Approximately 75 years ago Jack Plumb began a motor repair business on the site Plumb Motors occupy today, and continued to do so until just after the war. The late Albert Tagert told us that he bought a car from Jack in around 1924.
By the time the war was over Jack was well and truly sick of the motor game. His wartime days and nights of seemingly endless hours, spent keeping the vehicles of the Bega Valley running by sheer ingenuity and a minimum of new spare parts, had taken the fun out of the game.
He sold the business but leased the real estate, and started doing casual work rebuilding engines for Hayes & Kydd. It was here that he met and made friends with Alf Millard.
Around 1947 the Tathra bus service, Jack Scanes "Black and White Buses", came on the market. Jack, now living in Dilkera Road Tathra, liked what he saw and suggested to Alf that they should make an offer. Alf, who had started Bega's first taxi service with Leo McDonald as driver, agreed. The result was the formation of the partnership of Plumb & Millard, bus proprietors.
In 1948 Jack's lease on the Motor Garage came unstuck, the business being operated there was not profitable, and was closed down. When discussing what to do with the building, Alf told Jack that they could always service the buses there, a decision was made, and using Jack's respected and very well known name, Plumb Motors was born.
Jack was sick of using "the spanners", and more than happy driving buses. Who was to run the workshop?
During their time with Hayes and Kydd, they had met and admired the ability of Jim Perrin, who they approached to run the workshop. Jim accepted and the Plumb Motors team was formed.
Plumb Motors was registered as a business name in 1950. Fifty years after their inception they are still going strong, all the original partners have left the business, and the emphasis has changed. The company speciality is now Farm Machinery, but the reputation for the service built up by Jack Plumb those 75 years ago is carried on. The company is now the only established 'shop front' specialist Farm Machinery dealer in Bega.
The bus business was sold on Jack's retirement to Narooma.
