Shell Australia Limited

Description

Agent TypeOrganisationIdentifierUMA-AG-000000102Activities & OccupationsPetrol importersHistoryThe worldwide group of companies known as Royal Dutch Shell, of which Shell Australia is a part, began life in London’s East End in 1833 when Marcus Samuel opened a trading shop that dealt mostly in exotic shells. Under his son, Marcus Samuel junior (later Lord Bearsted) trading broadened to include Caspian Sea oil from the Black Sea port of Batum. Shell’s first major success, came in 1892 when Samuel won permission from the Suez Canal Company to transport oil in tankers through the Canal. Following this, Samuel and his nephews expanded the business by buying up land for tank installations for kerosene throughout Asia.

Shell moved into Australia at the beginnings of the motor vehicle industry in Australia. When the Australian government began to register motor vehicles in 1910 there were around 8,000 cars in the whole of Australia. By 1930 there were more than half a million. In 1951, Shell Australia was granted for the first time an Australian board of directors, although head office and the legally responsible board of directors remained in London.
Throughout the twentieth century, Shell Australia expanded into natural gas, oil extraction, gold and coal mining and retail operations.

Several histories of the Company have been prepared, notably Robert Murray’s Go Well, notes for which are in this collection.
(Publication library call number 665.5068 MURR)Search records of this agent

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Dates

Date1901-

Organisational Relationships

Preceding OrganisationsBritish Imperial Oil Co LtdNeptune Oil Company

University of Melbourne Archives

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Shell Australia Limited