Rob Wallis – his legacy lives on

Long time hire industry member and stalwart, Rob Wallis has died, with friends, family and the greater hire industry bidding farewell in a beautiful ceremony at St Andrews Anglican Church in Cronulla, NSW early in August.

An accomplished businessman, Rob took over his father’s business St George Plant Hire, built it and sold it. He was also one of the founding directors of National Hire Group.

Rob was a passionate advocate of the hire industry. He was present at the first meeting in 1968 in Sydney to discuss the forming of a national association. Throughout his successful career Rob remained active in the HRIA as both a NSW State President (1979) and later as a member of the strategic HRIA WoRK (Wealth of Rental Knowledge) Group.

Rob was known as being both an honest and generous man with a keen sense of community. Rob was regularly involved in fundraising activities for Camp Quality and also made his farm in Robertson (in the Southern Highlands of NSW) available for Camp Quality events. Rob and his wife Sandra opened their farm up to Camp Quality back in the early 1990s when they had too many blueberries and didn’t know what to do with them. So they treated the Camp Quality kids to a Blueberry Day on the Farm. The event went on to become a family focused fundraising institution.

Rob’s work ethos and love of the hire industry was passed on to his three sons (Neil, Jay and Glenn) who have all gone on to have successful careers in the industry. Rob will be keenly missed.