<<Rewind 2010: The FIRST Mack Muster

In-depth

17 Aug

Prologue: There have been a number of ‘Mack Musters’ over the past decade – the most prominent of which would be the one at Kyabram that alternates with that town’s White Muster – along with one or three held interstate.

But it was only a mere eleven years ago that the very first of the genre was held at Colac, Victoria, due to the efforts of one man.

This is the story of that event and the bloke behind it….

“Make Mine a Big Mack!”

On the Easter weekend, if you were in Victoria’s South-West, stopped at a well known take away chain and asked for a Big Mac, chances are you would have been told to head for the town of Colac where you could have a choice of fifty-three!

Many of us have, at some time or another had a Few-Too-Many and come up with what we think would be a great idea. Then we wake up the next morning and think, ‘Ohh Hell! What have I got myself into?’

Colac was the venue for the first ever Mack Muster – the brainchild of John (Disco) Westendorp. A couple of years ago Disco was trying to think of a way to raise funds for the Colac Country Music Festival which is held on the third Sunday of February. With limited funds the festival had trouble attracting big name artists to the town.

**Disco flanked by mates and helpers, Ron Phillips and Hugh Riches.**

So, Disco decided to stage a ‘Mack Muster’. ‘If Denni can put on a Ute Muster, why couldn’t we do the same with the greatest trucks in the world?’ he reasoned. Nearly two years later, enlisting the help of a couple of mates he saw the folly of those ‘few-too-many’ come to fruition.

In the understatement of the weekend he said, “I just made a couple of phone calls and got the ball rolling.”

One of those phone calls was to Gary Richards, Mack Truck’s National Manager – Product Management & Promotions. Disco’s a pretty hard bloke to refuse and quickly enthused Gary into raking up $8,500 from Mack’s coffers to help stage the event. Gary was so taken with the idea that on the weekend he got off a plane from the States and headed straight to Colac for the Muster. “We can see this becoming a regular fixture on the trucking calendar,” said Gary.

Colac’s showgrounds became a showpiece for Macks of all ages and models. Disco reckoned there was only one model missing. “We’ll fix that next time!”

A standout was David Daws’ 1923 AC Mack. Coming off the production line on June 12 of that year she was delivered to the Vacuum Oil Company in New York. Later on she and a twin came to Melbourne where they were used as fuel delivery trucks. In the late 40’s they went to a saw mill in Marysville – one being used as spare parts for the other.

2.. David Daws at the wheel of his 1923 AC Mack.jpg

When David got her in 1984 she ‘was a bit of a wreck’. “She’s taken 16 years to get to this stage and she’s still a work in progress,” said David.

With a 471 cubic inch, four cylinder motor, the AC currently runs through a 3 speed box but David has a 4 speed as originally specced to put into her. He pressed the tyre bands from the wheels and sent them to Tasmania where South Pacific Retreading put the solid rubber on and cut the tread pattern into it. “She was originally all green but I liked the red chassis,” said David. ‘She needs a few bits and pieces to finish off around the front mudguards and I’ll get around to the line work and sign writing she had originally.”

Her worth? For everything else there’s Mastercard but this AC is priceless!

**Luxury interior of David Daws' AC Mack**

Howard Wilson of Woorndoo (V) turned up with his Mack NR. 330 NR’s were brought into Australia by the British via the American Government Lend-Lease plan during the war where they ran convoy from Alice Springs to Darwin. First made in 1938, the full cabins were replaced by soft-tops to allow them to be stacked 3 and 4 high for shipping. The NR’s ran a Lenova Diesel through a 10 speed box and had full air brakes.

4.. Howard Wilson with his Mack NR. Nine months of solid work to have her ready for the muster..jpg

Howard’s NR was used as a tank transporter and then owned by the Forestry Commission of NSW after the war. She once spent three days sitting at the bottom of the Hawkesbury River with a dozer on the back after the river punt went down. A farmer and seed merchant, Howard worked on the NR daily for nine months to get her up to speed for the Mack Muster – finishing on the Friday before. The old girl had only run for 20 minutes prior to the show but will no doubt be a feature at this and many other outings in years to come.

Jim – (“Got a last name Jim?” – “Yep.” - Silence – “OK then.” – “Diesel‘ll do.”) - brought his 1960 B61 across from Kyneton. Jim has owned her for a little over 5 years, purchasing her just three months before the Alice Springs Hall of Fame induction weekend. With the aim of putting her in the convoy that year Jim set to work with what was “a pretty rough truck.”

In those three months he stripped, sandblasted and repainted the old girl. While taking it to get registered – 2 days before leaving for Alice, she blew a head gasket. Calls to Mack found two replacements in Sydney so Jim and mate Robbie ….. took off both heads – and only one gasket turned up! They replaced the good one, only to have it blow almost immediately. It was only Robbie’s mastery with a soldering iron that managed to have her on the road in time to get to The Red Centre. Jimmy will have her there again for the convoy this year.

Terry, better know as Tezza turned up from Bacchus Marsh with his 20yo Mack Econodyne. Usually working seven days a week Tezza takes her wherever the work takes him. “Driving’s in the blood,” he said. “I blame the old man. As a kid he couldn’t get me out of the cab so I went with him everywhere. Just can’t imagine doing anything else and couldn’t imagine doing it in anything but a Mack.”

**Michael Kennedy (R) with son, Jason and Driver, Mick Rhakavic.**

Michael Kennedy of MJ & SL Kennedy out of Austral, NSW brought three Macks to the show. Michael runs thirty rigs – most of them Macks and hauls exclusively for Coles Priority. “I wasn’t going to miss this,” he said. “Especially being the inaugural event.”

Michael also gave greatly appreciated additional support by spending over $2,000 at the charity auction which raised funds for Trans Help. His mate and driver, Mick Rhakavic also spent $700 at the auction.

From a ‘One Off’, Disco now envisages the Mack Muster becoming a bi-annual event. “Next time we’ll get over 75 Macks here,” he said. “That will break the record for the number of Macks in one place.”

For lovers of trucks – especially the mighty Mack – Disco and co. put on a terrific show. Mark down Easter in two years time for a visit to Colac and the Mack Muster. Mind you, there’s always a chance that Disco may have ‘A-Few-Too-Many’ and come up with the idea of doing it again in just twelve months. Now that would be 75 Big Macks that this stomach could easily handle.

Postscript: Sadly it was not to be for Disco, but for lovers of all things Mack, keep an eye on your calendar for the next Mack Muster at Kyabram - whenever Covid allows.

Meanwhile, here’s some more pics from that very first event…..