Cootamundra

27 The main period of redevelopment of the depot was during the 1950s when the company was constructing fuel and oil distributions centres around Australia. During this time Ampol added two new small freestanding tanks to the original depot site for the storage of heating oils. Because the wholesale depot serviced the district for close to half century, Cootamundra’s inland fuel depot, a ‘war memorial’ of sorts, was preserved for posterity almost in its entirety, with the exception of some minor buildings constructed post war that were removed after the takeover. In the process, this monumental piece of local history remains the most intact of inland fuel depot of its kind in Australia. Ampol was eventually taken over by Caltex, the joint venture of Texaco and Chevron, in the late 1990s. Texaco had operated in Cootamundra since the 1930s with its depot in West Cootamundra. It was Caltex who finally handed over the site to Cootamundra Shire in 2014. Ironically the name Caltex was replaced in Australia by Ampol in 2019. Post war additions to the site such as the heating oil tanks, drum storage shed and platform, and a tool shed, as well as any asbestos materials, were removed in June 2013 during land remediation works, carried out by Caltex Australia prior to disposal. Soil contamination remediation work was undertaken in 2014. Demolitions and remediation works have been undertaken and approved by the Council. The Cootamundra Ampol service station at night, NSW. 1950s. National Library of Australia Ampol lubrication service Cootamundra, 1952. National Library of Australia