The Passing of Allan Scott

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Mt Gambier business magnate Allan Scott dies
TRIBUTES are flowing for Mount Gambier trucking magnate, outspoken political critic and major sports sponsor Allan Scott, who has died aged 84.

Mr Scott, one of South Australia's most powerful business figures and a long-term Liberal Party supporter, had been ill for several weeks.

The controversial figure, often referred to as the "grandfather of Mt Gambier", leaves behind an array of businesses in the transport, media and retail industries.

Family and friends had been maintaining a bedside vigil at Mt Gambier Private Hospital.

AdelaideNow understands Mr Scott had part of one leg amputated because of complications associated with diabetes, and also suffered heart-related problems.

Mr Scott's children and wife, Grace, had been a constant presence along with Scott Group of Companies chief Bruce Grubb, who was recently appointed to oversee the business's day-to-day operations.


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Opposition leader Martin Hamilton-Smith said he was "deeply saddened'' at the loss of Mr Scott - "a passionate South Australian, businessman, World War II veteran and philanthropist''.

"Over more than 50 years, Mr Scott has contributed to the prosperity of this State from his home in the South-East,'' he said.

"His loss will be felt keenly in Mount Gambier along with the wider community.''

Mr Hamilton-Smith said Mr Scott was "a keen sportsman and a strong supporter of Port Power and horse racing".

"He had a gift for being able to mix freely with people from all walks of life,'' he said.

"Mr Scott was a forthright individual who believed in telling it straight.''

Hero at Alberton

Port Adelaide Football Club president Greg Boulton said Mr Scott would always be held in the highest esteem at Alberton, where the club's headquarters bear his name.

"Allan Scott was – and always will be – a hero of the Port Adelaide Football Club, it's that simple," Boulton said.

"Nobody has supported this club the way Allan did throughout what was a wonderful life.

"The fact Port Adelaide grew from a suburban footy club into an ultimately successful one on the national stage was largely thanks to Allan Scott.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Allans family and friends at this difficult time."

Boulton said Mr Scott's legacy was "forever captured in the history of our football club while it is simultaneously aligned with its future".

"We will all miss him dearly but never forget what he has done for our football club," he said.

Mr Scott also was heavily involved in horse racing, with his contribution to SA's racing industry being recognised in 1995 when the Morphettville racetrack was renamed Allan Scott Park in after a multi-million-dollar sponsorship deal.

SAJC "sincerely saddened'

South Australian Jockey Club chairman John Naffine said Mr Scott was "one of the truly great entrepreneurial South Australians, who has achieved outstanding success in both business and with his other passion of thoroughbred breeding and racing.

"The SAJC has been extremely grateful for his support over many years and we're proud that Morphettville bears his name" he said.

"We are sincerely saddened by his passing and are thinking of his family, friends and colleagues at this time.

"He became one of the naming right sponsors just three years ago but he has had an interest in racing for a long time and has a large establishment in the South-East with a lot of horses.

"He's bought and raced a lot of horses from New Zealand in his time and the industry has benefited from his vision and development of many horses. He has contributed a lot to the industry.

"I will be meeting with the board members this evening to discuss ways in which we can further honour Mr Scott."

Mr Scott was a vocal critic of successive State Governments, particularly that of former Liberal premier John Olsen.

Humble beginnings

However, most of his success revolved around the trucking industry, after Mr Scott started from humble beginnings, purchasing one truck 56 years ago in Milang.

Since then his business, the Scott Group of Companies, has grown to deliver an annual turnover of more than $1 billion.

He left school at 12 and joined the army at 17, before starting his trucking business in 1952.

He steadily grew the business, which eventually spread nationwide.

In 1986 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia and named South Australian of the Year, before being named an Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order in 2006.

He received the awards for his service to the transport industry, including lobbying for improved infrastructure, focusing on heavy vehicle driver safety training, as well as for his donations to sporting, medical research and aged care organisations.

He was also inducted into the National Road Transport Hall of Fame in 2002.

Mr Scott was the major shareholder in the publicly listed K&S Corporation, which has warehousing and logistics businesses across Australia, and Scott Corporation, which specialises in bulk resource and dangerous goods haulage, through Heggies Bulkhaul and Chemtrans.

Political views

Mr Scott's political views were often famously published through his newspaper, Mt Gambier's The Border Watch, which he owned for many years.

At the time of his death he also owned the Penola Pennant and South Eastern Times newspapers, after previously owning Mt Gambier's television station.

It was revealed in his official biography, "A Truckie's Dream", released last year, that the Dunstan Labor Government brokered a loan from state insurance company SGIC to enable Mr Scott to buy The Border Watch in 1977, as he was unable to afford the $500,000 price tag.

It was just one of the tales told in the biography, written by former employee Graham Greenwood, in which Mr Scott laid down his take on life, and the secrets to his successes.

In the book's foreword, former state governor Sir Eric Neal described Mr Scott as a "self-made man" and referred to his goal of creating a national transport empire as the "stuff of legends".

Mr Scott was described in the book as a "dreamer who tries to live out his dreams", which started with the purchase of a 1953 three-tonne Dodge, with the transport magnate beginning carting super, hay, grain and stock in the Milang area.

This saw the formation of the AA Scott Ltd business, which has become incorporated and still serves as the parent company.

At the time of his death he still oversaw the Scott Group of Companies, which according to the biography, was SA's largest privately owned company in 2006 and employed more than 3000 people nationwide.

Mr Scott is survived by his wife Grace and children Zena, Robyn, Ray and Julie.

LECHELLE EARL, MOUNT GAMBIER
October 28, 2008 10:00am