Rover Coaches

Rover Coaches[1] is an Australian bus company operating services in the Hunter Valley.

Rover Coaches
Rover Coaches Bustech SDi on display at the 2013 Australian Bus & Coach Show
ParentLewis family
Commenced operation1925
HeadquartersCessnock
Service areaHunter Valley
Service typeBus & coach operator
Routes11
Depots3
Fleet59 (May 2020)
Websitewww.rovercoaches.com.au

History

In 1925, George Ryder purchased two small bus operators, the South Maitland Motor Company and the Marble Bar Motor Service, and named the company Rover Motors. Ryder was soon joined in the business by Rab Lewis. In the 1930s, Rover Motors introduced the first centre-door double decker buses in Australia and purchased the Cessnock to Maitland service from the Fogg family. In 1944, Rover Motors introduced the first semi-trailer bus in New South Wales. In the 1940s, the Fogg and Mordue families become part owners of the business.[2][3][4]

By the 1950s, services ran to Maitland every half-hour from 04:30 until midnight. Services commenced to Wangi Wangi and Swansea on Friday nights, returning on Sundays. Services commenced operating to transport employees to the BHP Steelworks in Newcastle. In the 1960s, Rover Motors begins operating coach tours to the Gold Coast and Snowy Mountains. With the withdrawal of passenger services from the South Maitland Railway to Cessnock, Rover Motors began operating services to Newcastle on 3 October 1967.[2][4]

In the 1970s, Rover Motors opened a travel agency and began operating tours across Australia as well as providing overseas and domestic travel arrangements. In 1986, the Lewis and Mordue families terminated their shared interests in Rover Motors and Hunter Valley Coaches, with the Lewis family taking full ownership of Rover and the Mordue family, Hunter Valley.[2][4]

In July 2009, a Cessnock to Morisset station service was introduced.[5]

Services

Since September 2006, Rover's services have been part of Sydney Outer Metropolitan Bus Region 1.[6] It primarily operates services from Cessnock to Maitland, with limited services to Morisset and Newcastle.

Fleet

As at August 2019, the fleet consisted of 60 buses and coaches.[4] Rover was a long time Leyland purchaser, continuing to build up its fleet with second-hand Tigers long after it had gone out of production. The original all red livery was replaced by red and white in the 1980s, and white and red in the late 1990s. In 2012, the Transport for NSW white and blue livery was adopted for route buses.

In 2014, Rover introduced new underfloor coaches to its intercity services (160, 163 and 164). These new coaches feature wheelchair-accessible seating, kneeling ability, coach-style seating, seat-belts and underfloor bins for luggage.

In 2015, Rover has renewed their long distance coach fleet featuring new livery, wheelchair lift/space and improved seating arrangements.

Depots

Rover Coaches operate a depot and overflow yard in Cessnock as well as a depot in Kurri Kurri.

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References
  1. Rover Motors Pty Ltd Australian Securities & Investments Commission
  2. Our History Rover Coaches
  3. Fogg Family & The Bus Industry Port Stephens Coaches
  4. Rover Coaches Australian Bus Fleet Lists
  5. Govt permits Cessnock-Morisset bus service ABC News 21 January 2009
  6. Outer Metropolitan Sydney Bus Contract Regions 1, 2, 3 and 4 Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine NSW Government Transport & Infrastructure October 2009
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