FOR fifty years, Phil Davis served the Ballarat community with oil on his hands and a smile on his dial.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy wife and I had just got married, and I did the hours so she could stay home with the kids,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first four years, I worked 364 days of the year, and I only had Christmas Day off.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Davis\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
For most of that time, the family were also behind Golden Point\u2019s Barkly Street Service Centre; a petrol, tyre and mechanical enterprise led by Mr Davis\u2019 wife Colleen, and for 22 of those years, their son Dwayne.<\/p>\n
The family\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been very family orientated,\u201d Mr Davis said. \u201cWe wanted to look after people, and we treated them like family.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would go that extra mile; fill up their cars, check their oil, water, and tyres. We\u2019d do it with a smile. We had three generations of families coming to us with their cars.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf people couldn\u2019t afford to do things, we\u2019d help, and when times came good, a lot of them came back to support us, because we\u2019d look after them.\u201d<\/p>\n
At one point in time, the family employed 10 staff, and some of their workers were with them for 33, 27, and 25 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless you look after your people you don\u2019t get the longevity,\u201d Mr Davis said.<\/p>\n
In recent weeks, Mr and Mrs Davis closed the Barkly Street business and have retired.<\/p>\n
Only taking about 15 weeks\u2019 worth of holidays and five sick days in 40 years, they\u2019ve begun to make up for it, and have just returned home to Ballarat after a relaxing break.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt hasn\u2019t been easy,\u201d Mr Davis said. \u201cIt\u2019s been hard work. When you run your own business, it ties you down.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sad that I\u2019ve closed because I\u2019ve loved the contact with the people. But it\u2019s our time.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n