Dyson Group of Companies, operating as Dysons, is a bus and coach operator in Victoria, Australia. The oldest of its subsidiary companies is L.C. Dysons Bus Services, which was founded in June 1952 and is based in Bundoora in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.
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| Commenced operation | June 1952 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bundoora |
| Service area | Melbourne Regional Victoria New South Wales Australian Capital Territory |
| Depots | Bairnsdale Bundoora Deniliquin Euroa Finley Hay Kyneton Mallacoota Moama Omeo Reservoir Sale Shepparton Wandong Wangaratta Wodonga |
| Fleet | 690 (June 2024)[1] |
| Website | www.dysongroup.com.au |
History
editL.C. Dysons Bus Services was founded in June 1952 when Laurie Dyson purchased the business of Ned Gastin with route 46A Regent station to Janefield Hospital. Over the years a number of routes and businesses were purchased both within Melbourne and in regional Victoria:
- Nathalia to Melbourne from HE Taylor in August 1957[2]
- Kinglake to Melbourne from Heather & Co in 1959[2]
- a 50% shareholding in Northcote Bus Service in 1966, later increased to 100%, operated as a separate brand until January 1982[2][3]
- Lockington to Melbourne from Harrison, Echuca in 1968[2]
- Barham and Moama to Melbourne from Andersons Coaches, Moama[4]
- Dyson's entered a joint venture with Reservoir Bus Company to form East West Bus Company to operate route 560 Broadmeadows station to Greensborough in August 1980[2][5][6]
- Bega to Melbourne was from Gil Toplis in December 1982[7]
- Deniliquin - Moama - Melbourne from Ansett Pioneer in 1987[2][8]
- Bairnsdale - Lakes Entrance from Lextours, Lakes Entrance in 1987[8]
- Reids Metropolitan Services in December 1991[2][9]
- Albury - Mildura from Arms & Bell in July 1992[2][10]
- Sale - Bairnsdale and Bairnsdale - Orbost from Florance, Orbost in January 1994[2][11][12]
- Eastern Roadlines, Bairnsdale in January 1994[11]
- In partnership with Reservoir Bus Company, formed Melbourne Bus Link in April 1998 after being awarded a contract to take over provision of services in the western and south-east regions of Melbourne from Met Bus.[13] The operation ceased in August 2013.
- Entered a joint venture with Cobb & Co and Sid Fogg's to operate services on behalf of Australian Pacific Tours in 2001[14]
- Bell Street Bus Company including the Cobb & Co coach business in August 2003[15][16]
- In 2003 Dyson’s commenced operating services in Alice Springs, sold in May 2012 to Australian Transit Group[2][17]
- Kyneton Bus Lines in March 2006[18]
- Mylon Motorways, Wodonga in July 2008[19][20]
- Northern Bus Lines, Glenroy from the Pulitano Group in July 2008[21]
- Reservoir Bus Company and Midland Tours in November 2012[22]
- Full ownership of East West Bus Company in February 2014[23]
- Wangaratta Coachlines in July 2014[24][25]
- O'Connell's Omeo Bus Service in April 2017[26]
- Shepparton Transit/Fallons Bus Service on 1 June 2017 with nine regional bus routes, one V/Line route and 44 vehicles[27][28]
- The Corowa-Albury Rutherglen operation acquired by from R & L Webster in September 2017
- Bunnaloo Bus Lines in Bunnaloo in January 2018
- McDonald’s Euroa in January 2018
- Wandong Bus & Coach in March 2018
- Purtills, Deniliquin in December 2019 with 55 vehicles[29][30]
- Little’s Gippsland Coaches in October 2021 with 28 vehicles[31][32]
- Moonee Valley Coaches route services in March 2024 with 11 vehicles[33]
Services
editAs well as route services in Melbourne, since the late 1970s Dyson have operated services under contract to V/Line. In February 1989, all of Dyson's existing long coach services were integrated into the V/Line network.[34] Dyson operate V/Line services as far afield as Batemans Bay, Canberra, Griffith and Adelaide.[35]
From 2002 until December 2007, Dyson operated a service in New South Wales between Parkes and Condobolin under contract to CountryLink.[36][37] In January 2015, Dyson commenced operating five-year contracts to operate services for NSW TrainLink from Wagga Wagga to Griffith, Cootamundra to Tumbarumba, Cootamundra to Bathurst/Dubbo and Parkes to Condobolin.[38][39]
Fleet
editAs of June 2024, the fleet consisted of 690 buses and coaches. Dyson's official fleet livery is white with green stripes however newer buses which operate route services in Melbourne are painted in the Public Transport Victoria livery. Some coaches are painted in V/Line livery and NSW TrainLink livery.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b "Dyson Group of Companies, Bundoora". Australian Bus Fleet Lists. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j The Dyson Story Australian Bus Panorama issue 11/6 March 1996 page 6
- ^ Victorian Buses in the Eighties Australian Bus Panorama issue 6/2 September 1990 page 11
- ^ Victorian Buses in the Seventies Fleetline issue 56 March 1980 page 6
- ^ Victorian Buses in the Eighties Australian Bus Panorama issue 6/1 July 1990 page 12
- ^ Melbourne Metropolitan Bus Operators and Fleet Listings. Melbourne: Bus & Coach Society of Victoria. 1991. p. 19.
- ^ Metropolitan Changes Flletline issue 82 May 1982 page 76
- ^ a b Victorian Buses in the Eighties Australian Bus Panorama issue 6/8 May 1991 page 12
- ^ Reids Australian Bus Panorama issue 7/7 April 1992 page 42
- ^ Dysons Australian Bus Panorama issue 8/2 September 1992 page 43
- ^ a b Dysons Australian Bus Panorama issue 9/6 February 1994 page 48
- ^ Coach services co-ordinated Truck & Bus Transportation February 1994 page 90
- ^ Historic Reforms for Melbourne's Buses Australian Bus Panorama issue 13/3 December 1997 page 35
- ^ Australian Pacific Tours sell to consortium Australasian Bus & Coach
- ^ Dyson's buys Cobb & Co, Bell St & Rambler Australasian Bus & Coach
- ^ Dyson's Acquires the Nixon Group Australian Bus Panorama issue 19/1 July 2003 page 26
- ^ Alice Springs Depot Dysons May 2012
- ^ Kyneton Bus Lines Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Australian Bus Fleet Lists
- ^ Mylon Motorways to change hands The Border Mail 20 June 2008
- ^ Mylon Motorways Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Australian Bus Fleet Lists
- ^ Northern Buslines Archived 23 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine Australian Bus Fleet Lists
- ^ Press Release – Reservoir Bus Company Archived 12 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine Dysons October 2012
- ^ "Company announcement". Dysons. Archived from the original on 11 April 2014.
- ^ Dysons gears up with buy-out of Wangaratta coaches The Border Mail
- ^ Dysons acquire services and vehicles from Wangaratta Coachlines Australian Bus issue 66 November 2014 page 6
- ^ Dyson Group Acquire O'Connell's Omeo Bus Service Dysons 5 April 2017
- ^ Dyson Group acquires Shepparton Transit Dysons 30 June 2017
- ^ Dyson Group Expnding Australasian Bus & Coach 13 October 2017
- ^ Iconic NSW Riverina bus company sold to Victoria's Dysons Australasian Bus & Coach 25 October 2019
- ^ Deniliquin firm sells to Dyson Australian Bus issue 98 March 2020 page 4
- ^ Dyson Group Expands Gippsland Operations Dysons 5 October 2021
- ^ Dyson Group expands rural Victoria operations Australasian Bus & Coach 7 October 2021
- ^ Dysons announces acquisition of Moonee Valley route services Australasian Bus & Coach 1 March 2024
- ^ Dysons Australian Bus Panorama issue 4/5 March 1989 page 35
- ^ V/Line timetables Dysons
- ^ Countrylink Contractors Announced Ausralian Bus Panorama issue 18/3 November 2002 page 29
- ^ New Countrylink contracts effective 1 November 2002 Fleetline issue 281 December 2002 page 190
- ^ New contracts cost Wagga based coach company Archived 31 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine Daily Advertiser 30 December 2014
- ^ New NSW TrainLink Rural Coach Service Contracts Australian Bus issue 68 March 2015 page 20
External links
edit Media related to Dyson's Bus Services at Wikimedia Commons