FLOTILLA-AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING LINES IMAGES POSTCARDS PHOTOGRAPHS EPHEMERA OF H C SLEIGH Melbourne Harold Crofton SLEIGH was intially involved in barge traffic on the Murray and Darling Rivers since he first arrived upon colonial shores in 1888 H C SLEIGH, Melbourne founded 1895 with chartered tonnage, having won a Western Australian Government Railway coal contract in supplying to Fremantle, coal from Newcastle, New South Wales. Harold C Sleigh began as a shipowner 1898 with a subsidiary company 'Australian Transport Co'., in the ordering and construction of the steamships Cape Leeuwin & Cape Otway Moved in and out of Shipping ownership in a seemingly whimsical style Activities diversified with petrol being the mainstay. Was first motor fuel interest to introduce 'kerbside' fuel pumps in Australia. Became "Golden Fleece" as motor spirit importer and Fuel Supplier wholly Australian. In 1933 founder H C Sleigh died and Hamilton Moreton Sleigh became Chairman and chief executive. Hamilton Moreton Sleigh was born at South Yarra, Melbourne 1896 Set about expanding operations creating a wholly owned subsidiary firm, H C S Coasters Pty Ltd., and three ships were bought for the trans-Tasman timber trade. H C Sleigh became a public company in 1947. The Singapore Navigation Co. Ltd, another subsidiary, took delivery in 1952 of an ocean-going tanker, the Harold Sleigh. Further oil carriers were acquired In the 1950s the parent company introduced modern, 'one brand only', drive-in service stations, began selling better quality petrol, built additional ocean terminals moved to new offices in Melbourne, and took over Purr Pull Oil Pty Ltd in New South Wales and Queensland Sleigh's other business interests included directorships of Amalgamated Petroleum N.L., Associated Australian Oilfields N L Australian Lubricating Oil Refinery Ltd, Botany Bay Tanker Co. (Australia) Pty Ltd, Flinders Shipping Co. Pty Ltd, Australian & Eastern Insurance Co Ltd Bath Holdings Ltd, Derby Holdings Ltd and Petersville Australia Ltd He was President (1961-69) of the Australian Hospital Association and vice-president of the Royal Melbourne Hospital For his services in Melbourne as honorary consul for Finland, he was appointed to the Order of the White Rose and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The doyen of the Australian petroleum industry, he was knighted in 1970 and retired in favour of his son Peter in June 1975. Also co-created in partnership with John Swire the Dominion Far East Line Quite separately, Abel Tasman Shipping Co Pty Ltd., Melbourne was formed in 1972 to take over assets of H C Sleigh Ltd, Melbourne. The motorship Abel Tasman was the only vessel registered under this Company Name. This later became a fully owned subsidiary company of the Union Steamship Co Ltd., of New Zealand until its sale in 1975 H C Sleigh also had subsidiary Company, in partnership with Caltex Oil, known as The Australian Tanker Company, managing the traditional Australian explorer named vessels, 'Arthur Phillip' and 'John Hunter'. Both were oil tankers and joined by another oil tanker - 'William Dampier' in 1980. This subsidiary concern then became known as Botany Bay Tanker Co, a joint concern with Caltex and Total Oil Companies 1981 Caltex bought out the petrol marketing of H C SLEIGH I believe this as the final chapter of H C Sleigh from it's concept in 1898 until 1981. Owing to diversity of trade practice and innovation in the fuel industry as 'Golden Fleece' greater recognition of this Australian 'pioneer' concern is most deserved Sleigh pronounced as 'Slee'