The Bridge Service Station, Cnr Victoria and Commerce Streets, Taree

In the early 1920s Russian born John Kusnetzoff and his family arrived in Queensland. He later moved to NSW and joined the staff at Sanders Dairy in Florence Street, Taree as an engineer.² In 1933, having purchased land fronting High Street, he changed his name by Deed Poll to John Peter Johnson³ and opened his own business, “The Railway Garage”.

Luck was with the Johnson family in 1937 when his wife shared in a £5,000 lottery win⁴ and, with the Manning River steam punt soon to be replaced by a bridge leading to Commerce Street, what better site for a service station than where Hannah McMahon’s “Steam Packet Hotel” once stood.⁵

Obtaining a ten-year lease on the site, John took possession of a brand-new building, which opened for business in August 1939. Constructed by Thomas Dunn, it comprised fuel bowsers, workshop, showroom, offices and a refreshment room and was named the “Bridge Service Station”.⁶

However, wartime restrictions constrained road transport and John appears to have surrendered his lease in 1941 following which the business passed to L H Osmond-Dreyer before the site was rented by the military.⁷

The Taree Motor Body and Radiator Company later occupied the premises before being evicted by the property owner, Dougal Vincent Watt, following protracted legal proceedings.⁸

This site remained in the ownership of the extended McMahon family until sold to Beaurepaires in 1959 (registered 1962).⁹

Author: Penny Teerman