Alick Cooper

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2010.

Alick (Slugger) Cooper was born in Port Macquarie NSW on the 5th April 1932. He was one of seven siblings to Joe and Anne Cooper. Alick left school at the age of 14 and went to work with his father in the bush. He decided to buy his first logging truck at the age of 21 which was an ex-army petrol Mack. After the Mack he also purchased an L315 Mercedes and 3 Whites.

In 1963 Alick went into partnership with Col and Bruce Eades and won a contract with the Shell Company to transport fuel from Southwest Rocks where the fuel was carried by ship into Trail Bay. This was the beginning of Trail Bay Haulage which distributed fuel up the range to the New England area and out to Roma and Miles in Queensland. This operation was very arduous on equipment as the loaded trips were up the Dorrigo Range.

Trail Bay Haulage's first trucks were AECs. The Kenworth was just being introduced to Australia and Col and Alick decided the extra horsepower available would be a huge advantage on the demanding run. They purchased their first Kenworth S-model with a 6 cylinder Detroit. They also purchased one of the first Kenworth S-models with an 8V.71GM.

Trail Bay Haulage also expanded into fridge van work using some of the first Thermo King fridge motors to operate in Australia. They operated mainly Kenworths with a few Macks until they sold out to Brambles in 1990.

Apart from Alick's involvement in the transport industry he was also a very talented rugby league player and a champion axeman winning major events. Alick still resides in the Nambucca Heads district with his wife June. Unfortunately sugar diabetes has taken his sight but happily not his memory. He can keep one entertained for hours with his memories of his logging and transport days.