Parramatta Road Car Yard, 1964
Car yard on the corner of Parramatta Road and Telopea Street, Homebush West, 1964. Courtesy Strathfield Local Studies
Parramatta Road has long been home to a large assortment of car yards. Even Wikipedia notes that Parramatta Road’s 23 kilometres is dominated by car yards, although most are somewhat larger than this one. This small dealership of just eight cars, near the then western boundary of Strathfield municipality, was photographed by Strathfield Council on 5 March 1964 between Telopea and Courallie Avenues, Homebush West. The site was purchased by Total Oil Products from the Housing Commission of NSW in the early 1960s. You can clearly see the Total sign in the top left corner of the photo and a red and white sign beyond the cars advertises that it ‘Takes Total to Win.’
A service station is next door on the corner alongside a number of cottages fronting Courallie Avenue, most of which still stand today. Beyond is another service station with its Ampol sign, along with advertising for several mechanics’ businesses. A red telephone box is also on the far left of the photo. Out of sight and further along Parramatta Road at this time were the Homebush Saleyards. Behind the photographer stood the Ford Factory which operated here from 1936 to 1994. You can read more about it at: https://strathfieldheritage.com/industry-commerce/former-ford-factory-homebush/
Classic car lovers may like to enlarge the photo for a closer look at the range of cars being serviced in the background or offered for sale. Most of the cars in the foreground have their sale prices painted on the windscreens. Zooming in shows that they range between £50 and £100 in price.
The corner of Telopea Avenue and Parramatta Road, Homebush West, 5 March 1964. Courtesy Strathfield Local Studies.
This photo has been taken from Telopea Avenue. From this angle a bus stop is visible on Parramatta Road in front of the car yard. Opposite were the paddocks of the Metropolitan Meat Industry Board which led to the State Abattoirs at Homebush Bay.
Today Sydney City Motors continues the tradition of car yards on the site photographed above, while a Caltex service station occupies the site formerly owned by Ampol.
By J.J. MacRitchie
Local Studies Advisor