Douglas William (Doug) Tory

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2022.

Douglas (Doug) William Tory was born in Oatley, New South Wales in December, 1938 one of five children. On his 16th birthday, in 1954, Douglas started as an apprentice at Hastings Deering Service Limited in Sydney, New South Wales. 

After achieving his Automotive Engineering Qualifications in 1959, Doug moved to Binns Carrying Company in Revesby in Sydney’s south, working for two and a half years as a diesel mechanic and relief truck driver. During this time, he married his wife, Dot, and they welcomed their first child.

Doug then secured employment at the Punchbowl Bus Company’s Riverwood depot as a mechanic for two years before working briefly at Caltex.

In February 1966, he started working for Roy Pedemont Transport in Sydney. Doug spent over eight years with Pedemont as the head mechanic, overseeing and carrying out the servicing and maintenance of some 25 trucks. During this time, Doug built an enduring rapport with the Pedemont family, work colleagues and his first apprentice, some of these relationships continue to this day. Doug also stepped in as a relief driver when needed and used these driving opportunities to give his son Gavin, and his friends, memorable experiences in heavy vehicle transport, taking them on interstate trips during school holidays.

Pedemont had a variety of prime movers, including Leyland, a 1418 Mercedes, Scania, Acco International, ‘Straight Eight’ Gardner Foden and Doug’s favourites, Mack FIR700. Doug worked on all these vehicles, keeping them in good working.

Doug left Pedemont in 1975 to try something different and became a roadside assist patrolman in the well-known blue and white Holden panel vans of the National Roads and Motorists' Association. He developed a reputation as a great trouble-shooter and received many compliments from people he helped in this job. 

Next, Doug was employed selling aftermarket parts for 4-WD drive equipment before joining Golden Fleece/Caltex where he worked from 1981 to 1988 as the maintenance supervisor of the fleet. This was followed by a brief stint refuelling planes at Sydney Airport.

Doug’s next job was with Pioneer Concrete’s Wallgrove Quarry in outer western Sydney. For four years, he worked as the Maintenance Manager, responsible for the maintenance of the site’s heavy mobile equipment from dump trucks and Caterpillar loaders to tipper trucks. When the company decided to outsource the vehicle maintenance, Doug left and joined the service division at Hi-Torque Truck Spares for some two years before taking on the mechanic’s role at Kent Removals, a Sydney based truck fleet, until semi-retiring in 2003.  He still kept a hand in the industry until 2006, working as a casual truck and bus driver. Sadly, his wife passed in that year.

Now residing in Peakhurst, Sydney, Doug fondly reminisces about his 50 plus years in the transport industry. A recent highlight was a visit by Pedemont family members who have remained close friends 47 years on.  Doug enjoys the support of his two children, Brenda and Gavin, along with 6 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.