The Loughnan family commenced bus operations in the Broadmeadows area on 1st March 1944 when they acquired Route 104A from Phillip Thorne, a route which dated from 1942. It had previously been a motor cab route most recently run by Phillip Thorne which dated from the 20s. The bus service operated between the Broadmeadows Military Camp and the North Coburg Tram Terminus and was renumbered Route 530 in 1971.

John Loughnan (1889-1949) was a Captain in the AIF and perhaps it was this that brought to his attention the bus route that ran to the army camp. Initially, the route was in the name of his wife (Agnes) Beatrice (1998-1965), whom he’d married in Britain in 1917 during WW1. Their son Tom Loughnan (1919-1993) also saw service in WW2, but second son, Keith Loughnan (1926-2000) was too young. After the war, John took over the route, but he died in 1949 and once again his wife took control before a new family structure was established.  The name of Broadmeadows Bus Service Pty Ltd was registered on 22/9/1950.

In the early 1950s, the operations were extended into charter. During this period, the company expanded to include special services to local schools under contract to the Department of Education.

In 1974, route service operations were expanded further north into the developing and isolated area of Campbellfield, an area not serviced by the rail system.

Route service operations were again expanded in 1985 when a new service was introduced between Upfield and North Coburg and the rapidly expanding township of Craigieburn. This service was subsequently extended to the Broadmeadows Railway station. During this time the company had continued to expand its charter, touring and school contract operations.

The original depot was Queens Parade Fawkner. In 1986, the Broadmeadows operations moved to a purpose built depot in Campbellfield.

In July 2007, the Wright family, who operate Moreland Bus Lines, purchased a 50% share in Broadmeadows Bus Service. They continued to operate the business from the Barry Rd depot in Campbellfield during this period.

In July, 2011 Dom Sita acquired both the Loughnan and Wright interests in the business. Depot facilities were relocated to the Kastoria Westmeadows site in August 2011, just 8 months after opening.

Kastoria was an earlier purchase by Dom Sita, who bought the business in Melbourne’s north-west from the Spyrou family in August 2009. This purchase came just a month after Dom had relinquished his share in Footscray-based Sita Bus Lines from his father George and brother Cos.

Moreland Bus Lines was not part of the sale to Kastoria but Peter Wright decided, after more than forty years working fulltime on the business, to step back from the day to day involvement in the company while still maintaining an active mentoring role to his sons Michael & Robert.

The Wright family soon refocused their footprint by entering the Bass Coast region. After initially acquiring Gippsland Bus Services in Wonthaggi from the Holtham’s in November 2012, they quickly expanded in April 2013 with the purchased Phillip Island Bus Lines from the Evans Family. Both operations were a mix of local route service, school services and general charter including intense services over the annual MotoGP (Australian Motorbike Grand Prix) weekend each October.

South Coast Bus was born from these two businesses combining, with depots in both Cowes and Wonthaggi. The region has been booming, with a 70% increase in residents from 2001 to 2021 (37% in the 2010s), as many seek a sea-change lifestyle, cheaper house prices or had moved to the area during the desalination plant construction in the late 2000s.