Celebrating Castlemaine #2: Jon Kelly

In-depth

22 Nov

Did you know? Somewhat surprisingly the Castlemaine Truck Show was the brainchild of two women. Lil and Marie White started the show in 1988, as a means of raising funds to sponsor Marie in the Miss Australia quest run by what was then called the Spastic Society. From humble beginnings, the show quickly grew to the point where three or so years down the track it was too big for them to handle. At this time they went to the local Rotary club who took the event on. Today the Castlemaine Truck Show raises tens of thousands of dollars for charity.

Butch Cassidy - Caesars Palace - Vilin 1 - The Majestic - Big Dog - Evil - Tri Me - Untouchable - J Cash. Let’s Get Loud - Sinistr - Swede 4 – Names and number plates synonymous with one company, Heavy Haulage Australia and one man, Jon Kelly.

Jon Kelly’s name was also synonymous with the Castlemaine Rotary Truck Show over many years. Jon was the first winner of the Truckin’ Life Rig of the Year when that event was moved to Castlemaine in 2006.

That year Jon turned up with not only the winning truck hauling an army tank – for which he had to organise a plethora of paperwork – but a flotilla of other HHA trucks. Jon never did anything by halves!

Like everyone who has ever visited the Castlemaine Truck Show, Jon was hooked – so much so that he returned for many years, giving away HHA caps and becoming a major sponsor of the show.

Jon was the first person in the history of Truckin’ Life’s ROTY to win Rig of the Year twice – both times at Castlemaine. In fact he won multiple awards on every occasion that HHA attended.

**Jon's 'runabout'. A tribute to grandad.**

But it wasn’t the (well deserved) winning of trophies that drew him to Castlemaine. When asked why such a commitment to a show so far away from home, Jon's reply was a simple, "I love it! We've been a supporter since we first came here in 2006. In that year we had no idea how good it would be and we've come back every year since. It attracts some great calibre trucks which is good competition for us and good for the industry. So we migrate down here for the weekend and try and promote the event. It also shows the public the best of the industry."

In 2011 HHA arrived with six rigs, including the company’s latest T908 Tri Drive - the biggest truck in Oz and rated at 300 tons GCM. It was brought direct from Darwin by driver Dave Pancino. We were chatting that evening at the motel we were co-habiting and I asked Jon what the ball park cost was to bring the fleet down. “Around $50,000,” he replied.

That same year he also brought along ‘The Majestic’, a very special 1979 Peterbilt he bought out of the United States. The owner had died some years before and his widow – having had many offers to part with it – had refused to do so, until Jon approached her. Seeing the pride that he took with every truck he owned, she finally relented. The Majestic proudly displayed a small tattered American flag on the dashboard that had been there since the truck had first been bought.

**The Majestic's KDA 600 has been balanced and blueprinted. Puts out 1100hp.**

The Majestic also brought home to me just how much Jon Kelly loved his trucks. I’d climbed onto the rear bar of the rig to get a photo when I was met with a long line of expletives. “Get the f*** off there!” – and many others. That was when I caught my first glimpse of the Jon Kelly sometimes portrayed in the TV series, Mega Truckers.

After calming down as quickly as he’d blown up at me, Jon said that if I took off my sneakers I could climb up and over the truck. He won three awards that year.

As with so many others Jon Kelly fell in love with Castlemaine – and Castlemaine fell in love with Jon Kelly.

**The HHA legend lives on through models like this**

**A departure from the usual HHA colours**

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CASTLEMAINE TRUCK SHOW 2021

Will tickets be available at the gate? Yes but if you pre-buy your tickets, you will be fast tracked on to the ground.
Do I need to register my truck? When you buy your tickets online, simply list the number of trucks you are bringing (no fee to enter or details required).
Do I need proof of vaccination for COVID-19? Yes, this is a prerequisite for admission.
Is there camping Saturday night? Only for trucks from out of town.

ADMISSION: $5 per person (Children under 15 free)
ALL TRUCK SHOW PROFITS BENEFIT COMMUNITY PROJECTS

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