Barry Gall's story

Kenneth Stewart Barry Gall - Barry to his mates - was born in Sydney in 1932. But by the age of one, his family had left the big smoke for the tranquility of Moree.

The youngest of five sons, Barry had a typical Aussie upbringing, leaving school early to earn his keep and help support the family. From baker to school bus driver, he turned his hand to just about everything.

Then, after a series of uninspiring jobs, Barry tried his luck at sales and set up shop on the dusty footpath outside his parents' home. Just like Arthur Daley, Barry started selling cars and caravans he had bought and restored. It was a brave step for a young lad, but one that changed his life.

Due to the success of his sales venture, Barry found the courage and motivation to move on to bigger and better things. In 1960, he opened his first official business: "Moree Highway Used Car Sales and Caravan Park".

A man of many talents, Barry was a salesman by day and crooner by night. He performed on stage with his band, Barry and the RedCoats, which included Frank "Tommo" Thompson on drums, Johnny Davis on bass and Barry on guitar and lead vocals.

For several years Barry juggled his two passions - music and selling caravans. However, in 1962, Viscount Caravans made him an offer he couldn't refuse. With a Godfather-esque offer ringing in his ears, Barry took his business to Brisbane - as a Viscount dealer.

Before he left, Barry swapped his van for an old diesel truck and purchased a wrecked caravan from an insurance company for £10. Then after repairing the two, he bid farewell to fellow crooners Johnny and Tommo and headed north with his wife Noni.

That was the day Kedron Caravans was born. Barry and Noni set up camp in a local caravan park, and Barry sold his products out of the back of a service station. Humble beginnings to say the least, but it wasn't long before Barry earned a reputation as an honest and reliable dealer. His business soon became a roaring success and after a while he had no choice but to relocate to larger premises on Gympie Road, where Kedron Caravans is situated today.

It was a time of many changes in his life, and not only in business. In 1963, Noni gave birth to their first son David, followed by four more boys: Peter, Craig, Ashley and Glen. Each son in turn came to work for his father and Kedron Caravans became a geniune family-run business.

The business started out selling Viscount, Millard and Franklin brands. The venture broke new grounds in sales, however, the workload and stress associated with a high turnover product forced the partnership to end.

The future was uncertain and for the second time in his life, Barry was unsure of which direction to take. After a lot of thinking and many round-table conferences, the family made a bold decision to set up a factory at Brendale.

The decision proved to be a success. The boys finally found their niche in the caravan industry selling exceptional quality, factory-direct vans tailored to suit the needs and wants of their customers.

Since the opening of the factory, Kedron has grown from strength to strength. Barry and his sons have released a series of enteraining videos detailing their caravaning escapades across the Australian outback. And back at the factory, the boys continue to work closely with their customers and turn out some of Australia's best off-road vans. Their dedication and contribution to the caravaning industry is unparalleled.

Barry is now celebrating his 40th year in the business. His five sons would like to congratulate him on his success and thank him for providing a secure future for his family. The team at Caravan and Motorhome would also like to congratulate Barry on his achievements and wish him and his family the best of luck in the future.