Pioneer Coaches

Pioneer Coaches was an Australian bus and coach company based in Bexley, New South Wales. The company was noted for its immaculate blue and red livery, known affectionately as "the blue bus".

Pioneer Coaches
ParentIffland family
(1918–1986)
Harbridge family
(1986–2001)
Commenced operationOctober 1918
Ceased operationJanuary 2001
HeadquartersBexley
Service areaSt George
Service typeBus services
Depots1
Fleet16 (January 2001)

History

In October 1918, Cornelius Bossley "Con" Iffland commenced operating between Hurstville and Rockdale via Forest Road. Allocated route number 112 in November 1925 it was extended to Brighton-Le-Sands in 1930. In 1932 the business was purchased by Con's brother Harry by which time route 112 had ceased operating to Brighton-Le-Sands but been extended at the other end to Beverley Hills. In November 1934 the operation was named Pioneer Coaches with Con's son Neville appointed manager, a position he would hold until 1982.[1]

In December 1986, the Iffland family sold Pioneer Coaches to Kevin Harbridge.[2] In May 1992, route 455 Kingsgrove to Kogarah via Hurstville was purchased from Allways Bus Service and in October 1996 route 49 Rockdale to Carlton from Sydney Coachlines.[3][4] In April 1997, routes 112 and 49 were renumbered 452 and 453.[5][6]

In January 2001, Pioneer Coaches was sold to Connex Southtrans with 16 buses.[1][7]

Final routes
Route Start Via End
452 Rockdale Bexley and Hurstville Beverly Hills
453 Rockdale Carlton Hurstville
455 Kingsgrove Hurstville and Kogarah Rockdale Plaza

Fleet

Pioneer Coaches operated a fleet composed predominantly of AECs, Bedfords and Leylands. Fleet livery was blue, red and grey. A vehicle from the Pioneer Coaches fleet, a 1957 AEC Reliance registered m/o 634, is preserved at the Sydney Bus Museum.[8]

Depot

Pioneer Coaches operated out of a depot in Bexley.

Further reading
  • Birchmeier, John (2002). The Blue Buses of Forest Road. ISBN 0-646-41999-4.

References
  1. Pioneer Coaches Australian Bus Fleet Lists
  2. "Pioneer" Fleetline November 1987 page 262
  3. "What Has Changed in 20 Years" Australian Bus Panorama issue 14/2 October 1998 page 8
  4. "Timetable and service changes" Fleetline issue 245 November 1996 page 203
  5. "Timetable and service changes" Fleetline issue 249 July 1997 page 136
  6. "Renumbering of Sydney Private Bus Routes" (PDF). sydneybusroutes.com. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  7. "Private operators" Fleetline March 2001 page 42
  8. 634 Sydney Bus Museum exhibits Wayback Machine
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