What an incredible night!
Maude Diesel was honoured to be invited to the Penrite Oil 100th Year Gala Event at Melbourne’s iconic Royal Exhibition Building on Thursday, 24th September 2026.
And what a celebration it was! Penrite certainly left nothing out and spared no expense in marking such an incredible milestone. From Grant Denyer as MC, incredible live entertainment and cabaret dancers, to a beautiful three-course meal, it was a fantastic night celebrating an iconic Australian business and the people behind it.
But the history behind Penrite is what makes the 100-year milestone particularly special.
100 Years Australian Owned & Made
Penrite Oil began right here in Melbourne in 1926, when 16-year-old Les Mecoles started making his own oil blends on his mother’s kitchen stove in St Kilda. His early deliveries were even made using his father’s wheelbarrow!
The name Penrite came from “PEN” for Pennsylvania crude oil, which was highly regarded at the time, and “RITE” for the right oil. As the business grew, so did the company, moving through Richmond, Abbotsford and other Melbourne locations.
In 1979, the business was purchased by the Dymond family, and Penrite has continued as a 100% Australian family-owned and operated company. Today, Penrite continues to manufacture and blend lubricants in Australia, with facilities in Victoria and Queensland.
In its centenary year, Penrite has also achieved Australian Made certification, with more than 300 products certified to carry the Australian Made logo.
For a small family business like Maude Diesel, it was pretty special to be invited to celebrate alongside such a long-standing Australian family business.
We are also extremely proud to use and represent Penrite Oil exclusively here at Maude Diesel. We believe in supporting Australian-owned businesses and using quality products that we can trust in our customers’ trucks, machinery and vehicles.
100 years of Australian ownership.
100 years of manufacturing.
100 years of keeping Australia moving.
Congratulations to everyone at Penrite Oil on an incredible 100 years — and thank you for including Maude Diesel in such a memorable celebration.
Here’s to the next 100! 🥂
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