About Pumbing Services

Cook & Lees was commenced business in 1920 by Norman Lees and Stan Cook. These two young lads had cemented their friendship in the trenches in World War 1 at Gallipoli. Norman was one of a handful of men of the 8th Lighthorse who survived the battle at The Neck.

In those days, plumbing transport was either walking, bicycle, horse and cart or, if you were doing really well, truck. Some of our earlier customers tell the story of the lovely green Cook & Lees horse cart with a lovely chestnut horse named Ginger Megs who proudly hauled the cart around! In fact, so proudly and briskly did he perform this task that he was unable to stop coming down the Princess Street hill one day and hurtled through the intersection coming to a halt with his head through the side entrance of one of the old green trams. An eye witness in the tram said that Ginger Megs ended up with his face buried firmly in the lap of a tram patron with his nose busily perusing the form guide of the Sporting Globe!

Stan Cook died in 1950 leaving Norman to run the business by himself – an onerous task as there had been some expansion in the intervening years. Norman was then joined in 1953 by his second son Ian who had been apprenticed with A E Smith & Son – the largest plumbing employer in the state in those days.

The business continued to grow and shrink with the prevailing economic conditions of the times and in 1967, Norman, now retired, died. The business continued and eventually Ian’s eldest son Max, after a successful career in medical science and later, its business management, joined him to continue the family tradition. Although Max had learned many of the plumbing skills required during his youth living on-site at the workshop, he attended Holmesglen TAFE as a mature age plumbing apprentice where he received the Don Pritchard Award on completion of his apprenticeship. Max now teaches the Advanced Roofing course at Holmesglen TAFE for students sitting for their roofing licence examination.

Today, we have a staff compliment of four plumbers and one apprentice, one of our staff also being a carpenter. Cook & Lees still offers the same old traditional personalized service that it built its reputation on. Unlike many other plumbing services, we still have a workshop with the machinery and tools (and skills!) required to manufacture those special custom items.

Plumbing Services - Bloked Drains

Cook & Lees specialises in all aspects of plumbing and gas maintenance.  These include plumbing services, gutter downpipe, burst pipes, blocked sewers and storm water drains, hot water renewal, gas fitting & servicing, roofing repairs and installation, gutters and downpipes and kitchen and bathroom renovations. The owner, Max Lees, teaches the advanced roofing course for plumbing students wishing to obtain their roofing licence.

More recently, our service has expanded into sales and installation of water tanks including the design of water harvesting systems. We are the local supplier of Tankmasta and Nylex water tanks but can install any brand that a customer may want. This includes everything from preparing and pouring concrete bases (should they be necessary) to installation of a screen around the tank(s) should the customer require them.

Solar hot water supply and installation is also a significant part of our business. We are the local supplier of Solar Lord solar hot water systems but can supply and install any brand a customer may prefer.

We also now have a carpenter on staff and are therefore able to offer general home maintenance services as well. 

Our business caters for customers who want a “one-stop shop” for their plumbing services, Roof Repairs and general Home Maintenance needs, a service capable of fixing the difficult or “impossible” problems that some others may avoid!