Petrol and Oil Company Timeline

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Petrol and Oil Company Timeline


1854


The Australian Kerosine and Oil Company began retorting shale at Hartley Vale, New South Wales, producing kerosine and making candles.
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1867


On the 19th May Harold Crofton Sleigh (pronounced SLEE), merchant and ship-owner was born in England.
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1895


In November Harold C Sleigh and John McIlwraith formed a partnership, opening an office in Flinders Street, Melbourne.
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1900


R.W. Cameron and Co. begin operating in Australia as agents for The Texas Oil Company.
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1901

The Colonial Oil Company,an offshoot of Standard Oil, set up business as the first motor spirit (petrol/gasoline) importing firm in Australia.
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1902


John Fell and Company is established in Sydney, and being the production of lubricants made from New South Wales shale oil.
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1905


The Shell Transport and Trading Company, and the Royal dutch Petroleum Company jointly establish the British Imperial Oil Company Limited in Australia.
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1908


The Vacuum Oil Company take over the Australian operations of the Colonial Oil Company.
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1909


The Neptune Oil Company is established to handle the oil business developed by the Kitchen family.
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1913


H.C. Sleigh takes possesion of the first consignment of Californian motor spirit imported into Australia, it is marketed as "Golden Fleece".
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1913

C.C.Wakefield and Company Limited begin marketing Castrol lubricants in Australia.
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1914


The Kitchen family interests , including the Neptune Oil Company, are sold to the Lever Group.
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1918


The Texas Company Australasia Limited is incorporated in New South Wales.
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1920


The Commonwealth Oil Refineries (or C.O.R.) is formed by the Australian Federal Government and the Anglo - Persian Oil Company as equal joint patrners.
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1924


The Atlantic Refining Company of Philadelphia appoints Harrisons Ramsay Pty. Ltd. as their Australian agent to market their Atlantic brand products.
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1924


The Commonwealth Oil Refineries (C.O.R.) new facility at Laverton, Victoria comes on stream.
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1924


Neptune Oil installs their first Company-owned pump at a multi-brand service station in Hunter Street, Sydney.
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1925

: UNION OIL OF CALIFORNIA appointed F.W.WILLIAMS AND Company PTY.LTD. as AustraliaN agent to market UNION motor spirit using the VENUS brand.
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1926


The Lever Group sell the Neptune Oil Company to the Royal Dutch - Shell Group.
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1927


By the end of 1927, to bring the Australian Company name into line with its "SHELL" brand name , the British Imperial Oil Company changes name to become the Shell Company of Australia Limitied (incorporated in Great Britain).
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1928


The Vacuum Oil Company becomes the first oil Company in Australia to appoint an aviation manager.
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1932


The Pacific Oil Company Limited is formed in Melbourne.
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1933


On the 24th April Harold Crofton Sleigh dies, and is burined in Box Hill, Melbourne. His son Hamilton Morton Sleigh assumes control of the H. C. Sleigh partnership.
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1933


The Alba Petroleum Company of Australia Pty. Ltd. is established by P.J. Adams and A.G.Wales.
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1933


Standard Oil of New Jersey purchases the Atlantic Union Company, continuing to use the Atlantic brand name until the early 1960 's.
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1935


The Pacific Oil Company Ltd. merges with the Alba Petroleum Company.
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1936


On the 23rd March the Australian Motorists Petrol Company Limited (AMPOL) is incorporated in New South Wales by William G. Walkley.
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1936

The Texas CCompany (Australasia) Limited becomes part of the Caltex Group.
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1939


The Vacuum Oil Company introduces the Flying Red Horse (or Pegasus) logo to Australia.
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1940


In February, the Australian Federal Government introduces petrol rationing as an emergency wartime measure.
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1941


The name CALTEX is first used in Australia.
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1942


Pool Petroleum Pty. Ltd. is formed by importing companies to handle wartime distribution of Petroleum products within Australia.
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1945


ALBA Petroleum Company OF Australia was incorporated into AustraliaN MOTORISTS PETROL Company.
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1947


H.C. Sleigh becomes a publicly listed Company, H.C. Sleigh Limited.
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1949


Petrol rationing is declared invalid by the Australian High Court.
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1949


The "Australian Motorists Petrol Company" changes its name to AMPOL Petroleum Limited.
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1950


Petrol rationing is lifted by the the newly elected Australian Federal Government.
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1952


The Anglo - Iranian Oil Company (formerly the Anglo - Persian Oil Company) buys out the Australian Government's half share of The Commonwealth Oil Refineries (C.O.R.)
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1954


Santos is incorporated in South Australia.
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1957


The Commonwealth Oil Refineries (C.O.R.) name is changed to BP Australia Limited.
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1959


The Kangaroo Petroleum Company Pty. Ltd. is formed and begins operations in Victoria.
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1960


Standard Oil of Indiana commences marketing from AMOCO sevice stations in the eastern mainland states and South Australia.
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1960


Standard Oil of New Jersey replaces the Atlantic sign with the ESSO oval in their Australian service stations.
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1961


Phillips Petroleum commences operations in northern New South Wales and Queensland using the PHILLIPS 66 brand name.
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1962


Kangaroo Petroleum is aquired by H.C. Sleigh Limited.
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1965


AMOCO opens a refinery at Bulwer Island, Brisbane.
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1966


XL Petroleum Pty. Ltd. begins marketing in Geelong, Victoria.
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1967


In February, Phillips Petroleum withdraws from marketing in Australia, it being taken over by H.C.Sleigh - the marketer of Golden Fleece petrol.
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1969


Mid-year, the Independent Oil Co. Pty Ltd (IOC) begins operations in Victoria.
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1974


IOC was wound up.
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1976


Gull Petroleum is founded in Western Australia.
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1981

Caltex buys the Golden Fleece petrol marketing network from H.C.Sleigh.
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1982


Ampol Petroleum Limited buys the marketing and refining assets of Total Australia Limited.
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1982


Matilda Fuel Supplies is established by Peter O'Keefe in Queensland.
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1984


BP buys the downstream assets of Amoco in Australia, including the Bulwer Island oil refinery.
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1990


Ampol Limited acquires Solo Oil Limited, the largest independent retailer and distributor in Australia.
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1990


Mobil aquires the downstream assets of Esso in Australia.
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1995


In May Caltex Australia Limited and Ampol Limited merge their Petroleum refining and marketing assets.
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1995


In May, Liberty Oil is established, being fully owned by partners David Goldberger and David Wieland.
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