Walter Allwright

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2003.

1911 - 1981

Walter Henry Allwright was born in Darwin, on 29th August, 1911 as one of nine children.  He left school at 13 to work as a messenger boy for A.E. Jolly's store in Darwin.

He eventually worked his way up to the position of book-keeper.  In 1940 he married Gwenyth Bowman.  Jollys had the SHELL agency and part of Walter's job was to supply fuel to cattle stations and to refuel the flying boats.

During WW11 Gwen evacuated from Darwin and Walter followed soon after, going to the steelworks in Newcastle where he worked as a profile cutter.  Wanting to play an active role in the war, he joined the Allied Works Council and after a crash course in the operation of road making machinery at Rydalmere, Walter was sent to work on the construction of the Barkly Highway.  After WW11, Walter worked in Darwin for his brother Allan.  He moved to Alice Springs in 1958.

Early in the 1950s Walter bought a secondhand truck from Koolpinyah Station and carted between Darwin and Rum Jungle and then between Alice Springs and Darwin.  The next truck of W.H. Allwright Transport was a new AEC purchased from Hasting Deering.  The AEC was Walter's contribution to the partnership with his brother Allan of Allwrights Transport.  Allwright was part of the Territory Transport Association (later Co-ord).  The partnership was dissolved towards the end of the 1950s and Walter went to work for local Alice Springs businessman Mr John Ryan who was then the Co-ord agent.

Walter initially worked as yard foreman supervising the loading and unloading of freight between the trains and trucks at the Alice Springs railhead.  He eventually became manager of Co-ord Transport, a position he held right up until his retirement in 1974.  Walter Allwright died in Alice Springs on 19th November, 1981.