Sydney Phillip “Baldy” Matthews
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2022.
Sydney Phillip Matthews, nicknamed ‘Baldy’, was one of six children born into a trucking family in Kojonup, Western Australia, in July 1952.
Sydney grew up around trucks as his grandfather founded Matthews Transport in 1936. From the time he was a young teenager, Sydney along with his two brothers, Neville and Kevin, helped out. Often starting at 4am, Sydney would cart bagged sand, grain, and bales of wool to local businesses and the Kojonup railhead driving a Leyland Albion, which was his first love. He would finish his morning jobs by 7am, so the local policeman did not catch him driving without a license. Unfortunately, Sydney would often fall asleep at his desk in school due to his early morning feats!
When Sydney was 16 years old, his father became very ill due to a heart condition so Neville and Kevin took over running the business. Sydney applied for an ‘extraordinary license’ which, at that time, could be granted in extenuating circumstances if you were able to prove your capabilities. Sydney’s driving career started in earnest, carting throughout the area. Sometimes he carted two loads of sheep in a day from the Kojonup area to the Midland Sale Yard, a round trip of 520 kilometres, in a Volvo G88 with a two-deck sheep crate. At night, he would sleep on the engine cowling – trucks had no bunks then!
Sydney loved Volvo trucks. The family’s business has owned over 100 Volvos including G88, G89, FH12 and F16 models. Sydney was mechanically brilliant and relished the challenge of repairing anything. As a mentor to his drivers, he would say, ‘If you are going to do it, do it properly!’
Mathews Transport became involved with Western Australia’s live sheep export trade in late 1979, early 1980. Syd took on the role of coordinating the transport of sheep from country feedlots and the unloading sequences for many different trucks at the Fremantle port. This was a huge task as mainly single trailers were used at that time and the boat loads were averaging 160,000 head each month. On one memorable occasion 60,000 sheep were put through in one day.
Sydney was elected to the executive of the Livestock Transport Association of Western Australia in 1993. He put in a lot of work to attract a group of loyal sponsors; many believe the association’s success was built on the back of Sydney’s dedicated efforts to secure funding. In 1998 the Association awarded him a ‘Certificate of Appreciation’ and he was made a life member in 2004.
Matthews Transport has spanned four generations of transporting livestock, grain, fertilizer, liquid bulk, and grain supplies. Handing control over to the third and fourth generations, Sydney retired in 2008 from the transport industry and turned to fulltime farming in Kojonup.
Sadly, Sydney passed away in March 2022. He was married to Lynne for 45 years and they raised four children. He was regarded as a humble man who worked hard to make conditions better for the people who toiled behind the wheel to put food on our tables.