ROUTE 39 FLEMINGTON BRIDGE – MOONEE PONDS – ESSENDON via Travancore

This had been Motor Cab Route 5, becoming a full bus service in 12/1952 and given Route 39. Early operators were G. Wilson, Rick and T. Barker.

It ran via Mount Alexander Rd. Mooltan St, Myrnong Cres, Ormond Rd, Pattison St and Dean St – basically operating about 400m east of the tram service. The terminus at Flemington Bridge was described precisely as 31 yards south from entrance to the Melbourne platform.

By 1952 the operators had become J.O’Dea and T.Barker (trading as Essendon Railway Station – Flemington Bridge B.S.) with the route being extended to Essendon.

The Moonee Ponds – Essendon extension continued via Puckle St, Norwood Cres, Ardmillian Rd, Clarinda St, Levian St, Lorraine St and Buckley St to a terminus south of the station, 39 feet from Stanley St. This provided additional coverage west of the railway line, north-east of the long-established 15A to Aberfieldie dating from 1925 and operated by Ryan’s since May 1948 (today’s 467).

The January 1955 government gazette records only a rudimentary service, every 30 mins between 6:50am & 6:30pm weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Saturday mornings. A limited extension was also provided from Flemington Bridge to Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL) in Royal Park via Church St, Manningham St and Oak Rd.

In July 1954 O’Dea, who by then was the sole operator, sold Route 39 to J. Birkett. Further sold 6/1956 to R. W. Curren, then in 6/1958 to C & T Kellett.

During 1960 Route 39 went to Barnes Bus Lines, who soon linked it with his Route 75A Moonee Ponds – Keilor service (purchased from F. Bawden in November 1959), forming Route 39 Flemington Bridge – Moonee Ponds – Keilor from September 1960.

By 1961 Barnes’ adjacent 17A shuttle along Buckley St to West Essendon (operated by H & M Memery until November 1959) was also amalgamated into the 39.

Route 17A re-emerged by January 1963 as Moonee Ponds – Essendon – West Essendon, now operated by G & E Hills. The extension Moonee Ponds and Essendon extension ceased during the 1960s without replacement.

Hill’s sold to Ryan Bros Bus Service on 5/1/1970 with the service becoming 465 in 1971. It was later extended to Keilor Park on 18/3/1985, following the linking of the two halves of Buckley St across the Steele (or Rose) Creek valley.

The extension of the main Keilor run also didn’t last and in May 1964 the Flemington Bridge – Moonee Ponds portion of Route 39 was closed down, seemingly in favour of a new branch of Route 39 to serve East Keilor via Milleara Rd and Dinah Pde to Raleigh Rd. Later on this became a loop through Keilor Heights.

In July 1965 Barnes sold Route 39 to Kastoria Bus Lines (Spyrou & Sikavitsas). This followed the earlier disposal by Barnes of Routes 209A (Moonee Ponds – Sunbury) and 210A (Moonee Ponds – Broadmeadows) in May 1964. The Sikavitsas left the Kastoria partnership on 10/5/1970 to form Tullamarine Bus Lines, taking 209A and 210A with them.

In the 1971 renumbering the branch to East Keilor became 475 (a nod to the old 75A) while the trunk route to Keilor & Arundel became 476, both operating along Mt Alexander Rd and Keilor Rd between Moonee Ponds and Niddrie (with stopping restrictions to avoid competition with the tram). Tullamarine’s 209A became 478 & 479 in conjunction with the opening of Tullamarine Airport, while 210A became 477.

Further history under Routes 475 & 476.

Route 475 ultimately closed on 11/7/2020, replaced by the southern tail of the long-winded 469, which included new coverage in Valley Lakes. The section through the back streets of Essendon West was incorporated into a slower 476.

Route 476 continues to run today and after a series of westward extensions (some since covered by Route 463 through Hillside), it currently operates between Moonee Ponds, Keilor and Watergardens.

ROUTE 78A CAMBERWELL – NORTH BALWYN – EAST KEW via Balwyn Rd

In 1957, Raymond Curren was running route 78A Camberwell – North Balwyn – East Kew.

This service begun in 6/1932 as 78A Canterbury – North Balwyn – East Kew, and was first operated by David Hector Laidlaw, with 2 buses in use in 1934.

In 1935 it went to George Thurston Watson. It was extended to Camberwell in 5/1940. It was sold to Lawrence Hone on 25/2/1948 who ran three buses.

Buses travelled to East Kew via Canterbury Rd, Rochester Rd, Mont Albert Rd, Balwyn Rd, Doncaster Rd, Buchanan Ave and Maud St to Burke Rd just south of the East Kew Junction.

An undated timetable likely from the 1950s shows buses running every 15-25 minutes during peak times (but not operating to East Kew) with two buses running a half-hourly service at other times until midnight. Sunday service commenced at 2pm running until 11pm.

Route 78A went to Raymond Curren in 6/1956 who ran 4 buses.

The first Noreng bus was bought by R W Curren in October 1957. He also bought the last Ausdis/Noreng bus that was built in March 1962 and operated six other Noreng buses, including a number of second hand ones purchased from Withers Transport Industries, who had been the largest new Noreng purchaser (with seven).

Both Mr Hone, and then, Mr Curren, lived at 528 Barkers Road, Hawthorn which also served as their depot.

By the mid sixties buses to and from Camberwell would either go to East Kew (Burke Rd) or Larbert Ave (North Balwyn), a complicated timetable. At this point services finished around 6pm weekdays and noon on Saturdays.

Ventura took over the route in April 1968, deleted the East Kew section, and extended along Balwyn Road beyond the North Balwyn Tram terminus, briefing deleting the Camberwell – Canterbury section. The route was renumbered 731 in 1971.

Route 731 was transferred from Ventura to Quince’s on 30^th September 1991 (in exchange for the Centre Rd porition of Route 634) and then the National Bus Company on 15^th February 1998.

On 26^th October 1998 it was renumbered as Route 285 & extended to Doncaster Shoppingtown.  On 27^th July 2014, it was cut back to Doncaster Park and Ride.

ROUTE 111A CANTERBURY – MONT ALBERT – BALWYN

Curren briefly operated route 111A (Canterbury – Mont Albert – Balwyn) in the late 1950s before it closed in February 1960.

In 1952 the operators were Bridges and Dunn trading as Century Bus Lines. J. Bridges ran the route solo from 1954 and by September 1959 it was R. Curren. 

Starting from Canterbury Station services operated via Canterbury Rd, Shierlaw Ave, Chatham Rd, Mont Albert Rd, Benson St, Weybridge St, Grovedale Rd, Whitehorse Rd, Mont Albert Tram Terminus, Union Rd, Belmore Rd and Greythorn Rd to Sweyn St.

After Route 111A closed in February 1960, Whitehorse BS extended their Route 108A to operate Box Hill – Mont Albert Tram Terminus – Greythorn.

The history of Route 111A is linked with the development of other routes in the Canterbury and Balwyn area. As early as 1934 Route 82A operated between Canterbury and Balwyn along a similar path, terminating at Narrak Rd. In 1935 it was operated by M. Hilet and then Symons & Fowler in the early 1940s.

In October 1946 Route 82A was extended south to Hartwell via Logan St, Hassett Ave and Cooloongata Rd, retracing much of 91A which had briefly operated Canterbury to Golf Links Station (renamed Wilison) between July 1936 & December 1938.

Route 111A also began in 1946, replacing a horse drawn coach service. Initially services ran from Mont Albert Station to Heidelberg travelling via High St, Whitehorse Rd, Union Rd, Belmore Rd, Greythorn Rd, Doncaster Rd, Hill Rd, Riverview Rd, Fortuna Ave, The Nook, Bulleen Rd to Doncaster Rd, returning via Bulleen Rd, Banksia St, Dora St, Jika St and Burgundy St.

The basic service was hourly running 7am to 7pm with Sundays 1pm to 8pm, Extra trips ran to Balwyn Wildlife Sanctuary on weekends and public holidays between 1pm and 5pm. An extension to Heidelberg Repat Hospital began in August 1948 running via Barkly St, Bell St, Edwin St, Banksia St, Myrtle St and Bell St.

ROUTE 127A HOPE STREET, BRUNSWICK

In 1962 Curren briefly ran the 127A Hope Street run in Brunswick, taking over from R & N Massey.

This was a Cab Route operated in June 1952 by W. Smith, which in July 1954 was given Bus Route No 127A, at which time the operator was R. Chapman. He sold to A. Curley during October 1954, and by January 1961 it had gone to R & N Massey.

The route passed to Curren in 1962. By August 1963 G & G Long had taken over and it was renumbered 509 in 1971.

Chris Kafritsas (Chris’s Coaches) bought the run in 1977. Sangold P/L was formed in 2001 by two drivers who purchased the run, who traded as the Hope Street Bus Line. In 2012 Joe Piccolo was noted as owner.

Public Transport Victoria deleted the run on 30 September 2012, with the Collation government citing low patronage and proximity to nearby bus routes.

ROUTE 136A BOX HILL – CAMBERWELL via Surrey Hills

Raymond Curren soon decided to strengthened his inner east roots around Camberwell and Canterbury, and took over route 136A Box Hill – Camberwell in September 1965.

This started on 7/5/1956 by Jack Bridges. An extension to Box Hill Station followed in 10/1957 and, by 7/1958, Cecil Dunn had joined Bridges as the operator.

The route ran south of the railway line between Camberwell and Surrey Hills and then north of Whitehorse Rd to Box Hill. Buses followed Prospect Hill Rd, Middlesex Rd, Kent Rd, and Union Rd, Erne St, Kinsale Cr, Bundoran Pde, Braemar St, Melrose St, Elgar Rd, Severn St, Nelson Rd, Thames St, and Station St to reach Box Hill Station.

Route 136A was sold to Raymond Curren in 9/1965, and Curren’s other route the 78A, changed from the Cookson Street terminus outside the north side of Camberwell Station to the Prospect Hill Road terminus east of Burke Road which was the terminus of the 136A.

The 136A was renumbered 610 in 1971. Curren’s livery was red and cream (the same as Hone’s) which he altered to cream and red dating from the mid-60s.

Raymond Curren died suddenly in November 1968 and his estate continued to run the business.

The fleet was run down over the next nine years, and towards the end of 1977, the family indicated to the TRB (Transport Regulation Board) that they no longer wished to provide the service. A lack of drivers’ was cited as a reason.

Route 610 (formerly 136A) was sold to Driver BL on 3/1/1978 although none of the vehicles were deemed fit enough to be included into the Driver fleet and were sold separately. Driver BL joined it to their route 612 to form Chadstone – Camberwell – Box Hill effective 29/5/1978.

Route 612 was sold to CDC Victoria on 1 July 2013, initially trading as Eastrans until a company-wide rebrand in October 2014.