Our History
Geelong Car Sound started as an offshoot of Steve Bennett Hifi in Geelong. Steve and Doreen Bennett operated what is still one of Australia’s premium hifi specialist stores, dealing in the world’s finest home audio equipment. Harry Anderson was the store electronics technician and me, Craig Stillman joined the store after my apprenticeship as a motor mechanic, taking a break from the direct contact with oils etc to cure my dermatitis. The stores daily dealings with these fine products, particularly the set up and fine tuning allowed us to all to learn and appreciate fine audio reproduction. This knowledge later was invaluable in tuning some of the finest competition car audio systems of the time.
Steve Bennett suggested he no longer wished to deal with car audio as he wanted to expand into the growing home computer industry at that time, so Harry and I bought the car audio part of Steve Bennett Hifi, striking up a partnership which became Geelong Car Sound Pty Ltd in 1992. Our first store was located at 67 Myers Street in Geelong. Steve and Doreen Bennett allowed us to add the Steve Bennett name initially, giving us a real “leg up” in the public’s eye.
This store went from strength to strength, allowing us to expand to a separate workshop in Star Street Geelong and then expand the showroom, allowing demo cars inside and more display boards offering even more of the industries finest products to the hungry car audio market in Geelong and districts.
Unfortunately, ill health saw Harry Anderson pass away in 2009 which meant a reshuffle of how Geelong Car Sound operated and a mobile showroom / workshop was introduced as a “stop gap” measure. As time went by this proved to be far more popular than a “bricks and mortar” shop as on the horizon was a thing called the internet.
Competing with the large chains, internet sales and the direct marketing by some of our suppliers meant that the retail store became uneconomical and “fitting supplied” product became the norm. This is still a large part of Geelong Car Sound’s work today, some 20 years later.
Over the time, Geelong Car Sound has seen many employees join us. Many have remained good personal friends and many are still employed in the industry. Two prerequisites were needed to work at the shop; a sense of humour and a love of anything that went fast or made a lot of noise. I’m not sure how I can add these vital ingredients to future employment contracts.
Lastly, I’d like to thank both Harry Anderson and Steve Bennett for recognising the potential in the pimply faced kid (me) and taking me along for the ride. To Harry, your patience (those of you who remember Harry I think you would agree, patience wasn’t his strong point...) whilst teaching me about electronics helps me every single day.
Steve taught me to appreciate music in all its forms, to remember to enjoy your work (some people find it strange, but I do really enjoy my work.) and to remain a “glass half full” person.
Rest in Peace Gentlemen. To you both I am eternally grateful.
