About Us

Our Story Begins in 1959

Founding owners Roy and Mavis Moore opened the doors of the original Cairns Diesel Service in 1959 at 63 McLeod Street as the Cairns Industrial boom began and the local automotive industry was born.

In 1977 the shop changed over into the hands of Robbie Henley who continued to grow the business for many years.

Fun fact! Back then customers would dial 2386 to book a service. We added a few more digits to adapt to the times. Our current phone number is 4051 2386, so we still carry that little bit of history with us.

Building The Business

In 1963 Cairns Diesel unveiled a brand new service to Far North Queensland by becoming the first appointed official C.A.V Sales and Service Station. This helped solidify the business and CDS began to make a name for itself in Cairns.

Since the 60’s Cairns Diesel has paved the way for new and state of the art technology in Far North Queensland, offering services that competitors hadn’t yet.

Humble Beginnings

The original workshop moved to 99 Spence St, but as the business grew rapidly, more space was a must. We relocated to an even bigger premises in 1995, at 118 Scott St, continuing to expanded in size, services and staff.

Debbie and John Ryde bought the business in 1995, who passed the torch to their son Daniel Owen who officially took over in 2011, in Co-Ownership with Travis Briffa.

“We are a family run business who pride ourselves on our workmanship and are very proud to say most of our employees have been with us for years and are family to us”

The company branched out from the specialty of Diesel Fuel Injection to various services, such as Vehicle Diagnostics, Turbo Sales and Repairs, ECU Remapping and much more.

The Owners

Travis started his apprenticeship in 1991 and completed a trade certificate in 1995, while Daniel started his trade in 1998 and completed his certificate in 2002.

Trav and Dan went into business together now co-owning the company. As CDS expanded into mechanical repairs, Dan began managing the mechanical operations and Trav the Diesel Fuel Injection side. Having two owners who genuinely care about their work and have committed years to the trade makes all the difference when it comes to quality.

In 2007, Cairns Diesel Service became accredited as a Bosch Diesel Centre, recognised as providing the highest level of Bosch Diesel repairs. Shortly after becoming an appointed Denso Premium Service Dealer.

“We appreciate all our loyal customers, new and old, and we look forward to big, bright things as our company grows more” – Daniel Owen

A New Chapter

As Cairns Diesel became one of the most prominent workshops in the Far North, it was time for our biggest and best chapter yet!

In 2020, after 60 years in business we made the move to the huge fully equipped workshop here on Lyons St. There is no shortage of room for the Dyno Tuning Station, Mechanical Workshop, Pump Rooms, Parts, Offices and everything in-between.

We celebrated the refresh with new branding too, despite the challenges of Covid-19, which shut down manufacturing and disrupted both supply and freight, we worked hard to grow even stronger!