Peter Canty
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2013.
Peter Canty was born in Yea on 8 August, 1946. His family lived in the historic mountain country of Murrindindi , Victoria where farming and timber were the primary industries. Peter's father managed the local sawmill and this is where Peter started work. At just 17 years of age he drove an ex WWII Chevrolet Blitz for the Murrindindi Timber Company hauling on treacherous mountain tracks.
When Peter was 21 he went to work with local Murrindindi family J & M Hauser and Sons Transport carrying livestock and general freight. The Hauser fleet consisted of an International, a Mercedes Benz, a Commer Knocker and a White 3000. In 1970 Peter moved to Knoxville and started working for Peter Bertacchini Transport on heavy haulage. The two Peters would go on to form a life-long bond and friendship that still remains strong to this day. During his time with Bertacchini Transport Peter drove a variety of trucks including Mercedes Benz, Diamond T, Volvo, Mack, and a brand new Kenworth of which he was very proud.
In the late 1970's Peter Canty started working with Bolch Transport carting glass out of Dandenong to capital cities, mainly Melbourne-Brisbane. Peter was well respected along the Highways and with a surname like 'Canty' it wasn't long before he became known along the highway as 'Candy'.
When Peter Canty decided to go into business for himself he chose to purchase a Kenworth truck and start a general carrier business hauling interstate. He went on to become a permanent sub-contractor for Brambles Transport. His truck needed to be painted in the Brambles colour orange. Peter remained with Brambles for many years hauling all manner of freight and completing countless local and country trips. Brambles had undergone many changes in the 1970s and 80s including consolidation of its road transport, Chep pallet and waste management divisions. There was no shortage of work and Peter stayed with Brambles until the late 1980s when he sold his truck and moved to the Gold Coast. Once there, he took a driving job running Brisbane-Perth before purchasing a truck to cart tiles and bricks. He continued with this work until a hip replacement operation went wrong and he lost his hip.
When asking Peter of some of the best memories he states that what sticks in his mind is over- nighting on the old Hume Highway, the Tarcutta Rough and going across the Nullarbor on the dirt. All good times!
Peter moved to Howlong in New South Wales. He still wanted to be involved in the transport industry. When Nelmac Bridge Building Company approached him to work as an over dimensional escort, Peter soon purchased a vehicle and fitted it out for the job. In 2013, Peter works casual driving with Nelmac and Kotzur Silos throughout NSW and Victoria.
