Victoria’s town of Rutherglen is renowned for its fine wine, dining and tourism.
But Nick Hawtin believes it should be known for much more…
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“We should show what else we have in our region, like our motorbikes, cars and not to mention our huge trucking industry,” Nick says.
“Truck drivers give their life to the road, so that their kids and family can have a good life. Those kids go to Rutherglen’s schools and live in our town.”
Drawing on the important role trucks and the transport industry play, Nick looked to this sector to help Rutherglen out of a tough spot, and the Rutherglen Rumble was born.
What began in the aftermath of devastating floods just four years ago, has morphed into a truck show that has taken the town by storm.
“After the major floods, we just wanted to do something for Rutherglen,” he says.
“Now I want people to recognise that there’s more to our town. We call this show the largest mental health by stealth event.
“We do it because it’s a place where the truckies get to have a chat and a laugh, meet new people or even find another job.”
This year, the Rutherglen Rumble raised an impressive amount, donating $10,000 to Gateway Health, $3,500 to the Rutherglen Agricultural Society and $1,000 to the SES.
“This event means a hell of a lot to us, as there’s a lot of mental health issues in this region,” he says.
“What was really great, was Gateway Health notifying us that five truckies reached out while they were at the event. This is what it’s all about, even if we only save one life.
“Our aim was exactly that, to get drivers to reach out for mental health because it can get lonely on the road. There’s no point in running this event if you haven’t got your heart in the right place. Due to our large trucking industry, we just try to do what we can for the region.”
And yet, there were more activities to keep the smiles and laughs alive.
There was wood chopping, a shovel muster to show off some cool motorcycles and a swap meet. But when the sun dipped low, people pulled up their vehicles and deck chairs to enjoy an old school drive in cinema, featuring Smokey and the Bandit, a classic!
But that’s not all. This year was different than the rest, as this year they pitted iconic machines head-to-head in a crowd showdown called Legends VS Classics for the first time ever. And now it shall become an annual thing.
A standout total of 57 big rigs made a rumbling entrance into Rutherglen, where around 3,000 people gathered round to chat, observe and participate in the fun.
But the best part about this whole show for Nick isn’t the growl of engines and shiny chrome.
“Honestly, what’s most important to me, is raising money that saves lives.”
This show was proof that mental health doesn’t need to be a taboo subject treated with hushed tones and silent voices.
It can be tackled with fun, petrol fumes and truck lovers leaning on each other — the Aussie way.
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