Sidney Stanley Lettman was born to Elizabeth Emily Lettman at William Street, Boggo Road on September 17, 1902. He was 11 days old when his mother passed away from childbirth complications. He was then raised by his mother's younger sister Ellen Brittain (Robinson). Sidney's birth certificate states that Ellen Brittain was the nurse who was present at the birth. Ellen and Wiliam Frank Brittain already had 5 children the yougest being Percy Sidney born in 1896. Ellen and William Brittain were dairy farmers at Scrub Road, Belmont. Sidney attended Belmont State School for at least his first few years of schooling before the Brittains moved to North Arm near Yandina on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland. In 1912 at 10 years of age Sidney moved with his uncle and aunty ( William and Ellen Brittain) to Cooroy. ​
William Brittain or as he was known W F Brittain was engaged in the sawmilling industry, for a time, but eventually entered business on his own account, and later extended it to Landsborough and Kin Kin. During the 1920 to 1930 time period William Brittain was a very prominent citizen in Cooroy and district. He and Ellen ran a boarding house that was also to be a nursing home. His entrepreneurial skills had him purchasing the Coronation Hall in 1925. The hall was used for the showing of the silent movies of the era with Ellen playing the piano for dramatic effect. William took his travelling picture show to Kin Kin and other nearby towns. He was president of the Cooroy Ambulance Committee, local councillor, and supporter of many charity and sporting groups.
Sidney Stanley Lettman was raised in the home of his uncle and aunty who were servants to the community and this is the role that he took on in his adult life. After leaving Cooroy State School in 1914 research and records indicate that he only had one occupation and that was car driver. Now car driver was actually the Cooroy Taxi Service. He purchased his first taxi in 1927. One must remember that you could not gain a civilian driver's license until you were 21 years of age which in Sidney's case was 1923. So what did he do in those nine years between leaving school and being able to officially gain a license.
It is known that he drove for many years without his official license but that was common in the day. Sidney did assist his uncle and aunty with the running of the Brittain's boarding house but from memories of people from that time it was common in the early 1920's to see a vehicle being converted from bus to car with the body being changed over. This was done at the Brittain's boarding house.
The Cooroy State School admissions register has a Sydney Brittain being enrolment number 120 on the 19th. September 1911. This would be when he and the Brittain family first came to Cooroy from the North Arm / Yandina area. Sidney had the Brittain family name that he had always had from 11 days of age. In 1916 when his brother Frank was killed in France he was 14 years of age. Sidney had never lived with his brother as Frank had been raised by Kate Tink (Robinson) after the death of their mother in 1902. Frank's enlistment papers in 1916 have his name as Frank Lettman and next of kin (mother) as Kate Tink. Sidney Stanley grew up as a member of the Brittain family therefore in his early years through school he was known as Sidney or Sid Brittain. Not for some considerable period of time did he take up his correct surname of Lettman.
Early electoral rolls from 1923 to 1949 have his surname spelt as Littman. To the citizens of Cooroy he was known for many years as Sid Littman - the taxi driver.
Sid Littman or Lettman along with his wife Ethel (nee McLean) provided the Cooroy Taxi to the citizens of Cooroy for nearly fifty years. They were there during the great depression years of the late nineteen twenties, World War Two and the troop movement as soldiers took leave to Noosa. The fifties, sixties, and early seventies saw the development and changing face of Cooroy and the district and the same taxi service was there. The road infrastructure in the early years would have been predominately gravel or dirt placing great demands on making the provision of a safe and supportive service even more difficult. Along with this time frame came the evolution of the vehicle that was used for a taxi.
Famous car names such as Chevrolet, Pontiac, Dodge, Oldsmobile, Plymouth and of course Holden all were part of the taxi fleet over the years. From 1936 until 1972 the Cooroy Taxi Service operated from 47 Cedar Street, Cooroy. Today the name of that part of Cedar Street has been changed to Elm. The house is still there and the significance of the house is that it is made from the timber of the Coronation Hall that Sidney's uncle, William Brittain, owned.
An advertisement place by Sidney Stanley Lettman in the Brisbane Telegraph on February 10, 1943 wanting to buy either an Oldsmobile, Chrysler or Chevrolet sedan. Cars would have been difficult to purchase due to the second world war but Sidney had 250 pound cash as the enticement..
Sidney Stanley Lettman, like his adopted parents, provided a service for almost fifty years to the residents of Cooroy and district. While he may have not been one for having his name highlighted in the media of the day he quietly went about providing a service to all. In the early years the taxi was the means of transport for the farmer's wife to go to town or for people to venture to town. Another frequent user of the taxi service was the person who liked to have a drink at either of the two Cooroy hotels but was unable due to distance to make it home to the farm or town residence. There were also many instances of picking the shopping order up from the store in town and taking it to the farm house. There were not many in Cooroy who were born, raised and lived in the time period of 1910 to 1970 who did not know Sidney Stanley Lettman. He also knew many of the railway engine drivers who travelled the Gympie/Brisbane line and a friendly wave and hello was said to them. His most enjoyable past time was to sit on the front steps of 47 Cedar Street (which was the old Bruce Highway) and say hello to all who went past, known or unknown. His saying was "Look at all those lucky people in motor cars" as they in later years drove past on the Bruce Highway.
In 1972 they moved to Kenilworth and Sid wasn’t happy there because he would wave to people and they would not wave back because as in Cooroy, he knew everyone and they would wave to him. After 16 months he became ill and went to Brisbane for medical treatment. Within three months they purchased another house in Cooroy and moved back to Cooroy but he only resided in that house for one month and was taken ill and passed away in Nambour Hospital.