Lennie Cole

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2003.

Lennie Cole was well known to a great many people throughout the Northern Territory.  He was a great instructor and supervisor during his years working at Tangentyere Council where he supervised and mentored workers in a range of projects within the CDEP Scheme.

Tangentyere also hosted an annual aboriginal rodeo event at Blatherskite Park for several years.  Lennie Cole was the man who organised it every time.  Lennie was well known for his interest in youth. However, despite all of these achievements, Lennie is better known throughout the broader community in the Northern Territory for his time on the road driving trucks through the Territory, Western Australia and the red centre.  He drove for Bell Bros. in the iron ore fields of Hammersley Ranges carting the ore from the mine sites to the railhead.  He drove all manner of trucks in the Darwin region, both in and out of the city area for many years. He drove between Adelaide and Alice Springs, doing what was then called the "perishable run", transporting fruit and vegetables from the markets in Adelaide to grocery stores and businesses in Alice Springs.  In those days it was all dirt between Adelaide and the Alice; there were no bitumen roads.  There wasn't even a traffic light anywhere north of Port Augusta, not even in Darwin!  He drove trucks for Pioneer Road Services for some years, based in Darwin but going up and down the track as well.

The road between Alice Springs and Darwin was affectionately known, in those days, as "the track."Everybody on the road knew Lennie because of his great vitality and for the fact that he always had a great smile on his face which indicated his sense of humour.  He was a renowned personality in the road transport industry as he was in the general community.  Lennie lost his fight with cancer in 2003 leaving behind four grown-up children.  He is sadly missed.