Ed Cameron

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2002.

Edwin (Ed) Cameron is one of the true pioneers of the modern generation of road transport.  After army service during WW11 he joined the family transport business in Doncaster Vic., which principally transported fruit from growers to the Melbourne markets.

Under the name of D. & E. Cameron involving his brothers Les and Don, they began a regular service to the Sydney wholesale markets initially moving brussel sprouts and then other fresh fruit products and perishables back loading with general freight to Melbourne. Ed Cameron was always frustrated by the primitive road conditions and the unsuitability of the trucks, principally the British or European brands, which were then on offer.  In the late 1950s Ed visited the USA searching for more suitable long distance highway trucks.  Finally in 1961 he was appointed the first Australian importer of Kenworth trucks and quickly had them adopted by his own business and major freight operators including Ansett and Kwikasair as well as many logging, heavy haulage and general freight business. 

Ed imported and sold more than 100 prime-movers before the USA parent company acquired his business in the late 1960s and established their Australian manufacturing and assembly base at Bayswater Vic. Ed Cameron was also actively involved in transport politics being a founder of the Victorian Road Transport Development Association and served as its president.  The Association played a lead role in what led to the Privy Council victory in London upsetting the state road tax charges and severe restrictions on transport operators. 

Ed has recently published his life's journey and Kenworth experience in a book "First Custom Built Trucks for Australia" - subtitled The Kenworth and Ed Cameron Story.  It documents a formative period of road and highway transport as it is known today. Ed's son Glen, also a Wall of Famer, maintains the family traditions with a substantial presence in transport through the very successful Melbourne based Glen Cameron Transport Group.