Liam McNally
Melton council’s flag flew at half-mast after local business pioneer Keith Harrison died in his sleep on his 80th birthday on May 4.
Fifty years ago Mr Harrsion sold his first car, a yellow Toyota Crown to Melton’s local post mistress, and spent the next half-century as the head of what is now Melbourne’s oldest family-run car dealership.
The Rockbank-born man’s journey into the motor industry began at 21, when after completing a motor mechanics course he opened a motor car repair business that would later become the Shell Service Station on the Western Highway. It was located across the road from the site that was to become Melton Toyota and Harrison Ford.
In 1973 Mr Harrison opened Melton Toyota with help from his wife Joan. In the years that followed the successful endeavour he would also open Harrison Ford, Melton Suzuki, and Harrison Hyundai under Harrison Motoring Group.
Mr Harrison took great pride in having almost 100 employees, who are primarily Melton residents.
Having been raised in the Melton community, Mr Harrison was aware of its needs and was always prepared to help a plethora of organisations and clubs whether in person or via sponsorship.
Outside of his work, Mr Harrison was a gilded circuit-boat racer, having won Australasia’s most prestigious speedboat racing event, the EC Griffiths Cup, three times, and overseeing his team win eight more and two world titles.
In his final week, Mr Harrison was still at the boat shed helping his son, Grant, tinker on the race boats.
Melton Toyota dealer principal Grant said his father left a “lasting legacy for the family – for my brother, my sister, and myself”.
“And also for so many staff and managers that he employed over the last 50 years, some of whom have gone on to manage and even own Toyota dealerships,” he said.
“Also for the people of Melton for his support with sponsorships and charity donations, people will be forever grateful and appreciative.
“He is a man that had no real ego or self promotion, he was there to be successful, but also very very humble and never forgot his origins from a service station in the late 1960s.”
