The hall of fame recognises people who have made a contribution to the road transport industry in their local area.

The business started in 1938 when Doug’s father Harry established a taxi service using a Hudson Teraplane car and later a Studebaker car on a passenger service from Dungog to Barrington Guest House.

In 1950 Dungog CWA asked Harry to transport four students from the Williams valley to Dungog so the education department would establish a central school.

He said yes and this was the start of the company’s school transport business.

Doug left school in 1956 and obtained a special licence to drive a bus and commenced work with Harry and brother Noel to help run the business.

As the education department closed small country schools they relied on Sheltons to provide transport to schools in Dungog.

The fleet grew from the initial 1954 Albion to the present day fleet of 20 buses, 21 drivers, three mechanics, 15 contracts and transporting 600 students a day.

Doug said he is friends with Stan and Val Mason, with Stan being inducted into the hall of fame in 1950 for designing and building a steerable trailer for the first road train in the Northern Territory.

“Because of that he has been wanting to nominate me for years,” Doug said.

“For the past seven to eight years I kept him putting off, but one day he came to Dungog with the papers which he filled in and sent away for me to be recognised.

“I had to write a brief story about the buses and received confirmation back at the end of June last year to say my nomination had been accepted.”

Doug was unable to attend last year because of an illness in the family but this year he and wife Reta attended the ceremony held on August 30.