Stuart Murray

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2010.

Stuart Keith Murray was born on August 28th, 1938. Stu did his motor mechanic apprenticeship with Reg Butterworth in Drouin before driving trucks. He started doing milk runs back when milk was picked up in cans and drove for several local cement truck drivers in his spare time. Stu's first full time truck driving job was with Farnham and Stevens General Carriers in 1960 and in the same year he and Margaret were married. They had two children Leonie and Darryl.

Stuart started working for the Drouin Co-op in 1965. Soon after, 26 year old Stuart was involved in a big accident that impacted his life and left him the bald Stu everyone knew. He worked at the co-op for 33 years as a loyal and dedicated worker. He started by driving a flat top and did the run to Melbourne delivering butter and powdered milk to Ballantynes and Woodmasons. When the Co-op was bought out Stu moved to other positions at the factory. For about 7 or 8 years Stu was a milk tanker driver and loved visiting the farms. He always had stories to tell about his day. He had a short stint as a boss working indoors and hated it. Enthusiastically he got back to what he loved most - driving trucks. He was fascinated by people's lives and loved to talk.

In the time that he worked at the butter factory the name changed several times and finally became Bonlac. In April 1999 Stu took a package but wasn't ready for retirement. Within the first few weeks Stuart was busier than ever driving trucks and loving it. He drove for Fishers, Murrays (with his brother Bruce and nephew Darren) and then went to Mc Colls for many years; Stoitse and finally (UDP) UDT. One of his favourite trucks was the one he drove for Stoitse. Stu finally retired at the age of 69.

Stuart had always wanted to travel around Australia and so in April 2008 Marg's and Stu's big adventure began. It was in Katherine the week Stu turned 70 that he found the lump under his arm that turned out to be cancer which claimed his life in November 2008. Stu's ashes were released in a trucking convoy on the Princes Highway near Drouin so he would be free to roam the highways and byways forever.