Pioneer Coaches
Pioneer Coaches was an Australian bus and coach company
Pioneer Coaches
based in Bexley, New South Wales. The company was noted for
its immaculate blue and red livery, known affectionately as "the Parent Iffland family
blue bus". (1918–1986)
Harbridge
family
History (1986–2001)
In October 1918, Cornelius Bossley "Con" Iffland commenced Commenced October 1918
operating between Hurstville and Rockdale via Forest Road. operation
Allocated route number 112 in November 1925 it was extended to Ceased operation January 2001
Brighton-Le-Sands in 1930. In 1932 the business was purchased
Headquarters Bexley
by Con's brother Harry by which time route 112 had ceased
operating to Brighton-Le-Sands but been extended at the other end Service area St George
to Beverley Hills. In November 1934 the operation was named Service type Bus services
Pioneer Coaches with Con's son Neville appointed manager, a Depots 1
position he would hold until 1982.[1]
Fleet 16 (January
In December 1986, the Iffland family sold Pioneer Coaches to 2001)
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.
References
1. Pioneer Coaches (http://fleetlists.busaustralia.com/nsw.php?info=PCB) 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" (http://www.sydneybusroutes.com/images/PD
Fs/renumbering.pdf) (PDF). sydneybusroutes.com. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
7. "Private operators" Fleetline March 2001 page 42
8. 634 (https://web.archive.org/web/20120310145445/http://www.sydneybusmuseum.com/exhi
bs/634.htm) Sydney Bus Museum exhibits Wayback Machine
Further reading
Birchmeier, John (2002). The Blue Buses of Forest Road (http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Recor
d/691281). ISBN 0-646-41999-4.
External links
Ken Magor part 1 (https://www.angelfire.com/alt/busandcoachphotogall/pion.html)
Ken Magor part 2 (https://www.angelfire.com/alt/busandcoachphotogall/pion2.html)
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