The Australian Kerosine and Oil Company began retorting
shale at Hartley Vale, New South Wales, producing kerosine
and making candles.
1867
On
the 19th May Harold Crofton Sleigh (pronounced SLEE),
merchant and ship-owner was born in England.
1895
In November
Harold C Sleigh and John McIlwraith formed a partnership,
opening an office in Flinders Street, Melbourne.
1900
R.W. Cameron and Co. begin operating in Australia
as agents for The Texas Oil Company.
1901
The Colonial Oil Company,an
offshoot of Standard Oil, set up business as the first
motor spirit (petrol/gasoline) importing firm in Australia.
1902
John Fell and Company is established
in Sydney, and being the production of
lubricants made from New South Wales shale
oil.
1905
The Shell Transport and Trading Company, and the Royal
dutch Petroleum Company jointly establish the British
Imperial Oil Company Limited in Australia.
1908
The Vacuum Oil Company take over the Australian operations
of the Colonial Oil Company.
1909
The Neptune Oil Company is established to handle the
oil business developed by the Kitchen family.
1913
H.C. Sleigh takes possesion of the first consignment
of Californian motor spirit imported into
Australia, it is marketed as "Golden Fleece".
1913
C.C.Wakefield and Company Limited begin marketing
Castrol lubricants in Australia.
1914
The Kitchen family interests , including the
Neptune Oil Company, are sold to the Lever Group.
1918
The Texas Company Australasia Limited is incorporated
in New South Wales.
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.
1924
The Atlantic Refining Company of Philadelphia appoints
Harrisons Ramsay Pty. Ltd. as their Australian agent
to market their Atlantic brand products.
1924
The Commonwealth Oil Refineries (C.O.R.) new facility at
Laverton, Victoria comes on stream.
1924
Neptune Oil installs their first
Company-owned pump at a multi-brand service station
in Hunter Street, Sydney.
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.
1926
The Lever Group sell the Neptune Oil Company to the
Royal Dutch - Shell Group.
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).
1928
The Vacuum Oil Company becomes the first oil Company
in Australia to appoint an aviation manager.
1932
The Pacific Oil Company Limited is formed in Melbourne.
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.
1933
The
Alba Petroleum Company of Australia Pty. Ltd. is established
by P.J. Adams and A.G.Wales.
1933
Standard Oil of New Jersey purchases the Atlantic Union
Company, continuing to use
the Atlantic brand name until the early
1960 's.
1935
The Pacific Oil Company Ltd. merges with the Alba Petroleum
Company.
1936
On the 23rd March the Australian Motorists Petrol Company
Limited (AMPOL) is incorporated in New South Wales
by William G. Walkley.
1936
The Texas CCompany (Australasia) Limited becomes
part of the Caltex Group.
1939
The Vacuum Oil Company introduces the
Flying Red Horse (or Pegasus) logo to Australia.
1940
In February, the Australian Federal Government introduces
petrol rationing as an emergency wartime measure.
1941
The name CALTEX is first used in Australia.
1942
Pool Petroleum Pty. Ltd. is formed by importing companies
to handle wartime distribution of Petroleum products
within Australia.
1945
ALBA Petroleum Company OF Australia was incorporated
into AustraliaN MOTORISTS PETROL Company.
1947
H.C. Sleigh becomes a publicly listed Company, H.C. Sleigh
Limited.
1949
Petrol
rationing is declared invalid by the Australian High
Court.
1949
The
"Australian Motorists Petrol Company" changes
its name to AMPOL
Petroleum Limited.
1950
Petrol rationing is lifted by the the newly elected
Australian Federal Government.
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.)
1954
Santos is incorporated in South Australia.
1957
The Commonwealth Oil Refineries (C.O.R.) name is changed
to BP Australia Limited.
1959
The Kangaroo Petroleum Company Pty. Ltd. is formed
and begins operations in Victoria.
1960
Standard Oil
of Indiana commences marketing from AMOCO sevice stations
in the eastern mainland states and South Australia.
1960
Standard Oil
of New Jersey replaces the Atlantic sign
with the ESSO oval in their Australian service stations.
1961
Phillips Petroleum commences
operations in northern New South Wales and Queensland
using the PHILLIPS 66 brand name.
1962
Kangaroo Petroleum is aquired by H.C. Sleigh Limited.
1965
AMOCO
opens a refinery at Bulwer Island, Brisbane.
1966
XL
Petroleum Pty. Ltd. begins marketing in
Geelong, Victoria.
1967
In February,
Phillips Petroleum withdraws from marketing
in Australia, it being taken
over by H.C.Sleigh - the marketer of Golden Fleece
petrol.
1969
Mid-year, the Independent Oil Co. Pty Ltd (IOC) begins
operations in Victoria.
1974
IOC
was wound up.
1976
Gull
Petroleum is founded in Western Australia.
1981
Caltex
buys the Golden Fleece petrol marketing
network from H.C.Sleigh.
1982
Ampol
Petroleum Limited buys the marketing and refining
assets of Total Australia Limited.
1982
Matilda Fuel Supplies is established by Peter O'Keefe
in Queensland.
1984
BP
buys the downstream assets of Amoco in Australia,
including the Bulwer Island oil refinery.
1990
Ampol
Limited acquires Solo Oil Limited, the largest
independent retailer and distributor in Australia.
1990
Mobil
aquires the downstream assets of Esso in Australia.
1995
In May Caltex Australia Limited and Ampol Limited
merge their Petroleum refining and marketing assets.
1995
In May, Liberty Oil is established, being fully owned
by partners David Goldberger and David Wieland.
