Digby Brewer

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2008.

Digby Brewer was born in March 1947 at Macclesfield in South Australia.  An only son, he took on the role of 'man of the family' when his father passed away in 1956.  His early experiences with trucks involved carting hay and milk as a teenager.

Digby then went on to share-farm around Langhorne Creek into the 1980s while also building a business around moving large farm machinery that was often too big or wide for anyone else to tackle.  He developed an uncanny ability to keep loads on that defied logic (and sometimes the regulations too!)

Digby soon became known right across Australia as the man to call for these jobs.  His ability to look at a pile of equipment on the ground and then be able to stack and secure it on a trailer was a gift admired by many.  In the 1980s Digby suffered the fate of many from the unsympathetic banks and high interest rates.  To keep his head above water, and to put his two daughters through school, he hit the road in his beloved Volvo G88 with only a day-cab.

For seven years he crisscrossed the country under the banner of 'Australia All-Over', shifting everything from headers to boats, haul-out bins to mining equipment and anything anyone challenged him to.  During this time he covered many hundreds of thousands of kilometres and met many who would become lifelong friends.  His inclusion in the mural at Border Village depicts him as 'The Speed Hump', as he was known by others trying to pass his load of two large headers as he battled a headwind on the Nullarbor Plain.  Many would remember his outstretched hand and big smile.

He always had a simple greeting of 'G'day mate, I'm Digby.'  He was a proud, loyal and generous man with an extraordinary memory and personality.

Digby's sudden death in September 2007 left a huge gap in the lives of his family and the transport industry.  He always said he should write a book, but sadly, he never got around to doing it.