Golden Fleece was an Australian brand of petroleum products and service stations operated by Harold Sleigh and Company, a business founded in Melbourne, Australia in 1893 by shipowner and merchant Harold Crofton Sleigh (1867–1933) and manufacturer and shipowner John McIlwraith (1828–1902).
According to one account, Sleigh started in the petroleum trade in 1913, when a customer was unable to pay freight on a shipment of motor spirit, and the company took possession of the consignment. He later sold the tins of "motor spirit" at a significant profit, leading to the idea for reselling fuel.[1][2][3]
In 1917, Sleigh registered the trade name "Golden Fleece" for "illuminating, heating and lubricating oils, including petrol, benzine and kerosene",[4] and the following year was clearly marketing "benzine" as a fuel for motorcycles.[5]