Colin Campbell (2013)

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2013.

Colin Angus Campbell was born in 1923 and his wife Winifred (Win) was born in 1919. They started their cattle carting business, Campbell's Transport, in 1964 after they purchased Lytton Park Service Station in Derby (W.A.) and its adjoining house. This was their new home but also served as the truck depot. The young couple had  relocated from Bunbury with 'the shirt off our backs and mortgaged to the hilt'. When living in Bunbury Colin had trained and worked as a mechanic, transferred into car and commercial vehicle sale. He also worked as an owner-operater carting wheat to silos, for the Main Roads Department and concrete  for Readymix. Throughout all his business ventures over the years Colin has been ably assisted by wife and business partner Win.Colin bought two Kenworth S-923 prime movers imported from America for cattle carting in the harsh outback regions of Western Australia.

Colin purchased these because the Kenworth warranty at the time held for a 'flat top and two dogs' and the prime movers were guaranteed to pull 100 ton up in a six in one grade which was the grade at Fitzroy Crossing where other trucks of the day pulled one trailer at a time. Cattle carting in the West Kimberleys is seasonal work during dry months and is fulltime work for the clock with two drivers per truck. Cattle were mostly Poll Shorthorns but some stations had stragglers, 'the real rough ones' with horns that would go 'clank, clank up the race'.  The cattle were trucked to Derby, Broome and, at one stage, the Wyndham abattoirs. Most stock for shipment went to the Philippines but some cattle went south to Robbs Jetty.

Colin's longest trip was to cart cows (breeders) from Roebuck Station W.A. to a station east of Richmond Qld. The customer was very pleased so Colin did another load. Other long interstate trips were  two trips to east of Mt Isa, Qld to pick up horses for auction in Derby and to Cloncurry Qld to pick up the first Brahman stock for Yeeda Station. At end of cattle carting season Campbells Transport took the cattle crates off their trucks to cart general freight.
            
Initially cattle carting put Campbells on their feet financially however it all ended when the competition cut cartage rates and it was not profitable to continue. Colin saw an opportunity to establish a roadhouse at Willare Bridge which he and Win went on to operate until 1992. Willare Bridge Roadhouse served the trucking industry as a stopping point and secure drop off zone for trucks servicing the area beyond and drivers no longer had to deviate 60 miles into Derby township to get fuel.

Colin and Winifred retired to Broome where Colin still resides and shares with many, his stories of trucking in the Kimberleys.