Old garages and workshops. Bet the floor inside is timber, stained with oil and grease. Probably some brackets and hooks for radiator hoses and fan belts, still stuck on walls and posts.
There doesn’t seem to be a lot of information on Speers Point Service Station. I did find the following;
H.Bond opened the Speers Point Service Station in the early 1920’s however …… William Davies built the art-deco service station in the late 1930’s.
http://history.lakemac.com.au/page-local-history.aspx?pid=1085&vid=20&tmpt=narrative&narid=629
A few photos seemed in order and maybe someone can fill in the holes. Images from September, October 2013 and are low resolution.
Just click on any pic for quick presentation of larger images in an easy viewing gallery.
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- Not designed for self-serve.
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- Used to be 4 pumps (from older photos)
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- 155 Main Rd, Speers Point
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- Maybe the front doors had an awning. Pumps?
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- Gilbarco pump detail-keep the glass full.
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- Gilbarco pump detail; glass and grass.
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- Reads: Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick (I think)
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- Gilbarco fuel pumps.
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- Art-Deco apparently
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- One of two rear doors.
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- The Throne of silence.
Words for today; Oils ain’t oils.
More to come; same blog time, same blog channel
BruceBlogsHere 
The little brick half-house we lived in when I was a little girl had a throne of silence. It was in better condition than the one in your photo, but a pretty scary place to visit at night.
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By: marymtf on February 22, 2014
at 6:42 pm
Did it have a light Mary? When I was a young kid we had an outside one with no light. My sisters used to wake me to go with them!
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By: Bruce on February 24, 2014
at 10:45 pm
I know Speers Point Garage very well, i grew up from it living just across the road,
You are correct in that there was an Awning out the front but was destroyed in the Cyclone that hit Newcastle in 1974 ( The same one that wrecked the Sygna on Stockton Beach
It was owned by a guy called Bill Maluwish and who was an ex motor cycle racer, he also sold confectionary and drinks and Cigarettes, I remember buying the Old GAY soft drinks, and Choo Choo Bars, Red skins etc, he also had the garage full of old Cars he was restoring he had a collection, all black I’m not sure what they were, but i got a feeling they might still be inside
Wooden floors, old fashioned service, he also owned the two houses on either side of the Garage , Hi wife was an Alcoholic She tried to help out in serving sometimes but had no idea about correct change,
Alot of time if she was serving if you gave 5 dollars she gave you 10 the locals would correct the error but kids used to come from as far as Cardiff to see if they could rip her off.
Hope this helps
Many thanks Paul
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By: Paul on March 7, 2016
at 2:24 pm
Paul, thanks to you for the great recollections and taking the time to give myself and others a glimpse into the not so distant past. I can almost smell the oil on the wooden floor. Did Bill Maluwish work on bikes there as well? Do you really think there are still cars inside? They would be every car enthusiasts dream, wouldn’t they? They might be wrecks but it’s good to think a complete car or two could be sitting there covered in dust, just waiting to be given some attention. I hope they are safe. Do you have any idea when the garage closed for good and is Mr and Mrs Maluwish still with us? I used to like Choo Choo Bars. Regards, Bruce Rouse
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By: Bruce on March 7, 2016
at 9:23 pm
I believe it been about 10 to 15 years since Bill Maluish and his wife passed on, ( or at least roughly thats how long the garage has been abandon)
Bill lived next dor in one of the two houses he owned, so its safe to say he no longer with us,
Im pretty sure the garage is heritage listed so ig cant be changed or removed in any way, so i think every inside would be untouched unless family or otherwise removed them, it hard to find anything on google about Maluish and his the Garage, I think because he lead sucb a quiet life and kept to himself, i heard he was very good friends with ” Bully” T Warners bay who was a shopkeeper at Warners Bay, a local entity that sold anything you needed before the days of Coles And Woolies, he made a fortune when he sold his shop and land to the old commonwealth bank that used to be on the main rd,
Hope this helps Paul
These are facts onlh from what i can recall, im inly to pleased if i can be stand Corrected 😊
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By: Paul Carr on March 8, 2016
at 9:41 am
Thanks again Paul. There may be others who have a little to add, who remember the incorrect change given by the owners wife.
Is the surname Maluish or Maluwish?
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By: Bruce on March 9, 2016
at 8:36 am
I also grew up just around the corner from this garage, and used to walk past it every day going to and from school. This would have been from 1977 to 1983, and me and my friends would often pop in and buy lollies.
Finding the doors open just 2 weeks ago I was fortunate enough to get to speak to the owner while he was tidying up, and he allowed me inside to take photos.
It was not how I remembered it. There are no vintage cars left inside, you can hardly move about for the mess everywhere, and there is no longer a back wall. Put simply, the place is on its last legs, and it seems that the council is on a mission to have the place fall apart completely, since the heritage listing they have placed on it prevents anybody from being able to do a proper restoration job. Very sad indeed.
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By: Richard on April 18, 2016
at 2:05 am
Thanks for taking the time to leave your comment and recollections Richard.
Did the owner mention the fate of the vintage cars? I wonder why the back wall has been taken out? It’s a good thing you took some photos, though it seems your memories will be the images you’ll mostly recall.
You and your friends buying lollies going to or from school, paints a pretty good picture I think.
Regards, Bruce.
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By: Bruce on April 19, 2016
at 10:08 am
I had another good long conversation with the owner 2 weeks ago (for a uni assignment), and it was very interesting. A car club from either South or Western Australia (he couldn’t remember which) took his cars and Castro bottles. And the back wall blew out a year ago during the last big storm we had in the region. The foundations have become sandy and it shifted and fell in. And regarding the building’s future, he’d had thoughts of turning it into a coffee shop, but he doesn’t think it would be popular enough. I think he’s wrong.
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By: Richard on May 20, 2016
at 12:34 am
Thanks for the update Richard. Sounds like the cars have gone where they’ll be looked after, as will the Castrol oil bottles. It sounds as if a coffee shop conversion would have been pretty expensive given the state of the building but a cappaccino would have been interesting while checking out fan belts and fuel pumps. I guess that will remain an unknown.
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By: Bruce on May 20, 2016
at 9:10 pm
Hullo again Richard. Did the owner give you a name when you spoke with him on a couple of occasions? Paul, in his comments, mentioned the owner as Bill Maluish or Maluwish, who had passed away about 15 yrs ago.
A recent reader, Ashley, has asked for the owners name if known.
If you do know the owner, perhaps he doesn’t mind his name in bright lights, but perhaps he does, and that’s okay.
Bruce
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By: Bruce on August 18, 2016
at 10:18 am
Hi
I found this blog whilst looking for some information on the garage
I would like to contact the owner but have been unable to find out who he is.
Would anyone have contact details that they could pass onto me.
Cheers
Ash
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By: Ashley Baxter on August 17, 2016
at 9:30 pm
Hi Ashley, sorry but I can’t help you. Previous comments from Paul indicate the name of Bill Maluish or Maluwish (passed away 15 yrs ago). Comments from Richard show that he talked twice to the owner a few months ago! Perhaps a family member…
I messaged Richard as to whether he knows the owners name.
Thanks for reading.
Bruce
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By: Bruce on August 18, 2016
at 10:22 am
thanks Bruce
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By: Ashley on August 18, 2016
at 11:03 am
Without the heritage the place would be knocked down in no time. With the commercial building the front is easily preserved as a facade… but it devalues the new place and it limits the amenity .. it probably sends customer away as they don’t want to enter into what looks like a mechanics shed.
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By: Leon Garde on November 13, 2016
at 2:34 pm
Sounds like the building will disintegrate soon anyway Leon, no need to knock it down. You could be right about the conversion to a coffee shop not attracting customers. I think some would like the idea, others definitely not their cup of coffee. Thanks for reading and taking the time to leave your comment.
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By: Bruce on November 13, 2016
at 4:18 pm
Hi,
How do we find out who owns this magnificent building?
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By: Cathro Freeman on November 7, 2017
at 9:50 pm
Hullo Cathro. I guess council records might be a starting point, with Lake Macquarie City Council being the place to go.
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By: Bruce on November 8, 2017
at 9:09 pm
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By: Graeme Steinbeck on January 27, 2020
at 2:36 pm
Thanks for this link also Graeme, I found it in my spam section. Occasionally a genuine comment finds its way there. Good to get an idea of what it looked inside. I imagined the contents to be older. I’m pretty sure when I photographed the building, it was empty. The back wall was in place too.
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By: Bruce on January 27, 2020
at 9:24 pm
H. Bond appears in the Newcastle – Hunter Valley Districts Telephone Directory, March 1947 as:
Bond. H. Slipways, Marmong Street Boolaroo 182
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By: Graeme Steinbeck on January 27, 2020
at 3:01 pm
Hullo Graeme. Thanks for reading and taking the time to provide another detail of history for this old service station.
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By: Bruce on January 27, 2020
at 9:10 pm
John Summons here
my Dad Jim Summons ran the servo at 155 Main street Speers point till 1960’s
we lived in the home next door
we visited the servo in 1998
some records inside the old servo should
confirm and show proof of my Dads involvement in the history of this business
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By: John Summons on March 11, 2020
at 7:11 pm
Howdy John, thanks for adding a bit more history to the timeline. Are you surprised at the interest in the old servo?
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By: Bruce on March 17, 2020
at 9:39 pm
Guys check out my Facebook Group “Old Service Station Photographs – Australia” here’s a recent link to Speers Point Garage 1956 photo… check the comments too… cheers Simon
https://www.facebook.com/groups/567854296691889/permalink/1965655670245071/
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By: Simmo B on March 11, 2020
at 9:55 pm