Truck owner and his father honoured with plaque on the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame.
Alice Springs’ population grew markedly in late August when thousands of people from all over Australia attended the annual Road Transport Hall of Fame and the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame ceremony.
Craig Membrey collected two induction medals at the event, one for himself and the other on behalf of his late father Jack Membrey.
“I’m still kind of a bit blown away,” Craig says.
“My father passed away about 18 years ago, so it’s a bit of an honour to have both of us on the wall.”
However, it was Craig’s Kenworth T904 that he had on display at the Kenworth Hall of Fame’s new extension, which was of equally significant importance.
Craig lost his son Rowan to suicide in 2011, and the T904 has become a well-recognised tribute, at the same time promoting the BeyondBlue support service.
“That truck’s a Kenworth, an Australian-built truck, and my son was an Australian-built boy, so we decided to promote it,” Craig says.
He says in recent years he’s come to realise how important BeyondBlue is in dealing with depression and anxiety and preventing suicide.
“It’s a taboo word, suicide. People think it’s a weakness, but it’s not. It’s something you’ve got to share with people and get help early in the piece before it’s too late,” Craig says.
“I don’t like wasting one second of my life, I’m a goer, and I will definitely keep going.
“That truck’s going to be in the family for a long time to come.”
You can read the full story in the October edition of Owner//Driver.
Photography: Greg Bush