Cobram/Barooga’s Ray Brooks was among four district transport stalwarts inducted into the Deniliquin & District Transport Wall of Fame as part of a huge weekend of industry celebrations.
At a special dinner on Friday evening, Mr Brooks was inducted alongside Deniliquin-based stalwarts Ken Seignior, Kenneth Grimison, and Terry Grimison.
In attendance for the evening was a sell-out crowd of more than 220 people.
The dinner was just one part of a huge weekend for the Deniliquin Truck Show & Industry Expo, proudly supported by the Rotary Club of Deniliquin.
Catering to the event’s growing popularity, the expo itself was hosted at the Deniliquin Festival Site - home of the Deni Ute Muster - for the first time.
And Truck Show president Leesa Muir said it was a successful move.
“We had plenty of room for the 70 trucks in the show ‘n’ shine and the show ‘n’ shines cars and bikes, plus all our other attractions, and plenty more room to grow in future years,” Ms Muir said.
“After an amazing wall of fame dinner at the Deniliquin RSL Club on Friday night, we had at least 1200 people through the gates at the festival site for Saturday’s truck show.
“We had a huge array of stalls, games and entertainment and of course trucks, cars and motorbikes for people to enjoy.
“We finished the day with a trophy presentation and our mega auction, which was again well-supported by donors and bidders.
“But even after an action packed two days, there was still more to come.
“The big weekend ended with our traditional memorial service at the wall of fame in Davidson St on Sunday, attended by industry representatives and the families of those people who were immortalised following their passing.
“We had amazing weather all weekend, and not one person had any negative feedback.
“We did, however, take on board some suggestions that could make our event even better in coming years.”
More details about each of the Wall of Fame inductees is as follows:
Ken ‘Brambles’ Seignior:
Ken’s trucking career began as an 18 year-old apprentice with Tom Ennor's engineering.
With the help of good mates Colin McDougall and Roger Hussey, he then landed a job with John Beckton Transports, where it was Ted ‘Fitzy’ Fitzmaurice on Melbourne Cup eve 1958 went to Ken at Ennor's and said, “if you want to drive trucks you had better come with me now”.
Fitzy became the guiding light in what would have become Ken's lifelong career at Becktons.
He carted stock throughout NSW (Menindee his first journey) Victoria and Queensland, with mentors Ted Fitzmaurice, Cotty, Lance Seymour, Fizza Mann, Speed Mahon, Rick Meadowcroft and Don Wilson in the mid-60s, he carted logs from Perricoota forest to Moama with Fitzy, Ken Swaffer and Willie Bond.
Ken started with Alan ‘Bruv’ Thomas in the late 60s.
Alan owned the Ampol depot in Hardinge St, co-workers being Ted Powell, Joe Steyger, Ken Maher, Bill Kirkby, John Bourne, Ray Eldridge and a then unknown Jade Hurley.
His work with a cab over Deutz and an International entailed carting grain - not with aluminium tippers and fancy loading devices, but with flat top trailers, gates and curtains, shovels and pencil augers mostly straight from farms.
Cartage to Melbourne was always varied as back loading with general freight, cars, and tractors, 44 gallon drums of fuel and kegs of beer.
Many miles were travelled with Sam Newton and Mack Kirkby.
In the mid-70s, Ken started with Deni RCL as one of the original tanker drivers working alongside Peter Clarke, Mack Kirkby, Robert Wharton and Ken Maher carting rice from local storage sites to RCH in Deni from Coleambally, Caldwell and Leeton.
Ken then worked for Rick Mailer of Hartwood South for four years, driving a black Kenworth 350 Cummins towing a street tipper carting grain, gypsum, fertilizer and furniture.
In the early 80s Ken moved his family to Maryborough, Queensland to rid the diesel from his veins, becoming Ken the fruiterer for two years.
It didn't work! He returned to Hartwood South for another five years.
In January 1988, he was delighted to join Graham Lawson’s team at Deni Freighters.
He spent the next 20 years driving with Fred Stevens, Mick Summers, Tom Mackey, Peter Cowley, Billy White, Les Bond, Trevor Palmer and others.
Retiring from Deni Freighters lasted three months.
Brambles has enjoyed the last four years driving for Billy Holden, being his last employer, at the retirement home for burnt out truckies.
Running local with Bill Kirby and Fred Stevens again, shed to shed at the rice mill.
Making Ken’s Day, Billy Holden said to Ken “I've got Fitzy (Ted Fitzmaurice) coming out, do you think you could show him how to do things here”.
Ken replied it would give him utmost pleasure - the roles being reversed after 50 years of driving.
Between Brambles and Fitzy there is more than 105 years of truck driving experience.
Brambles had an impressive driving record in close to five million miles driven in 54 years.
He had only two major incidents.
One was hitting a black Angus cow on a moonlit night and the other he tipped a tractor off a trailer in the main street of Echuca.
Brambles drove a truck to his end, respecting all he had worked for and with, and I'm sure he earned their respect in return.
Brambles passed away on July 2, 2012.
Kenneth James Grimison:
Kenneth James Grimison was born on June 4, 1920 in Balranald, the fourth child born to Herbert and Ruth Grimison.
Kenneth joined the army in 1940 at Caulfield at the age of 20 with his brother, Lionel.
He was a POW, working on the Burma Railway for three years and eight months, where he contracted Beriberi 29 times.
Whilst working on the Burma railway he met his best friend, Mick Edmunds, who shared half his rations with Ken to keep him alive.
In 1945, they both returned to Deniliquin after the war ended, and Ken was awarded the 1939-1945 Pacific Star, the Defence Medal and the Australian Defence Medal.
Mick asked Ken if he would marry his sister, Sylvia, which he did.
It was then that he started his livestock transport business with a 1942 Ford V8 side valve, in opposition to his father, Herbert Grimison.
He started with one truck soon increasing to eight, transporting stock all over Australia.
Ken and Sylvia had three children - Ian, David, known as ‘Sherbie’, and Judy.
Sylvia passed away in 1972, aged 56, and a few years later, ill-health due to his war experiences caught up with him, and he had to have his leg amputated.
He eased his way out of the business and sons Ian and David continued his work.
Ian left the business in 1979 and David continued the business, which today remains a very successful business in Deniliquin.
Three generations have made their mark on Deniliquin in the transport business!
Ray ‘Tubby’ Brooks:
Ray Brooks was born at Cobram Hospital on March 1, 1937.
Ray was educated firstly with the Mercy Sisters in Tocumwal and later for a period of five years at Assumption College, Kilmore.
Ray attributed his devotion to Our Lady to his years at Kilmore, and he remained a devout Catholic all of his life.
Ray completed a wool classing certificate after leaving school in Albury and played Ovens and Murray football for one season.
He met his life-long companion and wife, Beverley, at a dance in Berrigan, and they married at St Joseph's Church, Cobram in February 1958.
The union was to prove fruitful. The couple gave birth to 10 children.
Ray was obliged to work hard to support his growing family, and it was in the early 1960s he formed Ray Brooks and Co and purchased his first Mercedes Benz truck.
Ray would subsequently go on to develop the company into the largest private grain buying business in Australia.
The company grew to a fleet of 20 trucks and 150 subcontractors during the height of the grain business.
His love of the grain industry and transport in general was to span almost 50 years and Ray led a campaign against statutory bodies and the Australian Wheat Board's monopoly powers.
Ray was a dedicated champion of a deregulated market where the farmer could receive the best return for his grain.
He was the driving force against the AWB's 'single desk' powers and the distorting impact of regulation.
Ray was eventually able to see all of the statutory bodies deregulated including the AWB in 2008.
Ray was a committed community leader and served 22 years on the Berrigan Council with three years as shire president.
During the period, he was able to see new bridges built at Tocumwal and Cobram after years of lobbying state and federal ministers.
Ray was a life member and founding president of the Barooga Sports Club where he served 19 years as president and board member.
He was inspired to build a Sports Club to provide financial assistance to so many sports in the area.
Ray was also a life member of his beloved Barooga Football Club where he was an ardent supporter for many years.
Ray’s own football career had included playing in premierships at Albury, Howlong, Finley, Cobram and Barooga.
Ray also stood for parliament on three separate occasions.
He stood for the seat of Murray in 1981 against Jim Small and won a huge slice of the vote in the safest National Party seat in the country.
He later stood against Tim Fischer in the seat of Farrer in 1984, and 1990 as an independent.
Ray was also a founding board member of Nat Roads which grew to be the major lobbying group for the transport industry.
Other founders were Sam Sali from Shepparton and Ted Pickering from Swan Hill (Murray Downs).
Ray served several years as a board member and was a driving force in a campaign to limit red tape and taxation.
His achievements in his life were quite significant, although he only ever loved the community where he grew up.
He would often stand up in front of meetings in Western Australia and simply state, “My name is Ray Brooks and I come from Barooga”.
He was immensely proud of his trucking and local roots and remained a very humble man all his life.
His son David still runs the trucking business, now called Brooks Logistics.
Ray passed on August 27, 2012, aged 75 years.
Terry ‘Grimmo’ Grimison:
Born in 1954, Grimmo grew up in Deniliquin and was a young jackaroo out at Wanganella Station for FS Falkiner & Sons for at least two years.
His role was mainly stock work. This is where he fell in love with trucks.
He came from a well-known family - his father Sydney Michael Grimison drove for his brother Kenneth Grimison.
Grimmo started driving trucks at the ripe age of 14 around the Deni area, and also went on regular trips with his cousin lan Grimison.
He was allowed to drive, of course with no ticket, only when Ian was tired ... which was all the time, according to Grimmo.
Grimmo was known to run down to Melbourne hauling wool, with beer on the return to Deniliquin.
He drove an Albion tray body for his dad Syd - again, with no ticket.
Grimmo finally turned 18, and he thought he better get his ticket, which was a tray body license.
He walked into the police station and the old sergeant looked at him and said, “finally young Terry”.
Within minutes, Grimmo was a licensed driver - no driving test, no questions.
Once he had his ticket, he decided to go drive for J Murphy & Sons.
After three years he earned his semi license and then drove a Benz 1418 push axle hauling fuel and stock.
One day Grimmo was driving back from Spotswood. He was at Pascovale Rd when three police cars escorted him to a safe spot at Broadmeadows.
The coppers fronted Grimmo and asked “why are you wagging school and why did you steal this truck?”.
Grimmo, with a cheeky smile, then handed them his licence and drove away.
At the age of 22, Grimmo was handed the keys to a cab over Kenworth, 12 months later he stepped up to a newer cab over Kenworth.
This truck still remains here in town and was purchased and rebuilt by Paul Fellows.
Grimmo then drove for I & D Grimison, then moved on to Clyde Bros from Newmarket.
He was handed the keys to a brand new R model Mack with new trailer and crate, which was built by local identities, the late Gary Hussey and Mick McMillan.
It was built at Neil Scott’s yard in Sloane St.
On one occasion Grimmo pulled up near Seymour in a G89 Volvo, just before the weighbridge. He jacked up the cabin a bit to look like he was broken down while he hid in the cabin.
The CRB drove up and shined a torch onto him and said, “Where's ya Dad?”.
Grimmo replied that he had walked back to town to get some help, and once they took off he headed back toward Deni.
Grimmo returned to Deni and went to drive for his cousin David ‘Sherbie’ Grimison.
He jumped ship and went to Deni Freighters, then owned by Keith Purtill & Sons, and stayed there for three years.
Purtills then gave Grimmo the opportunity to buy his own truck, which he did.
Grimmo bought Purtills’ Ford LNT and subbied by pulling their trailers, hauling rice, fertiliser and general freight.
When Russell Tait took over the company, he continued with Deni Freighters, even when Grimmo purchased his first ever cab over Kenworth - the last VT903 ever built.
Grimmo drove for those companies for at least eight years, and mentioned he was very thankful for both Purtills and Russell Tait.
Grimmo also pulled crates for Neil Scott and Sherbie Grimison.
He then sold the truck and went to Sherbie’s as a driver, doing mainly stock.
He was the first driver to use a B-double set of cattle crates, and while he was at Sherbie’s he had the pleasure of driving four brand new Western Stars.
Grimmo decided he needed to go north and took a position driving road trains in the Northern Territory for Road Train Australia.
He just wanted to do that for 12 months, and 13 years later Grimmo decided to move back to Deni.
Grimmo then drove for Bradley McCallum and now lives at Pretty Pine.