Namoi Diesel Service ends a long history

It was 1968 when Narrabri local Peter Shepherdson first walked through the doors of the newly established business, Namoi Diesel Services in Cooma Road.

And Wednesday, July 12 marked the end of a career of hard work ethics and an honest, dedicated trade, supplying fittings and conducting repair work for the community.

The building was built in late 1967 by Gunnedah builder Fred Templeman and managed in those early days by the late Keith Jurgs.

Mr Templeman had owned Gunnedah Diesel Services for some years before building the Namoi Diesel Service workshop, and later went on to build yet another diesel fitters workshop at Bundaberg.

Business owners Regi Kelleher and Bryan McFawn have relocated the machinery and equipment housed in the Namoi Diesel Service workshop to Dubbo, pictured with Peter and Aud Shepherdson.

Namoi Diesel Services welcomed Peter on April 1, 1968, as a young apprentice diesel mechanic, who went on to complete a three-year TAFE course to become a qualified diesel fitter.

Mr Jurgs purchased the building from Mr Templeman around 1972, and in 1977, Narrabri local Terry Lilliebridge (dec), also embarked on a diesel mechanic apprenticeship and joined the fold.

Fourteen years later, in May 1986, Peter and Terry formed a partnership and purchased the business from Mr Jurgs.

Terry eventually retired in 2021, and Peter continued running the business.

However, Peter has found the past five years an increasingly frustrating battle against the influx of internet sales with competitive prices and rising costs affecting the latter years of business management.

Having driven school buses for the past 12 years and with no intention of stopping just yet, Peter is looking forward to a part-retirement alongside his wife, Aud Shepherdson.

It seems a lifetime ago that Peter’s parents, Charlie and Doreen Shepherdson, forbade Peter to leave school at the completion of Year 10 – until he secured a job.

Peter recalls attending the Namoi Diesel Services opening night in January 1968, and upon making an enquiry about prospective work, the response was “If we get busy, we’ll give you call”.

Three months later, having looked at two openings, Namoi Diesel Services and Harry Houston Engineering, Peter received the call from Mr Jurgs – they had indeed become very busy, and would he like to join the company.

An advertisement from The Courier when Peter was an apprentice. Peter began working for the previous Namoi Diesel Service owner Keith Jurgs when the business opened in 1968.

It was simply the law of averages that Peter should be contacted in the next couple of days by Houston Engineering asking him to join them for an immediate start.

But Peter declined, having already accepted the position with Namoi Diesel, and the rest is history.

A three-year apprenticeship ensued, learning about reconditioning injector nozzles, overhauling fuel, injection pumps, and repairing brake lines, to name but a few.

Peter is well known for his commitment and dedication to the Narrabri community.

In the early days of Narrabri Junior Soccer, Peter was prominently focussed on training the young players and became one of the first qualified soccer referees in the district.

He held the president’s position for some years at the Narrabri Tennis Club, and recalls the time of the famous win for the club at the White City Country Week Championships.

Peter continued to play tennis until the age of 53.

A member of the Narrabri Showground Trust since 1994, Peter undertook the president’s role for some years.

Having trained horses since 1982, Peter’s passion for harness racing is legendary in the district.

He held the president’s position of the Narrabri Harness Racing Club for more than 20 years.

With the closing of the doors of Namoi Diesel Service, Peter has now hung up the tools of trade with mixed feelings of nostalgia.

“I would like to thank all my valued customers and staff, some of whom have become lifelong friends,” Peter said.

“After 55 years, I feel a mixture of sadness, and an appreciation for all of those who have dealt with me.”

The machinery and equipment housed in the building have been relocated to Dubbo, purchased by businessman Bryan McFawn and his partner Regi Kelleher.