Prior's Bus Service - Batemans Bay
The following list is of known buses both current and those previously operated by Prior's Bus Service - Batemans Bay.
| Operator Information | Full Fleet List Disposal List | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accreditation: | Priors Bus Service Pty Ltd, Acc No. 18119, Batemans Bay Previously GR Prior, Acc No. 11531 and GR, MR & GR Prior, Acc No. 9517 |
| Depot Address/s: | 2 Hughes St, Batemans Bay |
| Service Runs: | 757 Batemans Bay - Maloneys Beach & Long Beach 760 Batemans Bay - Broulee & Moruya 761 Batemans Bay - Sunshine Bay, Surf Beach & Catalina 761 Batemans Bay - Surfside |
| Website: | www.priorsbus.com.au |
Fleet history documents previously operated vehicles from c.1972-1973 to the present.
Brief history as documented by Peter Hodgson in Fleetline Vol 17, No 2, June 1992:
The Prior family commenced operating services in 1944 with a 1936 Ford Sedan registered HV 235. The proprietor was Mr George Prior and the services covered the Batehaven, Durras and Benandarah areas. The Ford was replaced by MO 450, a "stretch" Graham Paige seating 9 people, which had previously operated as a tour vehicle to the Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves from Martin Place, Sydney. In 1946, George Prior purchased MO 673, a 17 seater Bedford bus with Syd Wood body from an operator named Prior (no relation) who operated the Dapto - Wollongong service.
In 1948 he successully tendered for the contract to provide services to Moruya Central School, with MO 750, a 29 passenger 1944 model Dodge bus being acquired for this service. A mail service was attached to this run along with the delivery of papers for Batehaven and freight from Moruya to Batemans Bay, all on the empty return journey.
George Prior died in 1951 and Ron, along with his sister, inherited the business. Ron later purchased his sister's share.
The fleet in 1972 consisted of the following vehicles:
MO 978 AEC Regal
MO 3521 Austin 7.60E
MO 4088 Austin FJK
MO 5217 Austin FJK
Batemans Bay High opened on April 11 1988 with an initial enrolment of 650 students. Whilst existing services were rerouted to this new school and new routes were created, services still continued into Moruya, primarily for the TAFE Colleges in the town.
Two "single bus" operations were taken over by Prior's. The Batemans Bay to East Lynne via Benandarah and South Durras service was acquired from NJ & JV Toyer of 31 Canberra Ave, Durras with MO 5550 Bedford J. Toyer had purchased this run and vehicle from Percy Bowes of Batemans Bay in October 1975. The other operator acquired was Mr Jack Fitzgerald of Nelligen, who operated in the Nelligen with MO 4906, a Morris LD5 with a Ron Wright B21F body.
The Sydney service commenced in September 1995 as a 5 day per week service from Moruya to Sydney trading as "Scenic Express". The initial vehicle sign written for this service was MO 0126 Leyland Tiger semi-coach. In more recent years, the service days of operation had been cut back and reduced to mini bus capacity. The "Scenic Express" service ceased altogether as from 23/7/15.
