The Three Amigos - Where Are They Now?

In the year 2000, three Kalamia Mill cane inspectors happened to retire from the sugar industry at the same time as each other, leaving a massive hole in their organisation.

Don King, Ray Saldumbide and Hockey Vernon, a trio who became known as the Three Amigos, stepped away after over 120 years collectively spent in the industry.

“We didn’t plan to all retire at the same time … it just sort of happened that way,” Hockey told the Ayr Advocate in the article ‘Three amigos call it a day!’ published on September 27, 2000.

Over 23 years later, the trio are still close mates, regularly catching up and reminiscing about the good old days.

Don, Ray and Hockey all grew up in the area which they say gave them an innate interest and understanding of the sugar industry.

Ray started his career in the sugar industry back in 1955, when Kalamia was known as the Australian Estates Mill, starting as a junior office clerk before transferring to the team of cane inspectors 10 years later.

Don started his career straight out of school, entering the industry in 1962 as a junior cane inspector while, a year earlier, Hockey got his start working on locomotives before joining Kalamia’s cane inspection department in 1970.

The three men witnessed change upon change in their time in the industry but say they had “the best days”.

“There was office work involved, but every day, we went out into the cane lands to see the farmers and contractors, see how things were operating out there and give them a bearing of what we were doing,” Ray said.

“We had some very good relationships with the growers and the contractors and even in the earlier days with the canecutters, which was really interesting.”

“The job’s changed quite a bit with the advent of continuous crushing, too,” added Don.

“Before, you had the same contractors working five-day weeks and they had the weekends off when mills did their maintenance and everything.

“Now, they have a program to cut back on deliveries, but that’s part of the job; they take it as moving forward.”

The three of them agreed that, since they’ve retired, the industry is almost unrecognisable.

“Technology’s taken over – it’s a different world out there,” said Ray.

“It’s all behind us now and all we can do is reminisce.”

Travel seemed to be a common activity for the three men post-retirement, as well as the occasional hit of golf.

“Nothing too flash, but it was enjoyable,” laughed Don.

Don and his wife, who passed away a few years ago, loved to travel through different parts of Australia with a couple of trips abroad.

Ray also travelled overseas, particularly enjoying Scotland, Britain and the United States.

A cricket fanatic, he’ll never miss a test match when Australia plays in Brisbane.

Hockey remains a busy man, heavily involved in the Ayr Surf Lifesaving Club and his local church.

With 11 grandkids, he and his wife often travel to catch up with family, and they too have been overseas a few times.

They all enjoy retired life in the Burdekin where they can keep in touch with old mates.

“Being such a small town, there’s always a harvesting contractor or farmer who wants to know how we’re going,” said Hockey.

“We always keep in touch, too, us Three Amigos, we’ve been mates for a long time.

“We haven’t agreed on everything, but we always solve the problem.”

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Don King, Ray Saldumbide and Hockey Vernon in 2000. Photo supplied: Ayr Advocate

Don King, Ray Saldumbide and Hockey Vernon in 2023. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie