William Baldwin
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2021.
William Leslie Baldwin, known as Bill, was born in Casterton, Victoria in December, 1946. His father, Albert, ran a trucking operation and was killed in an accident in 1954. Like his brother, Darryl, Bill was destined to work in the transport industry.
In 1968, at the age of 22, Bill began driving trucks for Billsma Brothers & Marsh, carting grain. Returning to Casterton in 1975, he carted general freight for JA Simkin Transport for a year before moving onto interstate driving for Scott’s and then K&S Transport, up until 1984. For the long runs to Perth, Western Australia, the trucks were sometimes put on the train.
Bill and his wife, Pamela, had married in November, 1977 and started their own transport business in 1984. Running general freight, they started with a 1979 Kenworth cabover, changed over to a 1982 Kenworth SAR and then bought a 1982 White Roadboss. Bill drove between Mt Gambier, South Australia, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide. Deciding to sell the truck, Bill went to work for South West Freight of Mt Gambier for whom he did general freight, tanker work, dangerous goods and deliveries to timber mills Australia wide. Bill made many friends during his time on the road.
In 2000, Bill and Pamela bought a Freightliner to cart dangerous goods across the country for Ozmose Australia Pty Ltd. Bill would take his bicycle on his trips in the truck as he loved to go cycling whenever he had a break from driving. There was enough work for Bill and Pamela to buy another truck which their son, Kane, drove for three years but in 2013, they sold the business. Bill then began to drive a log truck for Hanz Schiedl in Mt Gambier.
In 2015, Bill commenced working as a pilot-escort for oversize loads and when Pamela retired from nursing, she became a pilot-escort as well. They moved to Mildura, Victoria, but travelled Australia-wide in these jobs.
Bill retired when he was 73 years old due to illness but he enjoyed stripping and rebuilding car engines, street rods, drag cars and of course, cycling.
Bill passed away in April, 2020.