Albert Edmund Bunt (1917 - 2008)

Born 30 Jun 1917 in Mascot, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Marjorie Hazel Beatrice (Russell) Bunt — married 21 May 1941 in Petersham, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 6 Dec 2008 at age 91 in Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kenneth Evans [send private message]

Biography

Albert was deservedly honoured as one of the first inductees, in 1992, of the Shell Rimula Transport Wall of Fame.

Albert Bunt was born in New South Wales, Australia

Albert Bunt has English ancestors.

Albert Edmund Bunt, or Billy to everyone including family, was born on 30th June 1917 in Mascot, New South Wales, Australia. He was the only son of Albert Edmund "Jack" Bunt and Ellen "Nellie" Pollard, descendants of early New South Wales pioneers of much conviction: ^[1] Mary Phillips 1788, Aaron Pearce 1811, Ellen Holland 1813, Henry Pollard 1814, Martha Brooks 1822, William Bates 1827 and John Bunt 1834.

formative years

About 1919, Billy's family moved to Tenterfield, on New South Wales' New England Tableland (his father finding work as a tanner), and lived there for some five years before moving back to Mascot. Billy attended Mascot Public School leaving, as was the custom of the day, at Year 8 and starting work. He became engaged to be married to Marjorie Russell in early 1936, when they were both eighteen years of age. ^[2] If readers have watched the 2005 film, The World's Fastest Indian, then you will know the type of man Billy Bunt was. Exactly the same as Anthony Hopkin's character.

flying high

Back in Mascot, the family moved into a bungalow in Cook Street, backing on to the new aerodrome being built (now the Kingsford Smith International Airport). An inquisitive and adventurous young boy could not help but develop a love for flying watching these pioneer craft taking off and landing. Indeed, Billy was taught by Sir Charles Kingsord Smith himself to fly before he was 18 years old. ^[3] Over the years, Billy owned several small aeroplanes (he never got accustomed to calling them 'airplanes'), some parked at aerodromes (not airports) in Sydney or Melbourne where he could take a flight whilst waiting to get a load to haul, or at Albury, on the Hume Highway where he could get some 'away time' when driving got too arduous. He handed-in his pilot's licence at 89 years of age. ^[4]

marriage made in rabbitoh country

Marj and Bill Bunt 1941

Billy married Marjorie Russell, daughter of English emigrants Tom and Alice Russell, in the Registry Office, Petersham, New South Wales, on 21st May 1941; just weeks before their 24th birthdays (they were eight days apart in age). ^[5] When courting, one of their favourite outings was on Billy's Indian motorcycle with Marj carrying a shotgun and, if it was a good day's hunting, the rabbits for dinner.^[6] This was the district from which Billy's beloved South Sydney Rugby League Club took its name of Rabbitohs, or Bunnies. To think that so much of today's southern Sydney suburbs were native bush eighty years ago!

family

Billy and Marj had three daughters; Joan, who passed away in infancy, Elva and Marilyn. They also had three stillborn births, said to be males, whose births / deaths were not registered with the NSW Government. ^[7] Not only did he get to walk each of his daughters down the aisle, but did the same for his only grandchild, Terena-Maree. ^[8] Billy's family certainly did not stop at his daughters and granddaughter. When his sister needed a helping hand, he didn't hesitate to take in her son, his nephew, and raise him for the next fifteen years. He also helped an aunt by taking in her son. Billy's Mum came and stayed with them in her final years. Billy and Marj were 'second-parents' to many, whether they lived in the same street or off the highways of Australia's eastern and southern states. ^[9]

king of the road

Bill Bunt's trucks

Billy was one of Australia's pioneer interstate truck drivers, from the late 1930s until his retirement due to arthritis in 1979. His was the era well before airconditioning, power steering, curtain-sides, forklift loading and even doors or windscreen wipers. The driver earned his money physically. He could be on the road for weeks. Roadside repairs were done by the driver, and fellow 'truckies' who automatically stopped to assist. Billy was very well known, and respected, as a 'gentleman of the road' along the old Hume Highway from Sydney to Melbourne. Life-long friends, buddies, were made along those old roads, such as the Leseberg family of Jugiong. Billy was deservedly honoured as one of the first inductees, in 1992, of the Shell Rimula Transport Hall of Fame in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. ^[10][11]

wartime

Billy was working as a munitions inspector at Lithgow, New South Wales, during the early, threatening years of the Second World War, denying him the opportunity to serve his country as a serviceman as his was a reserved occupation. ^[12][13][14] Considering he already had his pilot's licence Billy certainly would have been appointed to a flying role in the Royal Australian Air Force (opinion of Ken Evans). And then it was back on the road with his trucks, delivering whatever important loads were required for the war effort or for the community to prosper.

handyman, or craftsman?

and the bike ...

Billy Bunt was one of those people who could look at an object and immediately start building, not just a replica, but an improvement. Whether working in timber or metal, motors or not, he seemed to be able to do most things requiring a handyman. He was known to build trailers, boats, repair lawnmower and outboard motors, and construct weather vanes. Several houses around the Sydney suburb of Earlwood have extensions, awnings and garages built by A E Bunt. Billy designed and constructed sheds for the backyard before garden sheds were heard of, starting blocks for athlete's before coaches had thought of them, and car-carrier trailers for transporting mutiple cars safely and economically before the big companies had patented them. Billy patented nothing. That was the type of person he was. He even made and donated play equipment for the local park which was enjoyed by a couple of generations of local children. His workshed was the epitome of a 'man-cave' decades before the thought had entered anyone's head. He tooled his own tools, made whatever on one of a few lathes and had collections of aeroplane models and framed pictures. Billy Bunt was the 'go-to person' of Earlwood, New South Wales. ^[15]

end of the road

more of Bill Bunt's trucks

No! No! No! At ninety years of age, Billy sold-up at Earlwood and bought a large home for all his family, on 1.5 acres. Even before his new workshop was complete, up went a six-metre flagpole so that he could fly that beautiful Aussie flag. To his very last breath, Billy believed he would be re-united with his beautiful bride and together they would worship their Lord. Aged 91 years, Billy passed away on 6th December 2008, in palliative care in Beaudesert Hospital, Beaudesert, Queensland; his only surviving daughter, Elva, beside him. The remainder of his family were at a dinner, at which his younger great-granddaughter received the trophy for champion cadet in her squadron of the Australian Air Force Cadets. ^[16] Just like a piston engine, life is cyclical; as one soul fades, another sparks.