Studebaker Car Club Of New South Wales Inc.

Dominion Motors

Dominion Motors workshop was located at 137 Palmer Street, East Sydney (Palmer Street was possibly more well known for the other, much older, Trade that was actively practiced there!), while the showroom was in William Street near the corner of (what is now) Boomerang Yurong Parkway.

Dominion Motors was a subsidiary of York Motors whose showroom and offices were in William Street, just around the corner from Palmer Street. York Motors were agents for Plymouth and Morris.

Dominion Motors were agents for Studebaker, Willys and Singer cars, and serviced Mack trucks and Ansaldo tractors. Then York Motors became Simca agents, servicing was done at Dominion Motors.

The workshop in Palmer Street was once the City Council stables, giving obvious reason for the sloping floor and deep gutter on the low side.

The building was two story with vehicle servicing being done on the ground floor while the upper floor had panel beating and spray painting (accessed by a ramp at the southern end of the building) and a large spare parts department. There was also a substantial lift which could carry big items up to the spare parts department.
 

The workshop was large and divided into various work areas known as:

Engine/Valves;

Truck Service;

Auto Electrical;

Wheel Alignment;

Transmission;

Differential;

New Car Service and Lubrication.

There was also a Tool Store with a full-time storeman, and an extensive Machine Shop with a full-time fitter and machinist, and an sound insulated room which housed a large generating plant which could supply power to York Motors and Dominion Motors in times of “black-outs”.

The front section of the building had offices for Reception, Manager, Assistant Manager, Accounts and Warranty. The building had four vehicle driveways: two into the workshop, one for the lube bay and one to the ramp to the first floor.
 

I started working at Dominion Motors as an Apprentice Motor Mechanic in February, 1954, joining a workshop staff of (approximately) 20, 5 Management staff, (I think) 3 panel beater/spray painters plus the Spare Parts staff.

During my time at Dominion’s, I worked in all sections of the workshop and even did a period on the “front counter” dealing with customers and keeping records. I still feel that I was fortunate to have worked at a Dealership which gave me such extensive training.

In 1958, York Motors management decided to close Dominion Motors, which for me meant I would have to complete the last year of my 5 year apprenticeship at York Motors Service Centre then located in Steamhill Street Sydney (where Darling Harbour complex is now).

The reasons for the closure of Dominion’s were many, but inevitable. Studebaker sales were slowing; Willys sales were similar (remember the Willys Aero Ace?); Singer had become part of the Rootes Group and gone to those dealers, while Simca went to Chrysler dealerships. There was just not enough work to keep Dominion Motors viable.
 

During the last year of my (5 year) apprenticeship at York Motors, I worked almost exclusively on Studebakers rather than on a variety of vehicles as I did at Dominion’s. But the best memories of those early apprenticeship days are the times of being “let loose” for a test drive in a V8 Studebaker President, or better still, a Golden Hawk!

Alan Thompson.