Tony Liddle

Anthony Liddle (born 1940) is a truck driver and tour guide who has made a significant contribution to the development of Central Australia.

Early life

Liddle was born at Hatches Creek, his mother's country, in the Davenport Ranges of Central Australia to Milton and Polly (Ngwarie) Liddle in 1940. In 1942, when he was a toddler, the family moved to Alice Springs, although they did regularly visit his family's cattle station Angas Downs Station (now Angas Downs Indigenous Protected Area).

As an Aboriginal family, they were subject to regular inspection and, at risk of the children being taken farther away, they were forced to make the decision to have the children live away: the government considered Liddle and his siblings "5\8 caste". Because of this, Tony and his siblings boarded at the convent and, from 1951 - 1956, St. Mary's Hostel, an institution for half-caste children, and they attended Hartley Street School during the day.

Liddle has said that he was luckier than other children living at St. Mary's as he was not a ward in the same way and he was able to visit his family during the school holidays.

Starting in 1958 Liddle worked for his father in the families small wood cutting and carrying business, alongside his brothers Bob and Mick. The business grew and they were soon delivering rations and fuel to many remote communities, and what were then, government settlements throughout the region. Liddle was a well liked tour guide and "the passengers loved his personality and dedication to the job". ''

In 2014 Liddle was inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion at the National Road Transport Hall of Fame.