Ronald McKenzie

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2010

Ronald Joseph McKenzie, (1938-1995), was born into a carrying and trucking family which traced back to 1870 in the Brewarrina District. His grandfather Herb McKenzie was a teamster before moving into trucking, and his father, "Sonny" McKenzie, was also a carrying contractor.
Ron McKenzie took over from his father and specialised in transporting fuel from the railhead at Bourke to Brewarrina and from there to various properties in the Brewarrina and Goodooga districts, as well as having a contract with Brewarrina Council to supply fuel to various projects within the vast Brewarrina district, which included Goodooga.
He was a real truckie - good humoured, laid back and ever ready to assist other road users in the difficult conditions of outback NSW. His cheerful nature ensured that needed fuel was delivered to the various properties he was contracted to, including clients in south-western Queensland.
Ron drove trucks laden with fuel for many hundreds of thousands of miles throughout these areas. Outside the towns, roads in those days were not sealed and consisted of black soil (extremely difficult to drive on in wet conditions), and rough red gravel. Side-tracks off the main road were used when possible but these were generally often narrow.
Ron was a true trucking pioneer of the western districts of NSW for many years and deserves recognition for the services he rendered to the many isolated
homesteads. He was very well-known and liked.