Frank Henry Rennie was born on the 20^th of August 1895 in Old Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The son of John and Agnes Rennie, his father was a carter at a woollen mill. Frank departed London on the ship “Benalla” on the 23^rd of February 1922 and arrived in Melbourne on the 13^th of April 1922. He arrived with his younger brother Allan (b. 16/7/1897). Both men were listed as being millers on the passenger list.

On the 1924 electoral roll, Frank and Allan were listed as living in Brunswick and both were factory workers but soon got jobs as bus drivers in the area.

In November of that year, the two applied to run a bus route between Mont Albert and Box Hill Station which was approved pending local council approval. In 1925, they sought to have it start from the corner of Canterbury and Station Streets.

They inaugurated the route from Box Hill to Devon Street via Station Street in 1929, which received number 67A. It was operated by just one bus, bought second hand.

Allan moved into 95 Station Street, which served as his residence and their original depot. Meanwhile Frank moved to 31 Edinburgh Street which was off Canterbury Road near Station Street. Frank remained there for the rest of his life.

They operated as Rennie Bros and purchased their second bus when the route was extended to Riversdale Road in 1935. The route was further extended to Burwood in 1937. The second bus was their first new bus and was a Grummet bodied Ford.

In 1938 Allan moved to 373 Station Street which was again used as their depot.  By 1946, the service still only had two licences. There were 3 by 1948 and 4 by 1952 as the area became more settled and there was demand for higher frequencies.

Allan retired in 1954, and Rennie Brothers became F H Rennie & Son with the “son” being John Rennie.

In 1956, a variation to the route via Bennettswood was introduced and this eventually became a separate route.

Another branch off this was operated south as far as Jordanville from October 1958, soon continuing to Waverley Rd from June 1959, before being extended to Chadstone in October 1965.

The extension of the run ultimately required an additional 4 buses, and required a few buses to be housed at Frank’s place in Edinburgh Street. It was decided that a new depot was required and 285 Station Street was purchased in the late 1950s.

In 1971, with the metropolitan route renumbering scheme, the Chadstone variation (via Benettswood & Jordanville) received its own route number, the 768, with the original route being renumbered to 767. A branch service between Bennettswood and Burwood Tram Terminus began service around 1968 and was given the number 766 in 1971, and but soon closed in 1973.

The Box Hill – Wattle Park – Burwood portion was neatly renumbered from 67A to 767 however would only last in this form until 1981.

Frank Rennie died 26/3/1973, having continued to work until 1972. Allan Rennie died 4/3/1978 having moved to Blackburn.

Later that year on 19/7/1978, tram services were extended east along Burwood Hwy from Warrigal Rd to Middleborough Rd, East Burwood, duplicating Rennie’s 767.

Patronage to Burwood understandably fell and the decision was made to realign 767 to Chadstone during shopping hours, off-set with the existing 768 for a combined 20 minute frequency. This took effect on 2/3/1981. Early morning and peak periods saw some continued inter-working between both runs at Bennettswood.

Travel between Burwood and Box Hill remained possible using Ventura’s trunk Route 700 service via Warrigal Rd and Surrey Hills.

John Rennie continued to manage the company now trading as Rennie’s Bus Lines and built it up to 13 buses. The company was sold to Vic Haoust’s Hawthorn BS on 1/7/1986 along with the depot and its 13 buses. Just 18 months later Vic Haoust had sold the routes onto Ventura, effective 21/12/1987.

John Rennie moved to Yarrawonga and passed away on 8/1/2006.