Time called on service with a smile

FOR fifty years, Phil Davis served the Ballarat community with oil on his hands and a smile on his dial.

He began his career aged 15, working in the 800 block of Sturt Street as a Mobil driveway attendant, with a dream to run his own business.

Initially selling fuel for about 10 cents a litre, he went on to be a well-known, friendly face around the city, pumping petrol for decades to come.

He opened his first service station on Sturt and Ripon streets at age 22, before running the Peel and Rowe Street corner servo for 10 years.

“My wife and I had just got married, and I did the hours so she could stay home with the kids,” he said.

“The first four years, I worked 364 days of the year, and I only had Christmas Day off.”

Mr Davis’ next venture was a petrol station in Ballarat North on Lydiard and Landsborough streets, where he was based for 27 years until he sold it in 2022.

For most of that time, the family were also behind Golden Point’s Barkly Street Service Centre; a petrol, tyre and mechanical enterprise led by Mr Davis’ wife Colleen, and for 22 of those years, their son Dwayne.

The family’s long-time businesses may have been based in different suburbs, but they had commonalities, painted in retro colours, and delivering a particular style of service.

“We’ve been very family orientated,” Mr Davis said. “We wanted to look after people, and we treated them like family.

“We would go that extra mile; fill up their cars, check their oil, water, and tyres. We’d do it with a smile. We had three generations of families coming to us with their cars.

“If people couldn’t afford to do things, we’d help, and when times came good, a lot of them came back to support us, because we’d look after them.”

At one point in time, the family employed 10 staff, and some of their workers were with them for 33, 27, and 25 years.

“Unless you look after your people you don’t get the longevity,” Mr Davis said.

In recent weeks, Mr and Mrs Davis closed the Barkly Street business and have retired.

Only taking about 15 weeks’ worth of holidays and five sick days in 40 years, they’ve begun to make up for it, and have just returned home to Ballarat after a relaxing break.

“It hasn’t been easy,” Mr Davis said. “It’s been hard work. When you run your own business, it ties you down.

“I’m sad that I’ve closed because I’ve loved the contact with the people. But it’s our time.”