Peter Ashton

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2021.

Peter Francis Ashton, known as “PA”, was born in Oakleigh, Victoria in August 1950. Peter first started working at Borthwick’s meat processing plant in Portland, Victoria,  but moved on to seasonal work with Murray Goulburn in Koroit, Victoria, in September 1970. He drove a 760 Dodge pulling 10,000 litre milk tankers and, in the off-season in 1971, worked for R Gray & Son at Grassmere, Victoria, driving stock trucks and carting loads of super.

Following this, Peter worked for PR Molone’s at Grassmere driving a 1418 Mercedes Benz and a V6 Bedford. For 18 months, he hauled Nestle products to Adelaide from Portland and back loaded cement and lime. He also carted potatoes from Koroit to the McCain’s factory at Daylesford. In October 1973, Peter went back to Murray Goulburn to drive full time, carting flat tops of milk powder and butter to Melbourne as well as milk tankers.

Peter became an owner-driver in August 1980 when he bought a Leyland Mastiff 540 and towed a milk tanker from Merino and Heywood and back to Koroit for Murray Goulburn as well as loads to Modern Dairies in Horsham. Seven years later, Peter sold his truck and went back to driving for Murray Goulburn where he did farm pickups and inter-branch transfers for the next 27 years. During the potato season, he also drove R Moloney’s Volvo G89, carting potatoes from Koroit to McCain’s in Ballarat and Arnott’s in Melbourne, as well as to SA FRIES in Millicent, South Australia.

Peter loved the farm pickups and made a lot of friends, many of whom he still keeps in touch.  After breaking his shoulder which kept him off work for 18 months, Peter decided to retire and travel around Australia in his caravan.