Driveway Service: A Rare Find at Independent Petrol Stations in Australia

Historically, petrol stations across Australia provided personalised service, with attendants to look after you, wash your windscreen and check your car's water, oil and air.

But by the 1990s bespoke customer service was on the decline. So, what happened?

The turning point largely came about when fuel pumps went from mechanical to computerised, according to historian and author Colin Dennett.

\"The cause for the change slowly began as a combination of new pumps, fewer outlets and the era of high-volume company-operated sites developed,\" Mr Dennett said.

\"Once site operators realised they could control say 20 pumps from one operator on the console inside, that must have been hugely labour saving.\"

Retail service stations in Australia have reduced from 22,000 sites in 1966 to approximately 8,000, generating roughly $38 billion annually.

\"The retail scene is basically dominated by multinationals but there's a few independents that break away from that, which is truly unique, and keeps the market competitive,\" Mr Dennett said.

The NRMA's report Making Cents of Fuel says the presence of independent operators can influence market competition, being at least 7 to 10 cents cheaper per litre in some regional towns, with lower overhead costs.

However, refiners and wholesalers still hold over 80 per cent of the market and Ampol is the biggest wholesaler.

Today, driveway service it not offered by major petrol stations across Australia; however, it is possible to find small, independent operators who still provide it.

Driving the market

On a 12-kilometre stretch between Shellharbour and Warrawong on the New South Wales south coast there are 12 petrol stations.

Jimmy Pavlevski's independent station in Windang is one of them.

Jimmy Pavlevski says staffing issues mean it's challenging providing personalised service. (ABC Illawarra: Sarah Moss)

When he purchased the business in 1998, the adjacent caravan park had a stream of people with vans and boats needing fuel.

\"It was a lot more vibrant then, more people and very enjoyable meeting all different people every school holidays,\" Mr Pavlevski said.

Some older customers call ahead for driveway service. (ABC Illawarra: Sarah Moss)

Mr Pavelvski said back then, people worked Monday to Friday and Sunday was family day.

\"They'd fill up, get some snacks and go for a family drive; that doesn't happen anymore,\" he said.

\"Sunday used to be the busiest day, now it's the slowest.

\"All people do now is sit on their phones.\"

So, for the past few years his station has been running on the smell of an oily rag and even personalised service is dwindling due to lack of interest.

And Mr Pavleski can no longer afford staff.

\"I can't provide that service full-time, only when customers require help,\" he said.

\"A few elderly customers call before they're on their way, so they'll rock up and they'll beep the horn, and I'll go out and service their vehicle.\"

There are as many fuel stations as kilometres between Shellharbour and Warrawong on the NSW south coast. (Google Maps)

As well as competing with other fuel stations, Mr Pavlevski is juggling the loss of tobacco sales, increasing fuel costs, EVs, large fridges to power and monthly card fees; he says it's a common story for independent service stations.

\"I'm never going to be competing with major service stations, I'm quite happy with what I have, what I've built up and the community I provide for,\" Mr Pavlevski said.

Suburban stations disappear

Driveway service in the 1970s. (Photo: Lyn Richardson (nee Steer))

In his book An Illustrated History of Ampol (2022), Colin Dennett weaves together the history of the company and other fuel suppliers across Australia from the 1930s.

\"Essentially it's a story of how small operators survived, and in the case of Ampol, went from a small fledgling company to the largest liquid fuel supplier in Australia today,\" he said.

\"Generally they didn't buy expensive sites and located wherever they could.

\"Driveway service was a way of competing because these stations were tucked away often in both back and side streets.

Service attendants from the 1930s. (Supplied: Wollongong City Libraries/Illawarra Historical Society)

\"Today, multinationals dominate the highways and freeways and the suburban stations, which were once everywhere, have essentially disappeared.

\"So I would think there were very few independents left offering driveway service.\"

A Golden Fleece service attendant. (Supplied: Wollongong City Libraries/Illawarra Historical Society)

Driveway service with a smile

At a century-old independent service station in Thirroul, NSW, window washing, below-the-bonnet work and air checks were once freely applied by attendants.

For now, fuel top-ups are provided and other services exist on request.

Thirroul's service station hasn't changed very much since the 1920s. (Supplied)

Owner-operator Graeme Rutledge works six days a week and started serving fuel at 21 when his father bought the business in 1946.

\"I've been at the service station for 55 years and I'm still loving it,\" he said.

The Thirroul Service Station has been in the Rutledge family since 1946 but first opened in 1925. (ABC Ilawarra: Sarah Moss)

To make ends meet, Mr Rutledge offers motor mechanic repairs for vintage cars.

\"Generally, we work on late-model cars early in the day and the others later in the day,\" he said.

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Driveway attendant Avery Vail says they enjoy serving customers and being the friendly face at the front of the petrol station.

\"We do driveway service, it's very pleasant to go out, serve customers and have a little chat,\" they said.

Avery Vail serves fuel to customers as part of a driveway service. (ABC Illawarra: Sarah Moss)

Mr Dennett said providing driveway service was very unusual and should be encouraged.