STOCKISTS OF LEADING BRANDS
HOME & GARDEN mammoth beast
vehicles I drove so when I decided to bite the bullet and go out on my own and open my own landscaping supplies business my offer to buy the truck was accepted .”
The Mammoth Major was certainly given a workout as Turtle Transport business prospered due Barry ’ s long hours spent at the wheel and the business acumen of his first wife , Jan .
“ Me and the mammoth worked our butts off those first few years but in ’ 78 , I needed a larger vehicle and traded it in at Tauntons down in Goulburn , coming away with a new International 3074B prime mover and trailer ,” Barry said .
The Mammoth Major had done its job and Turtle Transport morphed into Turtle Nursery and Landscape Supplies and growing into one of the major such businesses in the state .
It now operates on large premises at Rouse Hill and South Windsor , utilising 48 delivery vehicles , including five B-Doubles and nine trucks with dog trailers .
“ We have 65 staff including three sons with my late wife Jan - Mark , Peter and Paul , while Peter ’ s son , Max has recently joined us as an apprentice mechanic .
“ We have been blessed to have many long-time staff members including Dominic Grech who ’ s been with us for 36 years while Steve Roper , who retired in 2021 , was with the company for 37 years .” Sadly , Barry ’ s beloved and muchadmired Jan passed away at just 52 years of age in 2002 but his heartache was mended two years later when he married June Bonser , an old acquaintance of Jan .
Now , back to the Mammoth Major . Eight years ago , Barry , always a nostalgic , had a whim to hunt down the vehicle which was the catalyst for the subsequent success of Turtle .
“ Tauntons had long gone out of business , but I was able to find out the name of the bloke who had bought the Mammoth off them ,” Barry said .
Further detective work unearthed a contact number and Barry touched base with the ex-owner ’ s son who told him the old truck had been sitting in a shed out of the back of his place for many years .
After a bit of successful haggling , the Mammoth Major was brought back to Barry and June ’ s Rouse Hill home where it “ rested ” for several more years before Barry became serious about returning it to its former glory .
As you all know , a picture tells a thousand words , so have a gander at the accompanying photo and you will see what Barry and his restoration team have achieved .
Barry says the Mammoth Major will not be put back into harness .
“ I ’ ve joined the Western Sydney Historical Truck Club and the Mammoth is now registered with “ historic ” number plates , which means it cannot be used as a commercial vehicle ,” Barry explained .
“ Not that I ’ d want to put even the slightest scratch on her and mar her beauty – the only work she ’ ll be doing is being driven to truck shows to be shown off !”
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5 Walker Street , South Windsor Phone 4577 4622 www . gwsmachinery . com . au
LIVING ON THE LAND
Dick Petrikas primed and prepped
With NSW facing a catastrophic fire season and even Sydney metro areas under threat , everyone needs to get prepared .
Fire authorities are warning resources are severely stretched and that the public can not expect a fire truck to arrive to defend every home .
Dick Petrikas , based in Tennyson , is a great believer in the importance of selfreliance when it comes to bushfire property protection .
Long-time Aussie Pump distributors , they are primed with a range of Aussie fire pumps including the popular Fire Chief . The Aussie Fire Chief was developed for Australian bushfire fighting conditions and is lauded internationally as the world ’ s best lightweight fire pump . It has a genuine Honda engine and like all Aussie pumps is covered with a unique five-year warranty .
“ This summer is going to be long , hot and dangerous and the Hawkesbury area is at high risk . We ’ re urging customers
Chris Petrikas with his range of Aussie firefighting pumps .
to revolt against third world products and choose an Aussie Fire Chief to be prepared ,” said Chris Petrikas , Manager of Dick Petrikas Chainsaws .
Dick Petrikas can also supply free copies of the Aussie Bushfire Survival Guide . This guide outlines the essentials of bushfire protection , equipment checklists , fire drills and pump maintenance .
This year ’ s guide has been expanded to include information to minimise the risk to livestock .
Dick Petrikas P / L Chainsaws , Mowers , Tractors Petrikas Lane , TENNYSON Ph : 4576 5555
RANGE OF FIRE PUMPS & HOSES
Easy to drive steering wheel Zero Turn Mower
Mahindra Tractors
STOCKISTS OF LEADING BRANDS
THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 162 // NOVEMBER 2023 35