Invicta Bus Services

Invicta Bus Services was a bus and coach operator in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was a Melbourne bus company that operated 16 bus routes under contract to Public Transport Victoria. It was purchased by Grenda Corporation in March 2009. which in turn was acquired by Ventura Bus Lines in January 2012.

Invicta Bus Services

Parent	Grenda Corporation
Commenced operation	24 May 1936
Ceased operation	January 2012
Headquarters	Lilydale
Service area	Eastern Melbourne
Service type	Bus operator
Routes	16
Hubs	Chirnside Park Shopping Centre Stud Park Shopping Centre Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre Westfield Knox
Fleet	97 (April 2014)
Website	www.invictabus.com.au

History

Croydon Bus Service owned by Bill Wilson commenced in May 1936 between Croydon and North Croydon. In December 1947 Clem Usher purchased the business. The business expanded with the purchase of Ringwood Bus Service in May 1952, A Turner in 1968, Adams Bus Service in January 1979.[1] In February 1972 the business merged with US Bus Lines to form Invicta United Bus Lines, but this arrangement was dissolved in September 1973.[2][3][4]

In July 1987 Invicta purchased Morse's Bus Service in Devonport, Tasmania. This was sold in 1990.[5][6]

Invicta was acquired by the Grenda Corporation in March 2009.[7][8] The brand was retained, but after Grenda Corporation was purchased by Ventura Bus Lines in January 2012, it was retired.[9][10][11]

Fleet

As at April 2014 the fleet consisted of 97 buses.[12] Fleet livery was fawn and orange that was later superseded by a white, yellow and red livery with a prancing horse reminiscent of that on the Invicta flag.

It later adopted the standard white with red and yellow flashes of Grenda Corporation.

References

1. Melbourne Metropolitan Bus Operators and Fleet Listings. Melbourne: Bus & Coach Society of Victoria. 1991. p. 13.
2. Major bus lines merge Truck & Bus Transportation January 1972 page 100
3. Victorian Buses in the Seventies Fleetline issue 53 December 1979 page 11
4. Victorian Buses in the Seventies Fleetline issue 54 January 1980 page 6
5. Victorian Buses in the Eighties Australian Bus Panorama issue 6/8 May 1991 page 14
6. Tassielink History Tassielink
7. Grenda acquires Invicta Bus Lines Grenda Corporation
8. Invicta Sells to Grenda Australian Bus Panorama issue 24/5 March 2009 pages12-14
9. Ventura buys Grenda Transit - Volgren to send separately Australasian Bus & Coach 21 November 2011
10. Ventura buys Grenda Australian Bus issue 49 January 2012 page 5
11. Ventura takes over Grenda's bus operations Australian Bus Panorama issue 27/4 January 2012 page 7
12. Ventura Group - Invicta Archived 17 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine Australian Bus Fleet Lists