Noel Halliwell would have been proud as punch to have been inducted into the National Road Transport Hall of Fame.
His wife Jo travelled with two of the couple's children to Alice Springs for the ceremony for the late truckie recently.
Mrs Halliwell said her husband, who passed away in his sleep aged 47 last year, loved driving trucks.
The Warrnambool man had planned to become an accountant and completed a university degree, but found it wasn't the career for him.
"He was not one to sit in an office," Mrs Halliwell said.
"He got his truck licence and started driving fuel trucks at the age of 23 for Matthews Petroleum."
Mrs Halliwell said it meant a lot to her to attend the ceremony, which was also attended by Mr Halliwell's mother, sister and nephews and three of his mates.
"He loved driving trucks and also made friends with a lot of the farmers that he delivered to," she said.
Mr Halliwell has now joined the ranks of truck drivers he once admired in the hall of fame.
"He would of been very proud to be included in the hall of fame," Mrs Halliwell said.
"On one of our previous holidays he spent hours there looking through the museum and at the wall of fame, finding the people he knew."
Mr Halliwell followed in the footsteps of his father Don, who drove a tipper and milk tanker for more than 25 years.
He was also passionate about the community he lived in and over the years he was school council president for West Warrnambool Primary School and was a volunteer driver for the Victorian Accident Commission's L2P program.
When he was inducted into the hall of fame, Mr Halliwell was described as quietly spoken, courteous and extremely patient.
"He was highly respected by his workmates and the customers with whom he dealt," his plaque reads.
Mr Halliwell is survived by his wife and children Michael, Hayley and Thomas.
Woolsthorpe's Peter Shiells was also inducted into the hall of fame.
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Monique Patterson
I'm a journalist with more than 15 years experience. I currently work at The Standard in Warrnambool. If you have anything to add to this story please contact me at mpatterson@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
I'm a journalist with more than 15 years experience. I currently work at The Standard in Warrnambool. If you have anything to add to this story please contact me at mpatterson@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
