In 1936 the Australian Motorists Petrol Company
was incorporated. This was followed in 1945 by
the merging of the Alba Petroleum
Company (formed 1933) into the company and
then in 1948 listing of the company on the Stock
Exchange.The company's name was changed to AMPOL
Petroleum Ltd in 1949. AMPOL acquired refining
and marketing assets of Total Australia
Ltd in
1982 and changed its name to Ampol
Ltd.
This was apparently done to distinguish
the company from minerals explorer Ampolex. Ampol
was delisted in 1989 after a takeover by Pioneer
International Ltd, which had acquired 20% ownership
in
1979. This was followed in 1990 by the acquisition
of Solo Operations Ltd a large Australian independent
retailer and distributor of petroleum products.
In 1995 Ampol and Caltex Australia merged petroleum
refining and marketing assets to form Australian
Petroleum Pty Ltd.