Vale: Charlie Morton.

In-depth

18 July

It would be true to say that Charlie Morton was larger-than-life. Charlie was a really good bloke. He was down-to-earth, he called a spade a spade, he was a loyal mate, he was so incredibly proud of his family – he would do anything for them. Charlie Morton will be sadly missed.

The number of people attending Charlie’s funeral along with the cards, phone calls, flowers – it is really all these things that remind us that Charlie left an indelible mark on many people’s lives.

In 2010 Charlie was hospitalised with arterial fibrillation and this condition was monitored from that time. It was on 26 June he went in to at Maroondah Hospital with an infection, and at 8:35 PM Charlie unexpectedly passed away.

Charles William Morton was born on 11 October, 1955 in Albury and soon after his birth was welcomed into the family of Matthew and Josephine Morton. Charlie never wanted to find out who his biological parents were. In his mind Matthew and Josephine were his parents.

Charlie was an only child and grew up in Long Gully Road, Healesville. He attended the local high school and then went down the line to Whitefriars College in Park Orchards. He used to talk about a country kid going to a private school in Melbourne. He actually sang in the school choir which will come as a surprise to those who knew him in later life.

Being a country boy he rode horses from a young age. He played local footy and basketball. He was always physically strong and good at sport. He certainly had a presence with his teammates.

After school Charlie was apprenticed as a plumber and in time he went out on his own, working as a domestic plumber for a number of years. He was in his 30’s when he started driving trucks. He drove for Ready Mix Quarries at Ferntree Gully and he soon became known as a good operator. He only ever had two accidents and neither of those were his fault – according to Charlie.

He went to work for Sherlock’s, or Elmhurst Hardware, as factory manager and oversaw the manufacturing of the wheelbarrows at Bayswater. He always had a strong work ethic.

In time he bought an International Transtar, transporting garden supply products and went on to buy two more trucks that allowed him to transport hay and machinery plus the seasonal grape harvest out of Gruyere.

It was early in 2021 that his son Matt took over the transport, allowing Charlie to step back. However, as Matt said, “Dad never stopped pestering me and making sure that I was doing the right thing.”

From his first marriage to Jennifer, Charlie was father to Brendan who came along in 1987. He later met and married Amanda Pomeroy, a local Healesville girl. From that marriage came daughter, Tayla in 1996, followed by son, Matthew in 1999.

Apart from his family and trucks (and boats) he loved his mates, often catching up for a beer or three. Often stubborn, strong willed and determined, he knew his mind and he would speak it. He was loud, he was a man with strong opinions but underneath he had a soft and kind heart. He was a loyal mate and he gave his children strong family values.

Tayla:

“To me, dad was so much more than a father, he was my best friend, he was my role model and my therapist, my financial advisor and my protector - the list goes on. He wore many hats. When he became a single father to two young children he embraced the challenge with grace. I remember our first Christmas as a family of three. Sausages sizzling on the barbecue outside the caravan. This is still my favourite Christmas memory to date. That simple meal became a tradition, though the sausages eventually gave way for a roast beef we would cook on the barbecue instead.

“Dad’s love for Matt and I was unwavering. He taught us the value of hard work, the courage to stand up for what we believed in and above all the importance of being there for the people you love.

“One of the most important lessons he taught me was about friendship. He believed it wasn’t about how many friends you have but the quality of friendships that you build.”

Matt:

“Dad, where do I even start? You are the man I looked up to every single day, from when I was young. From all the trucks, motorbikes, machinery and all experience kids of my age could only dream of, we were pretty much joined at the hip.

“Dad was always a hard man on the outside, but when it came to people he cared about, gee-whiz did he bend over backwards to help. His knowledge and work abilities made him a well-known man of the trucking industry and I’m proud of the name he has in the game. Dad was never shy of doing the hard yards to make sure Tayla and I got what we needed – or in some cases, wanted.

“He loved his boats and when it came time to get my boat license it was pretty straight forward: “Don’t be stupid and you’ll be right.” This was the lesson I applied to my future truck driving career.”

“Later on it was time for him to hang up the boots and give me a start in his favourite truck, the TranStar. I don’t know if it was a start or just a continuation of what we’d been up to together. But the smile and seeing how proud he was, was enough to get me to strive to be the best I could in doing what I am now. I wouldn’t have had the knowledge and the steady head without the days of trucking with dad.

“We had our hiccups but what do you do? We used to ring and talk about this and that which was something you don’t think about until he’s not here anymore. Not long ago I did my first trip with a load of cows. Dad didn’t say much and then hung up the phone. Then he rang back and all he could say was, ‘I wish you could see the smile that I have my face right now. You have made me so proud and to achieve what you have, I know I have succeeded.’ And then in classic dad style, he started choking up like a big softy.

“Now dad, it’s time to mix up a few Jimmy’s, catch up with a few mates who I know you’ve missed. I’m glad I’ve done you proud and I’ll forever keep up the hard yards.