A GREAT MAN HAS DIED

Bob Whitehead 13/4/1925 - 16/2/2010

Bob Whitehead, of RFW Engineering and Permatrak fame, died on Tuesday February 16th, 2010, in Bankstown Hospital at 3am.

Bob was formerly the proprietor of RFW Engineering and Permatrak at 56 Boundary Road, Chester Hill, NSW, which once built magnificent fire trucks, 4wd bus and coach chassis, airport catering tenders, mining vehicles, special purpose vehicles, trailer axles, hubs, brake drums, steer axles, gearboxes, diff locks, power take-offs and other fine machinery for private, civil and military use until the Labor and Liberal Governments decided to pull the carpet out from under Australian manufacturers and allow cheap and inferior imports into the country in the 1990s.

This is one of Bob's sales brochures showing the magnificent array of custom vehicles that he produced.

Bob had, I believe, once been in the Liberal Party but joined One Nation in its early days out of disgust with the anti-protectionist, free trade policies of the Liberals.

Pauline Hanson visited his factory during the campaign for the 1999 NSW State Election which saw David Oldfield elected to the Upper House.

Bob had battled a severe heart-lung condition for many years but up until three months ago had still resided in Grevillea Road, Chester Hill.

Bob's funeral was held at Rookwood, on Thursday February 18th, 2010 and the chapel overflowed.