Barry (John) Sky

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2007.

Barry Sky is one of those blokes who epitomise what it is to be a truck driver in Australia. He spent over thirty years on the road during which he gained the respect of his peers both as a wages-driver and an owner-driver.

In 1987 Barry left the family business in the care of his son Philip and decided to try his hand at selling Mack trucks in the southern metropolitan area of Sydney and southern NSW. In 1989 Barry was the Mack National Sales runner-up. Barry Sky began driving MR Macks for Clark Sawmill at Wingham NSW in 1956.

In 1962 he joined Bill Walshe to run two-up on the Sydney to Perth run for Antill Ranger driving a B61 Mack. Barry was one of the few people in Australia to drive the high cab-over, left hand drive H-model Mack on the Sydney to Adelaide relay with co-drivers Les Curtis and Johnny Watts.

Barry was universally recognised as one of the greatest exponents of the hard-to-master Mack 20-speed quad box. Even today experienced drivers talk about his legendary skill with the joey box. In 1969 Barry and his wife Pauline purchased a nine year old B-model Mack and started Barry Sky Transport. It was a proud moment for them and the culmination of an Australian dream to own his own business. Barry primarily worked as a sub-contractor for Mayne Nickless working the Sydney to Perth run which was pretty tough going in those days.

Barry had long been an advocate of Mack trucks so it was inevitable that the Sky business would operate with a succession of Macks finishing up with a Superliner 400hp. Barry is now retired in Tuncurry, NSW and enjoys his time playing golf. He is however, never short of a good story about trucking in the old days and welcomes many of his old truck driving friends into his home at they pass through.