Clarrie Bairstow was a well-known local character who had an extraordinary life.
He was the “man in the red truck” and revered for his generosity and humour.
Clarence Abraham Bairstow died after an illness on December 15 at the age of 86.
It was during his illness that The Recorder asked for an interview to write an article for the Community Profile
feature.
Unfortunately, his illness prevented this from happening so the newspaper would like to pay a tribute to the man and tell a small part of his amazing life.
Mr Bairstow was the seventh of Rose and Ray Bairstow’s 13 children and he was considered the family’s “link”, having six siblings each side of him.
He attended the Port Pirie West Primary School and after leaving in grade six at the age of 14 he started working for his father at the sand pits on Port Davis Road.
This was no deterrent to learning because he was a skilled man and self- taught in everything he achieved.
His life’s passion in vehicles began when he started driving trucks at 14 ,which was followed by him gaining his truck licence at 15.
After buying his first truck, a Studebaker eight-ton, he operated a crushing plant just out of Pirie on the Warnertown Road.
This was followed with Mr Bairstow working up north in mines at Hawker, Parachilna, Blinman and Wilpena Pound, resulting in his lease of 32 mines over the years.
When he was 20 he joined the army and during this time he went AWOL or Absent Without Leave, but it was for an unusual reason.
He wanted to do something constructive for the war effort so he went to a friend’s farm at Hawker and proceeded to invent a one-man army tank.
He eventually gave himself up,
resulting in his detention on his 21st birthday.
Somehow, the United States learned of the invention and wrote a letter saying what a good idea it was, but this was in 1944 and the war was ending.
While in the army stationed in Queensland, Mr Bairstow was driving taxis and driving the Military Police around during a fuel shortage.
He caught the attention of the local police who thought the taxi was on fire when they saw smoke billowing from the exhaust.
This was because he had used charcoal for fuel, resulting in the black smoke emission.
After his return to Pirie he went back into the trucking business.
He had an office situated next-door to a florist shop and this was where he met Gloria, the love of his life.
They married in 1951 and had six
children Peter, Raymond, Dianna, Debra, Luke and Rosemary who have given them 18 grandchildren, followed by 23 great-grandchildren.
The couple were married for 58 years living most of that time in their home in Palmer Street.
Mr Bairstow went back to work in the mines up north for many years and eventually started the business Bairstow Contractor with his son Ray in his backyard in Westley Street.
Mr Bairstow operated this business for about 32 years until a few months ago.
Over the years Mr Bairstow owned five crushing plants, 25 loaders, 15 cars and 29 trucks, five of those being new.
Knowing everything about improvising and maintaining his vehicles, some of his ideas were quite creative.
At a time long before seatbelts were legal, he used to taxi people around Port Pirie on seats on the back of his truck he named “Chairback” and he tells the story of finding someone still on the back asleep next morning.
Mr Bairstow was a licensed “powder monkey” and, although he had no training as a geologist, he knew about rocks and what he was looking for.
The hard-working man could make anything out of nothing and was described as a bowerbird, throwing
nothing away because one day he might need it.
He had great delight in teaching his grandchildren the many unique skills he had learned over the years.
Mr Bairstow has left his family and friends many wonderful memories and many stories to tell.
With a tear in her eyes, his daughter Rose recalls the feeling of delight when her father would return from working away and she would wake in the morning to see six parcels on the table. “I would know Dad was home,” she said.
She said she never tired of his stories, even though he would tell them over and over again.
Son Ray said that his dad had left behind wonderful memories and a philosophy in life: “If it is broken it can be fixed.”
“I remember the excitement of going on picnics in the district, but Dad would go off prospecting and us kids would carry the rocks home in a bag,” he said.
“I can picture him always sitting at the table doodling, designing crusher plants or creating drawings of future inventions.”
Mr Bairstow has been described as a kind, caring person and generous to a fault. Apparently, he used to keep notes in the band of his hat ready to peel off the money and give to anyone needy, knowing full well it would not be returned.
This compassionate man would lend a hand to anyone who needed help.
He would hire a person who was out of work and struggling. They would be given work in the yard to help and at the end of the week he would take a little pay for himself and make sure the workers had their share.
The name Bairstow is well known for success in cycling and it has been suggested that Clarrie could have been the best, but for a serious fall early in his career and he never raced again.
In a fitting tribute, Mr Bairstow’s funeral was held at his depot in Westley Street and his coffin was carried to the cemetery on his truck.
His family have fond memories and will miss his humour and laughter.
Such a unique man will be sadly missed by all who knew him and never forgotten.
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