Eddy Holland
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2011.
Edward Leslie Holland was born on the 10th June 1952 in The Hauge, Holland, the second of what was to become 5 siblings. At the age of 4 months, his family migrated to Australia where Eddy was first introduced to heavy machinery. From the age of 2, he would often go on trips with his father, Albert "Hooky" Holland. Throughout his schooling years he would go on trips to learn about the trucking industry with his dad and enjoyed every minute of it. At the age of 16, he got his heavy haulage licence and a legend was born.
In 1973, at 22 years old, Eddy had an accident after hitting a bullock in a Flinstone Mack truck. After 7 months of recovery he bought his first truck, a 320 Cool Power Mack. He named it "Happy Hooker" and started his own business. He was well-known for overloading railway line in the early to late nineties in a V8 Superliner called "The Silver Lady". In 1995, he built his own truck called "The Eddy Liner R750" which won the Rig of the Year presented by Truckin' Life in 1996.
Everyone that knew Eddy would describe him as a man with a great sense of humour, one to speak wise words, very family orientated, always up for a chat day or night and accepted anybody who treated him fairly. He was someone who made the most out of life and who took every opportunity given to him. People either loved him or hated him but with Eddy, everything is black or white because what you see is what you get.
Once a year Eddy loved to take time out from his business to travel overseas. Eddy made the most out of life and was a devoted father and friend to all who knew him. His quick-witted personality had everyone laughing, his generosity was shared with many and he had a strong impact on everyone's life. In February 2011, Eddy became ill due to heart difficulties and was unable to continue driving trucks. He suffered a major infection from an operation but slowly began to recover in the coming months.
On 27th July 2011, Eddy passed away unexpectedly. Although he's not here in person, his legacy and unforgettable character will continue to live on through the trucking industry in Australia.
