line's main purpose was to offer senior students and graduates of Performing Arts at JCU the opportunity to present theatre at a professional standard and to meet a variety of critical audiences through touring.In 2002, Tropic Line merged with its successor at JCU, Hard Sun, to become Tropic Sun.