Edward “Ted” Day

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2000.

Edward (Ted) Day started his working life driving a T Model Ford in 1928.  His goal, at the time, was to save enough money to buy his own truck.  Just two years later Ted proudly purchased a burnt-out Reo and worked in his spare time to rebuild it.

To do this, he still had to borrow ten pounds from a local shop keeper.  Ten years later he had several trucks in his fleet including a brand new two ton Chevrolet.  It was considered luxurious in its day; Ted had paid an extra ten pound just to have the luxury of wind up windows and was the talk of the town.During WW11 Ted spent his time hauling gravel and cement for construction of the Tocumwal aerodrome in a five ton Ford.  In order to diversify his business Ted was granted the focal COR (now BP) fuel agency. 

In the mid 1950s Ted's sons, Pat and Wally entered the business and it became E.W. Day & Sons.  With two strapping young sons on board, Ted saw the need to further expand the business.  The company began carting wood to Melbourne and backloading with drum fuel and fertilizer and eventually headed into livestock haulage.They built their own trailers and stockcrates in their own workshops.  It was during this time that Pat designed and built what is believed to be the first three-deck convertible stock crate in Australia.  It was a very innovative idea in that it converted from two decks to three by folding up steel sides hinged to the second floor.Wally and Pat were soon heading up a multi-million dollar operation that included road transport, property holdings, various agencies and an extensive farming and livestock operation.  Ted Day's dream to be a truck owner came true.

Ted passed away from lung cancer on July 13th 2004 at the age of 93.