In Pictures: Deniliquin Truck Show and Industry Expo

Deniliquin’s celebrated ute scene gave way to road transport when the New South Wales town held its first ever Truck Show and Industry Expo. Peter and Di Schlenk write

The southern New South Wales town of Deniliquin is well known for its annual Deni Ute Muster. On September 12, however, it was time for the trucks to have their day.

Deniliquin relies on road transport to service its produce, public and primary industries. It’s a truck town and this was reflected in the close to 50 rigs turning out for the show.

Gary Newman, who drives for O’Sullivans Livestock, was the first to raise the initial concept for the Deniliquin Truck Show and Industry Expo.

“I checked my Facebook and that was back on November 2 last year when I contacted John Creenaune who is now our president,” Gary says.

“He called a meeting and 15 people attended and we got a committee of seven out of that.”

“They do musters here in Deni so why not a truck muster?”

However, Gary tributes Leesa Muir, the advertising manager at the local Deniliquin Pastoral Times newspaper, as being the driving force behind the event.

“She cracks the whip,” Gary says.

The committee decided on a one-day Saturday show, due to the number of operators heading off to work on Sunday afternoon.

“We believe that if we can pack everything into one day it will work very well,” Gary says.

And so it did, with the day providing kids’ entertainment and live music as well as the truck spectacle. A bike show added further interest.

A Wall of Fame dinner was held on the Friday night before the show, with Kel Baxter as guest speaker. Kel, who brought along a mix of newer trucks and some old classics, was inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Alice Springs in August.

A big supporter of rural shows, he came away impressed with the number of participants at the Deniliquin event.

“For a first time show, it’s looking pretty good,” he says.

“I would suggest that it’s mainly country trucks but I think if some of the folks from Melbourne find out about this they will be here next time.

“It is well run and has blown me away with the scale of it for a town of Deniliquin’s size.”

Out of towners

However, trucks did arrive from well outside Deniliquin’s perimeter, including Cole Holmberg’s 2013 Western Star. Cole drove it up from Elmore in Victoria, accompanied by his daughter Clara.

The Western Star is one of two farm trucks used to pull different combinations of B-doubles.

“I would have loved to bring the two trucks but I just couldn’t get two cleaned up in time,” Cole says.

“Deni is only one and a half hours away, we love machinery and trucks, and we know people up here, so we’re here for a good day out.”

Not far to the east of Deniliquin is the town of Finley, a short drive for Geoff and Trevor May and their Kenworth Directors Series T909. The Mays haul grain to Melbourne and backload fertiliser.

“This is a great event, and a good chance to shine up the truck and show it off,” Geoff says.

Closer to home was Peter Aldridge who only recently moved to Deniliquin from the Victorian town of Heathcote Junction.

Peter drove the family’s Volvo FH12 which is used on the road, as well as on the farm.

“It’s nine years old now, so we thought we would clean her up and bring her along to support the town,” Peter says, who adds the Volvo hauls hay to Melbourne, and is used for the seasonal cotton and tipper work.

Brad McCallum, another local, brought his livestock-hauling Kenworth T909 to the show. The event’s timing suited Brad as he was heading to Wilcannia the morning after the show.

“It’s a great day to kick back and catch up with your mates and other drivers,” he says.

“It’s a big plus for the town.”

Brad took over the business from his father three years ago, and is full of praise for the T909, especially the fuel economy from the e5 engine.

At the other end of the Kenworth scale, Brian Dudley was showing off his 1970 Kenworth W123. A fully imported model, the Kenworth was originally bought by All-Trans. Brian is its third owner.

“It sits in the shed and gets used once a year to tow a trailer when we are sowing the crops,” Brian says.

Purtills Petroleum, which delivers fuel to many properties in the area through operating four B-double tankers, was one of the local suppliers who supported the show. Others included Dunn’s Engineering who showed off a brand new set of crates.

Graham Thomson Motors, the Kenworth dealers in Shepparton, also came on board as a sponsor, as did Cummins Diesel from Swan Hill.

Next year the committee is hoping to have access to the large Ute Muster site just north of the town on the Conargo Road. It would then permit owners and drivers to bring in road trains and B-triples.

“We have been really impressed with the day,” Gary Newman says.

“And we had some beautiful weather to match.”

Demountable transporter

Josh Leetham, pictured, brought along an 8×4 DAF slider tilt tray owned by Decentralised Demountables, one of three company trucks at the show.

Another DAF, a waste collection truck, and a K200 Kenworth were also on display.

John says he enjoys the DAF’s comfort and power.

“It’s 460hp [343kW] and they went for a twin steer to be able to carry more weight, like the big forklift we cart around a lot to move our buildings” Josh says.

Josh says his first job with the company was a trip up to Katherine.

“It was a big eye opener and a chance to get a look at Australia,” he says.

Josh went on to win the trophy for Best Rigid and, like many others, believes the truck show can only be good for the town.

Miniature International

While all the big rigs turned heads, there weren’t many people that walked past Harold Lister’s pint-sized International 190s without taking a second look.

Harold, who arrived at the show with Ray Carter, had moved to Moama after retiring from the industry back in 1972.

“I was bored and started doing up cars but that was costing us too much money,” Harold says.

“Anyway, while down at a fibreglass place I saw a bloke with a little Kenworth cabin and thought, bugger it, I’m going to do up an old Inter.”

For further impact Harold added a two-deck crate. His son Rob, a sign-writer in Ararat, added the Lister’s Livestock name to the truck as Harold operated 190s back in the 1960s and ’70s.

Fiery display

An old Kenworth SAR belonging to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service had its fair share of attention during the show.

The Deniliquin branch had already planned to have a display on the day, but the SAR was an added attraction.

Laurie Coonan (pictured above), the brigade president in Deniliquin, says the truck can legally haul 25,000 litres of water in three of its five compartments.

“It’s an extremely good bit of gear to have,” Laurie says.

“The engine had just been done up prior to us taking possession.

“It has a 400 Cummins and goes like the proverbial shower; it’s very handy here in the dry times.”

Laurie says the tight-knit group of fire service drivers keep the old truck in good order.