Peter Renton

Peter James Renton was born in Broken Hill, New South Wales in February 1962 and spent his very early childhood on sheep stations in far Western NSW. Like most station kids, Peter learnt to drive at a very early age. When he left school he went to work for Beltana Pastoral Co, first at Currawilla Station and then Cordillo Downs where he learnt to drive a truck and tractors. 

Peter made the decision that trucking was for him so after leaving the station he had a go at most forms of transport; overnight parcel freight with Comet Transport, general freight with Hi Speed (now Hi Trans) which was mostly local work but did include his first drive of a road train. 

Peter decided he needed a change of scenery and headed to Kalgoorlie, where his first job was driving a Volvo with side tippers hauling gold ore between mine sites. This was Peter’s first experience with bulk haulage and side tippers and he quickly decided it was a lot better than parcel and general freight. 

Peter then spent time on a mine site northwest of Meekathara, mostly operating machinery before working for a mining contractor at Meekathara operating a dump truck. He realised very quickly that this was not for him and applied for a job with Jim and Jamie Cooper at Gulf Transport in Wyndam hauling lead and zinc concentrate in triples from the BHP owned Cadjebut Mine back to the Port of Wyndam. 

After a few years of driving Jim Cooper approached Peter and asked him to be the Wyndham manger. Reluctantly, Peter hopped out of the truck and became the manager, where he stayed for another few years. 

Once again Peter needed a change of scenery and applied for a manager’s role with Brambles Manford, north of Perth which he landed, off he went to live in Bindoon. Peter worked for Brambles Manford in various managerial roles and locations for eight years before being offered a manager’s role in Kalgoorlie, working for Bart and Dave Jones at Hampton Transport. He took the position and stayed with them for two years. 

Peter was then offered a manager’s role in Queensland, managing a large-scale ammonium nitrate storage and distribution operation with Kalari where he stayed for twelve years. While working for Kalari, Peter was selected to attend INSEAD in France, a SWIRE sponsored Advanced Finance Course. Peter was a senior National Manager before leaving the company.

Peter moved back to Western Australia to be closer to his children. For a few months he worked with John Patience in Geraldton before being offered a general managers role with B J Catalano, where he hopes to stay until he eventually retires. 

Peter has always been a vocal advocate for the transport industry and was a director of the QTA for 8 years, Queensland Branch President of the ARTIO for 4 years, and is currently a director of the Western Road Federation and WA Branch Vice-President of the ARTIO. 

Peter was also asked by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development to be on a working group looking at transport in Northern Australia. This working group was chaired by the then Deputy Prime Minister, Warren Truss.  

Peter has been lucky enough to share his journey with his supportive wife Jenny, 4 children and 13 grandchildren.