Three more legends of the district transport industry have been immortalised, following another successful Deniliquin & District Transport Industry Wall of Fame inductees’ dinner in Deniliquin.
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While there was no Truck Show held as part of the weekend, Saturday’s dinner and Sunday’s memorial service still attracted a strong crowd eager to honour the people who built the region’s transport industry.
Four new nominations for the ever-growing list of Wall of Fame hopefuls were accepted this year, with Kelvin Baxter, Wayne Kempton, Brian ‘The Pom’ Hearn (dec), and Leslie Hood (dec) all entered for consideration.
Mr Baxter did not have to wait long, having been named among a list of three inductees for 2026.
Joining him were Les Bond and the late Simon Edmunds.
Mr Baxter said being inducted was a distinct honour.
“I really will treasure this award,” he said.
“It means a lot to me, and I thank those that nominated me.
“There are a lot of good operators doing this job.
“Our industry is not an easy one, so to be recognised like this is an honour.”
Two special awards were also presented on behalf of the Truck Show committee to recognise long‑serving members for their dedication to the Deniliquin and District Transport Industry Truck Show, Industry Expo and Wall of Fame.
These awards went to former president Leesa Muir, Ash Gray, and to Ron and Margaret Brown.
Guest speakers included Paul Fellows of NatRoad and TruckSafe, Graham Thomson Motors CEO Gerard Michel, Adam Cain from AxleFix, Alina Hawkins from Livestock & Rural Transporters Association of Victoria, and Purtill Group managing director Neville Purtill.
The highlight speaker of the night was Steven ‘Tex’ Bloomfield, of Bloomfield Cartoons.
A highway patrol officer turned cartoonist, he told tales of his highway patrol days, radar detection, and the legendary Pilliga Yowie which had the crowd in good spirits.
About $10,000 was raised on the night through raffles and auctions.
“The night was a success, it really went well, everyone was happy,” organiser John Creenaune said.
On Sunday, a memorial service was held at the Wall of Legends rest stop, with about 40 people attending.
Evan Whitbourne opened the service and read the names of the newly inducted members, chaplain Josh Renn followed with followed by a minute’s silence to honour all those that the industry has lost.
“It was a beautiful service, honoured the ones passed, the weather was good, it was fitting,” John Creenaune said.
Citations for the Wall of Fame Inductees are as follows:
Les Bond
Les’ long and distinguished career in the transport industry spans more than five decades and reflects a lifetime of dedication to keeping Australia's freight networks moving.
Born in 1947 and leaving school at 15, he spent two years working on the family dairy farm before taking up work in shearing sheds around the Deniliquin district.
At 21, Les began what would become a lifelong career in transport, joining Les Jones of Hay and hauling general freight and livestock across Australia behind the wheel of an International truck. He later moved to South Australia to work with Lake City Freighters at Mount Gambier, a company that would eventually become the well-known Scotts of Mount Gambier, where he drove a Dodge truck for five years.
Returning to Deniliquin, Les combined part-time work with local livestock carriers Grimison's and Murphy's while also helping out as a taxi driver. He then joined Knights of Kilmore in the bulk liquid haulage sector, spending 15 years as a company driver, primarily operating International trucks.
An opportunity to purchase his own truck saw Les become a full-time subcontractor with Knights, running a cab-over Kenworth. In 1989, he returned to his hometown and began subcontracting for Deniliquin Freighters, where he spent many years and eventually concluded his truck driving career.
Never one to slow down, Les transitioned to bus driving with Purtill's Coaches, which later became Dyson's Bus Services. Even today, he remains behind the wheel occasionally, continuing a remarkable transport career that has helped connect communities and industries across Australia.
Simon Edmonds
Simon was a true Riverina character whose life was defined by hard work, mateship and a lifelong passion for trucks.
Simon grew up on the family property, ‘Mooroolbark’ near Moulamein, and attended schools in both Moulamein and Deniliquin. While school was not his favourite place, by the age of 15 ( in 1974) he had returned home to help his father, Peter, on the family farm.
When the family eventually sold the property, Simon took his first steps into the transport industry, approaching local carrier Ian Chessells for a driving job. For the next two years he transported grain and fertiliser between Deniliquin, Melbourne and Geelong, gaining valuable experience behind the wheel.
When he was unable to drive for a brief period, he worked for the Purtill family at the North Deniliquin Truck Stop, cooking meals and serving fuel, a role he thoroughly enjoyed.
But it was not long before Simon was drawn back to the transport industry. He joined Ashley Ross in Finley, travelling interstate and hauling bulk freight across Australia.
After a couple of years on the road, a chance encounter with Ted Fitzmaurice changed the course of his career. Following Ted's advice, Simon met transport operator Sherby Grimison and, after sharing a few beers and a conversation, accepted a position with the Grimison operation.
In Simon's own words, "the rest is history".
For the next 33 years, Simon either worked directly for Grimisons or subcontracted to the company with his own truck. He became a familiar and respected figure in the livestock transport industry, travelling throughout Australia and earning the admiration of colleagues and customers alike.
Simon had a particular love for Western Star trucks. Even as much of the Grimison fleet transitioned to Kenworths, he remained loyal to his beloved Western Star. He relished every aspect of trucking: the freedom of the open road, the power and presentation of a quality truck, the solitude of long-distance driving and, most importantly, the camaraderie shared among transport workers.
Most people knew Simon by his nickname, ‘Peko’. The story behind the name dates back to a television bear character that reminded children it was bedtime each evening.
While travelling with friends one night, Simon suggested stopping earlier than usual to camp. One of his mates joked that he was just like ‘Peko the Bear’ wanting to pull up before dark, and the nickname stuck for life.
Sadly, Simon was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012. Despite the challenges of his illness, he continued working whenever he could and remained closely connected to the industry he loved. After a long and courageous battle, Simon passed away in June 2021.
Kelvin Baxter
Kel’s trucking career began at the age of 17, in 1968, behind the wheel of his father's 1951 Bedford tipper, carting grain from local farms to district silos during harvest.
From those humble beginnings, Kel built what would become one of the Riverina's most respected transport businesses.
Alongside George Fenton and Fred Driscoll in 1984, he launched interstate freight operations to Melbourne, laying the foundations for Baxter Transport.
What started with a handful of trucks has grown into a major transport and farming enterprise, with up to 55 trucks operating across Australia and a workforce of about 80 employees.
For more than five decades, Kel has been a passionate advocate for the road transport industry. He has served on numerous industry bodies, including the Australian Road Train Association, the National Association of Transport Operators Road Board, and the Road Train and High Productivity Freight Vehicle Committee.
He played a leading role in securing road train access to rice receival sites and was instrumental in the introduction of B-Triples and AB-Triples across regional NSW, helping drive productivity and safety improvements throughout the freight sector.
A former chairman and life member of the Australian Trucking Association's Industry Technical Council, Kel has earned a reputation as a tireless campaigner for the transport industry and regional Australia.
His contribution has been recognised nationally through his induction into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2015 and his selection as a Kenworth Legend in 2019.