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Ryans Bus Service Coffs Harbour Depot
Ryans Bus Service Woolgoolga Depot
 
Below are some articles from a local publication covering
our 60th Anniversary celebrations.
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Ryans
keep it in the family
The Coffs Coast Advocate, June 28th 2003
After
4 generations, the Ryan family is celebrating the 60th anniversary of
their business, Ryans Bus Service.
Jenny Tooth, owner & general manager of Ryans Bus Service, is the
granddaughter of Vic Ryan who founded the company in 1943. Her father,
Reg Ryan, also managed Ryans Bus Service with his brother Snow, before
handing it to Jenny upon his death in 1988.
Today, Jenny’s husband Sam is the Manager of the Coffs Harbour
Depot in Hurley Drive while daughter Naomi Geurts works there in administration.
Son Nigel Tooth is the manager of the Woolgoolga depot based in Hawke
drive, and is also licensed to drive buses.
Mrs Tooth said she had alot of pride in what had been achieved in 60
years and was very happy her children had chosen to be involved with
the company. “Its been my whole life, buses. ‘Breathing
the fumes’, you could say” she said. “Its lovely working
closely with your family, and we all have a good sense of humour so
its lots of fun”
Mrs Tooth started with Ryans Bus Service in 1966 at the age of 17, working
in the office before joining the mail service delivering to post offices
in Korora, Moonee & Woolgoolga. Another role was conducting daily
tours, where visitors were taken for motels to popular tourist spots,
and at 21 Mrs Tooth was told by her father to “Go out and get
a bus licence’ which led her to drive school buses for 4 years.
Mrs Tooth said while much had changed over the past 60 years, Ryans
impeccable safety record had been maintained thro8ughout.
From humble beginnings of a company with 1 1939 21 seater Rheo bus,
today Ryans Bus Service has 32 buses in its fleet and runs both a school
and passenger service from Coffs Harbour to Grafton. 3000 school children
are driven to and from 27 schools everyday by 28 bus drivers based in
Coffs, Woolgoolga and Grafton.
Mrs Tooth said significant moments in the history of Ryans Bus Service
included serving the Queen during her visit to Coffs Harbour in the
1970’s and sending 6 buses to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
In 1999, Ryans Bus Service bought out another Bus company called Watson’s,
and virtually doubled their fleet overnight from 13 buses to 28.
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Driver
Honoured for long service
The
Coffs Coast Advocate, June 28th 2003
ACCORDING
to the owners and general manager of Ryans Bus Service, Jenny Tooth,
the 28 drivers who operate the fleet of 32 buses are as much a part
of the Ryan family as the 2 generations who work within the company
now.
“Our employees are an extension of our family,” Mrs Tooth
said. “ We’ve gotten to know them well and they are an important
part of who we are.”
At a recent 60th birthday celebration at the Coffs Harbour Catholic
Club, one employee, Bobby Dummer, was recognised for 40 years of service.
Mr Dummer, who joined Ryans Bus Service in 1962, received a Certificate
of Appreciation for his loyalty and dedication to the company.
Mrs Tooth said
Mr Dummer and four other drivers, Leo Channells, Peter Heelis, Noel
Green and Donnie Milne, had together contributed more than 100 years
of service. "Bobby is very respected amongst our staff and not
only taught me to drive a bus but my son Nigel too," Mrs Tooth
said.
For some employees,
Ryans Bus Service is a part of their childhood memories. Driver 'Digger'
Rowsell was one of the children who were transported from Korora into
Coffs Harbour for school on Ryans Bus Service during the 1950's on one
of the 1946 model Bedford Diesel Rheos.
Mr Rowsell said
while the mechanical side of the buses was very different today he fondly
remembered the comfortable interior of the Rheo. But, he said with narrow
roads along the school route it was fairly slow-going on the old bus.
Mr Rowsell has
been driving buses for Ryans over the past four years and said he absolutely
loved his job and the way children were part of one big family, which
he missed during school holidays. "After six weeks off it's always
good to see their happy little faces again," Mr Rowsell said.
Fifteen drivers
are based at Ryans' Coffs Harbour Depot in Hurley Drive while 15 are
based in Woolgoolga and 2 in Grafton.
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School
service gets the bus company rolling
The
Coffs Coast Advocate, June 28th 2003
RYANS
Bus Service has operated many types of vehicles for their school, mail
and passenger services over that past 60 years.
The first vehicle used was a 1935 21 seater Rheo which originally carried
20 children from Woolgoolga to schools in Korora and Coffs Harbour.
The Rheo ran in conjunction with a 1939 International parlour coach
which was mainly used for mail runs in the district.
Mrs Tooth's uncle, Ron Goodenough, travelled in the parlour coach in
the 1940's, and when it was full passengers stood on the sideboards.
Ryans conducted the mail runs for 21 years, and both vehicles were used
during World War II and immediately after. Two more new-model Rheo coaches
were purchased in 1946, and these were used until 1964 and 1971 respectively.
In 1964, Ryans purchased three custom built 48 seater luxury class coaches,
which were all dubbed the 'Bananalander'. These 330cc Bedford Diesel
vehicles were used until the 1980's before being replaced by the Mercedes
brand.
By the time
the Bedford's were updated, Ryans Bus Service had seven 'Bananalanders'
in its fleet. Today, the Hino range is the bus of choice for Ryans,
and has been for 15 years.
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