What is a servo in Australia?
A servo is Australian slang for a service station, or petrol station. Australians stop at the servo to fill up with fuel, buy snacks and drinks, or pick up a pie on a road trip.
Servo is a shortened form of service station, following the common Australian pattern of cutting a word short and adding an o. Similar words include bottle-o, ambo for ambulance officer and garbo for garbage collector.
In the past, service stations offered attendants who filled up cars, checked oil and washed windscreens. Today most are self-serve, with a shop attached selling food, drinks and car supplies.
Servo culture
Servos are an important part of Australian road trips, especially on long highways where they may be the only stop for hundreds of kilometres. Outback roadhouses act as servos, cafes and motels all in one.
Late-night servo food, such as meat pies, sausage rolls and hot chips, is a familiar part of Australian life, particularly for shift workers and travellers.
In everyday talk, people might say I'll grab some milk from the servo or we need to stop at a servo before the freeway. Fuel prices at the servo are a frequent topic of news and conversation.
Did You Know?
Petrol in Australia is sold by the litre, and prices often change in weekly cycles in some cities.