MotorCoach Australia at the Jolimont Centre, Canberra in August 2009
ParentEntrada Travel Group
Founded1928
HeadquartersPinkenba, Queensland, Australia
Service typeCoach operator
DestinationsAdelaide
Brisbane
Broome
Cairns
Canberra
Darwin
Melbourne
Sydney
Toowoomba
various regional destinations
Fleet228 (January 2021)
Websitewww.greyhound.com.au

Greyhound Australia is an Australian coach operator that ran services in all mainland states and territories until reduction of services in the 2000s.

It is owned by Entrada Travel Group. The company was established in 1928 and is not affiliated with similarly named companies in other countries.

History

Mills-Tui bodied Scania K380IB at Wagga Wagga station in March 2009
Irizar Century bodied Scania K380IB at Wagga Wagga station in July 2009
Irizar Century bodied Mercedes-Benz OH1830 in Perth in October 2013 with fluorescent yellow stripe and hazard light for operation on mining sites

Greyhound Coaches was formed in Toowoomba in 1928 by Russell Penfold with a service between Toowoomba and Brisbane. In 1956 and again in 1962 Greyhound attempted to enter the interstate passenger express field but without success. In 1968, after entering the market a third time, the company succeeded in establishing services between Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide with Perth and Darwin added in the 1970s creating a national coach company.[1]

In 1975, the South Australian operations were franchised to Adelaide operators, Murray Valley Coaches, and Stateliner.[2]

In November 1989, the Penfold family sold Greyhound Coaches to Stateliner with the exception of the Brisbane - Gold Coast and Brisbane - Toowoomba services that were sold separately.[3] In 1992 Greyhound, Pioneer and Bus Australia merged with the combined operation rebranded Greyhound Pioneer Australia.[4][5]

In February 1999, Queensland Coach Company was formed by Greyhound Pioneer Australia to body 94 Scania coaches over five years to renew the fleet.[6] Originally an alliance was formed with bodybuilder Alan B Denning with it proposed the Galaxy body design be used. However, following the collapse of the Clifford Corporation, the rights to the Austral Pacific Majestic body were purchased.[7] In July 2000, Queensland Coach Company ceased trading and was put into administration.[8]

In March 2000, Greyhound Pioneer Australia entered discussions with McCafferty's Coaches about a potential merge.[9][10] Subsequently Premier Motor Service made an unsuccessful takeover bid for the business.[8][11] In September 2000, a takeover bid from McCafferty's was accepted.[5][12][13]

In October 2004, McCafferty's sold the combined business to ANZ Bank and George Chapman with both operations rebranded as Greyhound Australia.[5] In 2006 ANZ sold its shares to KordaMentha.[14]

In 2005, the Sunshine Coast to Byron Bay services of Suncoast Pacific were purchased.[15] In October 2011, the Oz Experience backpacker business was purchased.[14]

In 2019, Greyhound Australia signed a three-month contract with BMD Group, a construction company that is building the railway from the planned Carmichael coal mine to Abbot Point. After the contract became public in early 2020, the Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation withdrew from its partnership with Greyhound and School Strike 4 Climate announced that it was planning to boycott the company. Greyhound subsequently announced that it would be withdrawing from the contract "following considered deliberation, and in the best interests of our staff, customers, and partners".[16]

In February 2021, Greyhound Australia agreed terms to sell its Greyhound Resources business that provides mine transport for workers in the Bowen Basin, Hunter Valley, South Australia and Northern Territory to the Kinetic Group with 170 vehicles. The deal is expected to close in April 2021.[17]

From 11 December 2021 onwards, Greyhound Australia will once more be servicing the intercity routes it lost on 31 December 2014 to Bus Queensland Toowoomba.

Routes

Greyhound Australia's routes, as at February 2020, are:[18]

Former routes

Other services

Greyhound Australia provide coaches for transportation of mine workers, coaches used on these duties carry large fleet numbers, fluorescent yellow stripes and a roof mounted flashing orange light. Between July 2010 and June 2014, Greyhound Australia operated services between Lithgow and Gulgong, Coonabarabran and Baradine under contract to CountryLink.[24][25][26]

Some intrastate services in Queensland are subsidised by the Queensland Government.[27]

Fleet

In the 1970s, Greyhound imported a fleet of Eagle 05 and 10 coaches.[28] In the 1980s it purchased Austral Tourmasters and Volgren bodied Volvo B10Ms. In 1995, it standardized on Scania coaches. When merging with McCafferty's in 2004 it inherited Austral Denning Highlanders, Denning Denairs, Denning Landseers (including their high deck variants) and Motorcoach Australia Marathons and Classics.[29] More recently it has purchased Iveco, Mercedes-Benz and Volvos. As at January 2021, the fleet consisted of 228 coaches.[30] In the 1970s, Greyhound adopted an orange and white livery. In 1993 a grey, white and blue livery was introduced following the formation of Greyhound Pioneer Australia. McCafferty's gold livery was applied when it took over the business in 2000 before the current red livery was introduced in 2004.

Other Greyhound operations

Despite its name, Greyhound Australia has never had any affiliation with Greyhound Lines, Greyhound Canada, Greyhound Mexico or Greyhound UK.

References

  1. ↑ "Greyhound Australia" Fleetline May 1988 page 115
  2. ↑ "The odd coachfellows" The Age 25 September 1978
  3. ↑ "Stateliner takes over Greyhound" Australian Bus Panorama issue 5/5 March 1990 page 23
  4. ↑ "Australian Coachlines Group" Australian Bus Panorama issue 9/5 January 1994 page 36
  5. 1 2 3 Greyhound Australia's History Archived 25 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine Greyhound Australia
  6. ↑ "Express" Australian Bus Panorama April 1999 issue 14/5 page 19
  7. ↑ "Greyhound-Pioneer/Queensland Coach Co" Australian Bus Panorama October 1999 issue 15/2 page 21
  8. 1 2 "Greyhound/QCC/McCafferty's/Premier Motor Service" Australian Bus Panorama issue 16/1 August 2000 page 18
  9. ↑ "Greyhound Pioneer Australia" Australian Bus Panorama issue 15/5 April 2000 page 38
  10. ↑ Greyhound and McCaffertys talk Archived 27 June 2013 at archive.today Australasian Bus & Coach
  11. ↑ McCaffertys welcome Greyhound rejection Archived 27 June 2013 at archive.today Australasian Bus & Coach
  12. ↑ "National & Manufacturing" Australian Bus Panorama issue 16/2 October 2000 page 19
  13. ↑ McCaffertys finally get Greyhound Archived 27 June 2013 at archive.today Australasian Bus & Coach
  14. 1 2 Greyhound deal to take backpackers along for ride Courier-Mail 3 October 2011
  15. ↑ Suncoast Pacific Coaches Archived 23 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine Bus Australia Fleet Lists
  16. ↑ "Greyhound cuts ties with Adani mine after backlash from climate activists". The Guardian Australia. 28 January 2020. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  17. ↑ Greyhound Resources sold to Skybus-Kinetic Australasian Bus & Coach 4 February 2021
  18. ↑ Timetables Archived 18 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine Greyhound Australia
  19. ↑ Nullabor bus service proves too costly ABC News 10 October 2005
  20. ↑ New qconnect contract boost Qld long distance bus services Archived 26 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine Queensland Government 5 February 2008
  21. 1 2 Greyhound drop Melbourne-Toowoomba, Perth-Broome services Archived 4 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Backpacker Trade News 14 February 2013
  22. 1 2 Greyhound cancels runs Archived 4 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Australasian Bus & Coach 1 March 2013
  23. ↑ Frost, Jeremy (1 September 2017). "Greyhound buses cancelled from Wagga to Canberra". The Daily Advertiser. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  24. ↑ CountryLink Greyhound Commercial
  25. ↑ Western timetable NSW TrainLink 20 October 2013
  26. ↑ Contract Award Notice Detail - S09014 NSW Government eTendering 1 December 2010
  27. ↑ Long distance coaches Archived 10 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine Department of Transport & Main Roads 19 December 2014
  28. ↑ Greyhound Archived 20 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine Driver Bus Lines
  29. ↑ "McCaffertys Fleet List". 4 May 2004. Archived from the original on 4 May 2004. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  30. ↑ Greyhound Australia Archived 10 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine Bus Australia Fleet Lists
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