Eric Tuck advertised cars for sale during movie intervals at the local cinema in the 1950s.
The Young Historical Museum has three glass advertising plates used in movie projectors from Tuck, depicting a Singer Nine, a Singer Super Sports and a Studebaker, dating to 1953.
Eric Edward Tuck was born in Marrickville in 1903 to Edward Samuel and Minnie Eliza Tuck.
His father worked for Chant and Bartlett in Young, then worked in Sydney for the same firm from 1916, before returning to Young in 1919, where he began business as a car proprietor.
Edward died on 28th April 1928.
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Later that year, Eric married Hermia (Kitty) Black at St John’s Church.
Eric took over his father’s car sales business on Main Street and added motor vehicle maintenance and repairs.
In November 1928, the Motor Garages Association was formed in Young, ‘with the object of obtaining some measure of co-operation throughout the town'.
The Association agreed to ban the selling of petrol at wholesale prices and to standardise closing times: 6pm on weeknights and 1pm on Wednesdays, while on Saturday nights they would stay open late, as all the garages were closed on Sundays.
They would, however, continue to provide service in the case of breakdowns and accidents.
The Motor Garages rotated after-hours services between the different garages on a weekly basis; for example, H. J. Nesbit’s, on Burrowa Street and E. Tuck on Main Street were open weeknight evenings up to 9pm and on Wednesday afternoon and all day Sunday during the week of 16th April 1929.
It was noted in 1940 that ‘few country towns in NSW possess a better equipped workshop than is to be found at Tuck’s, where the most intricate work is carried out on cars, trucks and tractors'.
His equipment at this time had cost him approximately £1000, and included a Weidenhoff motor analyzer, lathes for fitting and turning, a geometrical gauge for steering correction, a cylinder-polishing machine, a reboring plant, an electric valve facing machine and a modern hydraulic press.
Eric specialised ‘in all classes of engineering work including cylinder lining and automatic high pressure greasing.’
At this time, he also had ‘all the equipment and experts to repair and service Ford engines’.
NSW Minister for Education, Clive Evatt, appointed Eric in 1943 to an Advisory Committee on Technical Courses in Young until 1946 and Eric was reappointed in 1952.
By the 1950s, Eric was selling, not only motor cars, but also tractors, such as the British Turner Diesel tractor.
In 1964, he advertised that he provided ‘expert lubrication, wheel alignment, wheel balancing and motor tuning on the modern Tune Tronic.’
Eric Tuck died, aged 68, in Young District Hospital on 2nd October 1971.
Karen Schamberger – Young Historical Society
