A truck described as the belle of the ball at the recent Dowerin Machinery Field Days will soon be heading to its new home at Dumbleyung.
While the 685 horsepower, 131 tonne rated Mack Superliner with a 60 inch bunk was eye-catching enough in its own right at the Truck Centre stand, it was the amazing war horse murals painted on either side of its cab that made it one of the most photographed exhibits at the field days.
Truck Centre, Forrestfield branch customer manager Clayton Cowling said the truck was ordered and purchased by repeat clients Darren and Carmen Bairstow for their Flexitrans trucking business at Dumbleyung and it was their idea to have the mural painted on it.
It's the sixth truck and second Mack he has sold the couple since they started Flexitrans in 2002, but Mr Bairstow's parents, Terry and Maree Bairstow, who own Bairstows Transport, Wagin, have been dealing with Truck Centre since the mid-1970s.
Flexitrans specialises in carting liquid and granular fertiliser Statewide, lime and grain locally and containers of export hay to the Port of Fremantle.
Ms Bairstow said she was excited to be welcoming the freshly painted truck to their existing fleet of nine road trains.
"The mural is a tribute to the amazing Waler horse and WA's 10th Light Horse regiment that served in the Middle East during the war (World War 1)," Ms Bairstow said.
The Walers, short for New South Wales from where the outback station horses originated, were part of the 10th Light Horse regiment, the only mounted infantry regiment from WA.
Ms Bairstow discovered Walers when looking for good types of riding horses for her and her daughter and has since fallen in love with the breed.
Researching them led her down the path to the 10th Light Horse regiment and she is now a member of the Waler Horse Society of Australia and the Albany 10th Light Horse troop which represents the 1914-1918 era.
"On October 10, 2021, we participated in the re-raising of the 10th Light Horse regiment in Perth, meaning it is now an active regiment again" Ms Bairstow said.
"We were dressed in full uniform and rode along St Georges Terrace and through Langley Park.
"In May this year I flew to Tallangatta in Victoria for the unveiling of the statue of Sandy, the only Waler to be brought back to Australia after the war.
"I participated as a mounted trooper and it was absolutely wonderful."
Ms Bairstow bought her first Walers, two unbroken mares, one with a foal at foot, from Prenti Downs station, Wiluna, horse rescue mission in 2010 followed by another two fillies and has so far bred two foals from her mares.
"They are the most amazing horses with a beautiful nature and so forgiving, they keep you honest as they don't like fools," Ms Bairstow said.
"I am loving helping to preserve the breed."
Ms Bairstow said it was on their trip home from Tallangatta that she and Darran discussed ways of paying tribute to the horses and soldiers and the idea of a mural on their truck came up.
"At first we thought of just the regiment's logo or something small and then I looked back at the photos I'd collected during my research and it grew from there,'' she said.
"We sent several photos and explained what we wanted to City Panel and Paint, Bayswater, Perth's premier truck painters, who worked in conjunction with airbrush artist Wayne Harrison and this amazing artwork is the result.
"I shouldn't be telling you this but we've got another sister Mack on order from Truck Centre and I am going to get it painted too."
The process involves having the truck's paint sanded back, the artwork painted onto this surface and then covered in a protective layer of clear coat.
Truck Centre was established in WA in the late 1970s when former Volvo managing director Max Winkless moved to WA from New South Wales to set up the State's first Volvo dealership under his own trading name.
In 2007, the Max Winkless business merged with Truck World under the new name of Truck Centre and in 2012 Mr Winkless bought out his Truck World partner to take over full control of the entity.
At 95 years young, he continues to have an active involvement in the business and still drives into work on any given day as his interest in the company never ceases to fade.
Much of the heavy lifting these days is handled by his chief executive officer Brad Daff, who has been with Mr Winkless for more than 30 years.
