Golden Fleece was an Australian brand of petroleum products and service stations operated by Harold Sleigh and Company. A partnership was founded in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

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in 1893 by shipowner and merchant Harold Crofton Sleigh (1867–1933) and manufacturer and shipowner John McIlwraith (1828–1902). In 1913 the company took delivery of its first consignment of motor spirit from the United States and marketed it in Australia as "Golden Fleece". Initially, motor spirit was sold in drums only—the first Golden Fleece pump being installed in 1920. Golden Fleece was a pioneer of single-branded service stations (as opposed to the more common multi-brand offerings of the era), and its distinctive "golden merino" trademark was soon a common sight for Australian motorists. Kondinin Roadhouse Motel, 2014

The post-war era saw a massive expansion of Australia's motor industry and car ownership soared. The company was made public in 1947. These were boom times for Golden Fleece and expansion and acquisitions were the trend throughout the 1950s and 1960s. H.C. Sleigh Limited acquired the fledgling Kangaroo and

Phillips 66 The Phillips 66 Company is an American multinational energy company headquartered in Westchase, Houston, Texas. Its name, dating back to 1927 as a trademark of the Phillips Petroleum Company, helped ground the newly reconfigured Phillips 66. T ...

brands in 1962 and 1967 respectively. During these years, many (if not most) Golden Fleece service stations became roadhouse-style outlets with restaurants and bold signage. Some time during the 1960s or 1970s Golden Fleece gained a major contract by the, then small, major trucking company Linfox, that is still held by

Ampol Ampol Limited is an Australian petroleum company headquartered in Sydney, New South Wales. Ampol is the largest transport energy distributor and retailer in Australia, with more than 1,900 Ampol-branded stations across the country . It also ope ...

today, due to a friendship between Regional Manager for Victoria Max Collins and Lindsay Fox. The company never had its own oil refinery and depended on Caltex to facilitate the importation and refining of crude oils at

Kurnell Refinery The Kurnell Refinery was a crude oil oil refinery, refinery located in Kurnell, New South Wales, Kurnell on Botany Bay, New South Wales, Australia. It had a refinery capacity of . It was operated by Ampol, Caltex Australia, and owned by the Chevr ...

in Sydney on its behalf. In the late 1970s the industry started to mature and rationalise due to soaring crude oil prices, and Federal Government oversight of petrol and diesel prices which was a subtle form of price control. Inevitably Golden Fleece was itself acquired by Caltex in 1981 and no longer trades under that name, though its unique livery can still be seen on some older roadhouses in rural Australia. A particular treasure for collectors are the globes (in the shape of the Golden Fleece ram) that sat atop the company's pumps until the 1970s, when the pumps were standardised. Purr Pull was a brand marketed by Independent Oil Industries of Sydney. They also sold Purr Star and Resis Oil. The company was bought out by Smith Wylie (Aust) Pty Ltd in Queensland who ran the company as Purr Pull Industries and then in June 1954, H.C. Sleigh merged with Purr Pull Industries, with the Purr Pull and Star brands dropped and all operations rebranded as Golden Fleece.£6M Assets in Australian Oil Merger
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The Courier-Mail ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northe ...

'' 4 June 1954 page 1

Executive

* Harold Sleigh, co-founder and Chairman * John McIlwraith 1893–1902, co-founder * Hamilton Moreton Sleigh Chairman and CEO 1933–1975 *

Peter Sleigh Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

1975–1981 Chairman and CEO

References

{{Automotive industry in Australia Australian companies established in 1893 Retail companies established in 1893 Companies based in Melbourne Defunct oil and gas companies of Australia Energy companies established in 1893 Retail companies disestablished in 1981 Energy companies disestablished in 1981 1981 mergers and acquisitions Automotive fuel retailers in Australia Australian companies disestablished in 1981

Executive

See also

References