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No stone left unturned AFTER ALMOST SEVEN DECADES WORKING WITH TRUCKS AND MACHINERY, BRIAN UMPHERSTON, WHO CO-FOUNDED ADELAIDE’S WAKEFIELD TRUCKS, IS RETIRING. DURING HIS DIVERSE AND JAM-PACKED WORKING LIFE, BRIAN HAS COVERED THE WHOLE SPECTRUM INCLUDING SALES, SERVICE, REPAIRS AND ENGINEERING.
Brian Umpherston (centre) with the Wakefield Trucks management team celebrating Brian and Wakefield Trucks’ 40th anniversary in January 2019.
Brian Umpherston was born in Mount
To resolve the issues Brian and the team at
International Harvester (IH) trucks and farm
Gambier, South Australia, and
OGR arranged the retrofitting of Detroit
machinery and also assumed unofficial
left school at the age of 13 to work on the
Diesel 6V53 engines and 75-gallon fuel
support for White trucks.
family farm at Yahl just out of town.
tanks. After seeing the successful outcome,
Wakefield Trucks became a Western Star
In addition to milking cows and general
GMH made these modifications to all its
dealer in 1992, adding MAN in 2000 and
farm work, Brian worked for other farmers
stock trucks and badged them Bedford
later Dennis Eagle.
making and carting hay, fencing and
KMR XT5. The distinctive twin headlight
Brian has always been a quiet achiever,
harvesting potatoes.
and twin bumper front set it apart from the
setting the standard with his hard-working
After completing an apprenticeship as a
standard TK Bedford.
hands and iron-clad work ethic.
fitter and turner at Motor Traders’ engine
On top of his workload during the week,
He never accepted that something couldn’t
reconditioning workshop in Mount Gambier,
Brian built stock crates and trays for
be done; instead, he would design,
he gained a second trade as a motor
OGR starting Friday night and finishing
engineer and build things that a lot of
mechanic at Haig Motors, the local Ford car,
Sunday night. He worked on anything and
others thought were simply too hard.
truck and tractor agent.
everything including engines in cray fishing
From a handful of people starting in a
In 1963, Brian accepted a three-month work
boats at Port McDonnell.
small tin shed to what it is today, Brian’s
opportunity with General Motors-Holden
He was appointed General Manager of OGR
Wakefield Trucks, just like the man himself,
(GMH) car and truck dealer O.G. Roberts
in the mid-‘70s when White truck sales
has earnt a solid reputation for setting a
(OGR) in Mount Gambier.
were increasing but became disillusioned
high standard across all areas of
The three-month stint ended up lasting
with the management structure and some
the business.
15 years, with Brian taking on the Service
of the decisions being made and resigned
Manager’s role after about two years.
from the company in 1978. Later that
In the mid-1960s Brian completed an
year Brian and former OGR Sales Manager
Industry Icon
international correspondence course on
Dennis Dobie jointly founded Wakefield
Made possible by Smedley’s Engineers.
high-speed diesel engines. In the late ‘60s GMH introduced a ‘Big Truck’
Trucks as a non-franchise heavy truck repair
Industry Icon is a series dedicated to
business. Located on Port Wakefield Road
honouring the unsung heroes of the
cab-over Bedford range which quickly proved
in the northern Adelaide suburb of Burton,
commercial road transport industry.
unsuitable for Australian operating conditions.
the company soon became an agent for
66
Trailer Magazine NOVEMBER 21
