Remembering Aileen Whittley
by Alan Whittley 25 Mar 00:18 PDT
Whittley Marine Group's Co-Founder, Aileen Whittley, wife to Jim Whittley, sadly passed away peacefully on March 22, 2024, at the age of eighty-eight. Aileen will be remembered as a loving wife, mother and grandmother. Her contributions to the start-up success of the Whittley Company remain a strong legacy that continues today. Along with Jim Whittley, the two were true early pioneers of the Australian boat-building industry and changed the landscape for Australian families and the way they went boating.
Aileen's Grandson and Whittley Marine Group Sales Director, Alan Whittley, had this to say about his grandmother's passing: "It is with great sadness that the Whittley Family announces the passing of Aileen Whittley, Co-Founder of the Whittley Company. Aileen Whittley will be remembered for her business intellect, kindness and love of family and boating."
Jim and Aileen Whittley built their first boat together in 1953 and married shortly after in 1957. They were enshrining a partnership that would become as highly regarded for its old-fashioned family values as for the quality of Whittley Boats. In the early stages of the business, Jim Whittley crafted timber boats during the day and Aileen Whittley painted them at night to keep up with demand. Jim Whittley was famously quoted for saying that. "There was never any great intention; the company sort of grew, I suppose, like a tree."
In the early 1960s, the Whittley Company was amongst the county's earliest developers of fibreglass production boats and opened a whole new style of weekend boating to the public. This saw popular models such as the Puma and Voyager released, and the brand's popularity grew. As time progressed, new Whittley classic models were born, including the Cherokee, Impala, Monterey, Fleetmaster and Cruisemaster. With a savvy business mind, Aileen Whittley was instrumental in building the Whittley name, which grew to be Australia's largest manufacturer of trailerable fibreglass boats.
Today, the company is owned by Aileen's son, Neville Whittley and managed by her grandson, Alan Whittley and shows no signs of slowing as they remain focused on building on the innovative and driven legacy left behind. Although not actively involved in managing the Whittley Company since the mid-1990s, Aileen Whittley was always there to advise sons Neville and Steven Whittley and grandson Alan Whittley on life and business. From this strong family bond and guiding hand, the Family remains closely involved through the three-generation legacy of the company started by Jim and Aileen Whittley.
"Nan was instrumental in assisting Pa in running the company in the early years. She was ahead of her time, being a businesswoman in the early nineteen fifties and sixties as well as organizing a family, was a tough task. This example paved the way for many aspiring women in the industry at the time. I remember our last trip on a Whittley Boat together, which was six years ago on a CR 2800 at the Gippsland Lakes. She always loved the water and boating adventures right until the end. She remained proud to see her name on many boats out on the water and that she had contributed to this and so many family memories. She made sure that I understood the importance of continuing that." Mr. Whittley continued to say that.
Rest in peace, Aileen Whittley, a true pioneer of the Australian boat-building industry and a lady well ahead of her time, sadly missed but not forgotten with a legacy stamped on every Whittley Boat. Mr. Whittley finished by saying that. "My grandmother always spoke very highly of the boating industry and the people in it, as well as her time with grandfather running the Whittley Company. A model example of a lady, through business or family life, my grandmothers lasting influence remains with us, and her family and friends will sadly miss her. Together, my grandparents were the craftsperson's of people's dreams and lead generations of Australian families to experience life out on the water!"
The Whittley Marine Group's Manufacturing business and showroom in Melbourne will be closed to the public on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, and reopen on March 28, 2024, for the funeral proceedings. All other national Whittley Marine Group locations remain open to the public on this day. A service to celebrate the life of Aileen Whittley will be held at Bridges Restaurant, 1075 Hurstbridge-Kinglake Road, Hurstbridge, on March 27, 2024, commencing at 11am. The Family thanks everyone for their thoughts and condolences sent to them.