Colin Bird

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2007.

From the early 1970s right up to the date of his death in 1985, Colin Bird was totally committed to road transport. He could always be seen sticking up for the rights of drivers and owner-operators.

His major complaint was that overnight drivers were expected to drive between capital cities and then back up and do deliveries during the days. He lobbied governments, wrote letters, and attended meetings with the heads of multi-national companies in his effort to improve wages and linehaul rates for owner-drivers.

Colin had his accountant work out exactly how much he needed per mile or kilometre as an owner-driver to pull their pantecs between capital cities. He took these figures to TNT who agreed with his accountant but said they couldn't afford to pay it. He attended all the trucking meetings in Sydney and suburbs prior to the 1979 blockades but his major concern was the injustice and inequity of the dreaded road tax.

In late March, 1979, five men met at the home of Ted (Greendog) Stevens and together they vowed that something had to be done. The situation had become desperate and all were in danger of losing their homes and their businesses. After lengthy discussions they agreed to meet atop Razorback Mountain on the 2nd of April. It was Colin's SAR Kenworth, with a fully-loaded quad-axle grain trailer, that was the first truck to pull from the parking bay on top of Razorback Mountain. He stopped across the double yellow lines blocking the road. He stayed for nine days and became one of five men (later six) who stopped the nation. They were Ted Stevens, Colin Bird, Spencer Watling, Jack Hibbert, Barry Grimson and later, Carl Goodfellow, who blocked the Menagle Road at the bottom of Razorback Mountain.

Colin continued his campaign with Ted Stevens despite taking a short break in 1981.

Colin eventually went back to what he loved, overnight haulage between Brisbane and Sydney, but on the 18th of September 1985, he died at the wheel of his beloved Kenworth.