b'CHAPTER 02OCCY STRAPSAND NEW BLOODWALLY HAD STRUCK GOLD. BUT AT THE TIME, depending on the customer. There was the luggageHE DIDNT KNOW THAT EQUIPMENT RENTAL rack for holidaymakers, and a couple of options for WAS THE WAY OF THE FUTURE. He continued withtradies to carry their long ladders or lengths of pipe.his rural supplies business, but with a side hustle hiring out concrete mixers, wheelbarrows and a few other itemsIn 1951, Wallys health had improved enough that that people might only need once or twice. Theo felt she could put her foot down and move the family from Bathurst back to Sydney. She had always In 1950, Wally and Theo sent their three kids tobeen a city girl; the rest of her family was there, and boarding school (All Saints College for the boys andshe thought there would be more opportunities for the Marsden Girls School for Joan) and set off for the UKchildren. They rented the top half of the house she had and Europe by sea. During that trip, Wally discovered grown up in Mosman, but the noise from the kids soon a couple of products that were both simple and geniusprompted the owner to sell them the whole house.roof racks and octopus (occy) straps. Neither were available in Australia, so upon his return he firstWally erected a W. Kennard & Co sign aboveimported them and then later began manufacturingthe large wooden garage, then he filled the garagethem. Nev and Andy, aged around nine and twelve,with equipment and resumed his hire business. Every were put to work making and packaging the occy strapsday he would load up his ute and trailer and set off on and assembling the Pakaway luggage racks.a route he had meticulously planned the night before, picking up and dropping off mixers and wheelbarrows.He would buy the elastic and the hooks and wewould sit around the fire or radiono TV back thenAt home, the phone rang constantly, Joan remembers.and make octopus straps and package them, NevTheo was the receptionist, saleslady and general recalled later. We got paid for each one we did, so wedogsbody for the business, while also raising three always had the ability to earn some extra money. It waschildren and running a household in an era whenvery good training. there were few time-saving devices to help with chores. Over the following few years, the business The Pakaway was like the IKEA of roof racks, Andythrived thanks to this partnership. says. I would paint it, then package it into a carton ready for sale or distribution and self-assembly. IBy 1954, Mum was sick and tired of doing everything, learned to simplify and speed up the work, andso she sort of kicked Dad and his business out of the improve my productivity. house, Andy says. Theo reclaimed the garage for the family, and Wally set up business at 30 Dickson Avenue, Theo also pitched in, answering the phones, dealingArtarmon. He hired a bookkeeper to take care of the with customers, doing the books and even fitting roofadmin, much to Theos relief, and he changed the racks. Never one to do things by halves, Wally didntname to W. Kennard Industries.do just one type of roof rack but produced several,'