The Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) has marked its 40-year anniversary with a gala dinner held at the Canberra Rex Hotel on Saturday, April 5 that saw over 320 people attend.
Multiple industry representatives were honoured at the event, which included an awards night and the presentation of a new life membership.
The Rural Transport Rising Star Award was, incredibly, shared between two winners – Isaac Davis from Tasmanian company Southfork Transport and Kyle Nicholas from South Australia’s Edmonds Transport.
“Both young men impressed the judges with their maturity and passion for the industry,” ALRTA Executive Director Anthony Boyle says.
“Both demonstrated a clear desire to better their industry knowledge through training and personal development. So, with the support of our sponsor BP Australia, the ALRTA awarded both finalists the award jointly.”
Craig Congram was likened to a “modern day Swaggy” when presented with the Icon of the Road award for 2025 by the ALRTA and Kenworth and said he was “blown away” that he could be held in such high regard by an industry so close to his heart.
Western Australia’s Jack Mitchell was posthumously presented the Bruce McIver Award for 2025. Mitchell was the founding Vice President of the ALRTA in 1985 and was a strong advocate for rural transporters in the association’s early years.
He passed away in 1989.
His son, John, was on hand to receive the award on his behalf.
Pauline Kennedy was named Rural Transport Woman of the Year. The Barooga resident started her journey in the transport sector washing trucks at the age of 15, and now operates eight trucks alongside her husband Glen and their three sons.
Boyle then hosted a 40-minute fireside chat style discussion with the Ross Fraser OAM, Gordan Martin, Peter Berwick, Gavan O’Sullivan, Joe Sepos and the ALRTA’s founding Executive Director Robert Gunning, which received a standing ovation from the crowd at its culmination.
Sepos was later presented a life membership by the LRBCA of NSW.
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