Robert Wettenhall

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2004.

Robert Wettenhall (Bob) began his career in road transport in about 1956 driving a 522 Diamond T between Melbourne and Sydney. He did this until mid 1960 when he had to leave due to ill-health.

He spent two years in business with his father, building, installing and maintaining milking machines around the Heytesbury district of Victoria. In 1962 he returned to Melbourne and commenced driving for Oppermans Transport for about three months before returning to Wettenhalls. It was a good experience for him.

Robert continued to drive interstate until February 1966 when he was asked to take over the management for the company. He remained operations manager at Wettenhall Cartage until 1972. By this time the company had built the fleet to 22 vehicles.

In late 1972 Bob was asked to join T.M Grayson & Co as a partner. He built that company up from five Atkinsons to 15 vehicles, 10 of which were Mack trucks. In 1977 Tom Grayson retired so Bob, with his wife Anne, took over the company and ran it until 1981 when he sold out to Chalmers Industries. He joined the board at Chalmers as a director but was only there for 18 months when he decided working for a public company was not his forte as he preferred the hands on, grease under the fingernails ideal to sitting behind a desk. In late 1982 he purchased two of Grayson's old Macks and was back in the trucking business with many of his old clients contacting him when they heard of his return.

The Wettenhalls bought premises in Bayswater and ran R A & S Wettenhall Interstate from there until when he sold the business and retired. At this time the company ran eight Macks and two tray bodies. Bob has always been proud of his record as an operator whose crew never had a fatal accident during his time in the industry.