Hall of Fame – Terry Bairstow

Terry Bairstow, left, and below, the Great Southern Hearts crew, including Terry (second from the right).

Terrence Eric Bairstow, nicknamed “Chubby” was born in Dumbleyung, Western Australia in 1942. He has been married to Maree for the past 49 years.

Terry grew up on the family farm and after leaving school started shearing and share cropping. When the farm was sold in 1970, he thought he would have a go at trucking.

He purchased his first truck - a petrol Acco and did a few trips up north.

However, the roads were terrible, the heat was unbearable and without an air conditioner or sleeper cab, it was very hard. On one of these trips Terry had five punctures as he had only been able to afford second hand tyres. When he saw a dam with water, he jumped in, clothes and all and by the time he got back to the truck, his clothes were dry.

In 1972, Terry purchased a second-hand sheep crate and traded in his Acco for a second hand M.A.N. which turned out to be a lemon.

A couple of years later he bought his first Volvo, a G88. He had a very good run out of this truck and things started to look up. Terry eventually owned three trucks and employed a local driver.

Terry also carted WA made Pederick Root Rakes over to Queensland and as Terry and his wife had five children, he would take one of them on these trips as they got older.

Some of his trips took him all the way around Australia which he saw as a working holiday and he really enjoyed seeing the country. When they were old enough, Terry’s older sons started driving for him.

In the 1990s, Terry ventured into grain carting and more bulk work which meant he stopped driving for a time to work in the office.

His second daughter also got her truck licence but when she started her family, she took over the management of the business for Terry so he could start driving again.

In 2012 Terry purchased part of the family farm and started cropping 800 acres which he harvests and carts to Bunbury Port. Terry still carts grain for another farmer which keeps him busy.

In 2019, Terry joined a convoy delivering hay to farmers over East and in February 2020 Terry carted lime for a couple months.

Terry has owned his present truck since 2007 and it has clocked up 1.2 million kilometres. It will likely be his last truck but while his health holds up, Terry will keep on trucking.