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  1. The Dictionary of Sydney
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  7. Road transport
  8. Buses

Buses

Subject
Buses
Waverley Bus Depot
Calabros Brothers
Chief Commissioner of Railways and Tramways
Hunters Hill Bus Company
New South Wales Railway Commissioners
State Transit Authority of New South Wales
Sydney United Omnibus Company
Westbus
Austin, Robert
MacKenzie, Ken
Payten, Andrew
Richardson, John
Brookvale Bus Depot
Railway Square
'6 o'clock - Rush home' from 'The Hours of the Day in Sydney' September 1879
A Southerly Buster 1878
Bus stop on Carrington Street, Wynyard 1930s
Early Leyland double-deck omnibus 1929
George Street showing Royal Hotel c1905
Horse buses outside the old Sydney Railway Station, corner of Devonshire and George streets 1895
Horse-drawn omnibus, Circular Quay c1900
Horsedrawn omnibuses, corner Parramatta Road and Bay Street with Sydney University on the skyline c1870
New double-decker motor bus, Sydney c1934
New electric trolley-bus 1930s
North Sydney 1957
Peak hour traffic going east on Military Road, Cremorne January 1952
Peak hour, Kings Cross c1961
Pitt Street coach, Sydney 1892
Pitt Street from Hunter Street looking north 1856
Pitt Street from King Street looking south 1856
Pitt Street, Sydney 1892-93
Rail pay bus on trial run to Moss Vale 1937
The Belmore bus accident at the Cooks River Bridge, Canterbury during the late heavy rains and floods in Sydney June 1889
Traffic in George Street after buses replaced trams 1962

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Buses

Buses

Horse-drawn buses were Sydney's most extensive transport system from the 1860s until the 1890s, when electric trams became more popular. Motor buses expanded their networks between the wars, and electric trolley buses ran on some routes. In the 1950s, trams were phased out, and buses remain Sydney's main road-based public transport.

Waverley Bus Depot

Bus storage and service area located in the Sydney suburb of Bondi Junction.

full record »

Calabros Brothers

Family bus company run by Joe and Tony Calabros.

full record »

Chief Commissioner of Railways and Tramways

State government authority set up to manage and run the railways, tramways, and buses. This authority began the process of electrifying the railway and tram lines in Sydney. In 1930 responsibility for trams and buses was shifted to a Road Transport Commissioner.

full record »

Hunters Hill Bus Company

Bus company established in the 1920s to service Sydney's north-western suburbs. Purchased by the State government's Sydney Buses in 1999.

full record »

New South Wales Railway Commissioners

Colonial and later state government body established to run New South Wales's existing railway and tram lines. From 1905 government buses also came under the control of this organisation.

full record »

State Transit Authority of New South Wales

State government authority responsible for Sydney and Newcastle bus services.

full record »

Sydney United Omnibus Company

One of a number of privately owned transport companies operating in Sydney during the 1870s. The company ran horse buses from the city to Woolloomooloo, Darlinghurst, Redfern, Petersham, Cooks River, Double Bay, Darling Point, Glebe and Newtown.

full record »

Westbus

Bus company owned by the ComfortDelGro Cabcharge company which was originally operated by National Express and the Bosnjak family at Canley Vale.

full record »

Austin, Robert

Entrepreneur who ran a bus service in the Lane Cove area.

full record »

MacKenzie, Ken

Māori bus driver.

full record »

Payten, Andrew

Driver who operated a horse-bus for ferry passengers at Parramatta.

full record »

Richardson, John

Entrepreneur who operated a bus service in the Lane Cove area in the early 1900s.

full record »

Brookvale Bus Depot

Main bus depot on the northern beaches, established after the tram system was closed in that area in 1939.

full record »

Railway Square

full record »

Intersection of Broadway, George Street and Pitt Streets on the western side of Central Railway Station that marks the edge of the city centre. 

'6 o'clock - Rush home' from 'The Hours of the Day in Sydney' September 1879

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[TN115 (detail)]
(Illustrated Sydney News, 6 September 1879, p12)

A Southerly Buster 1878

full record »
By
Alfred Clint
Contributed By
Internet Archive
[from 'Southerly Busters' by Ironbark, Published by John Sands, Sydney 1878, frontispiece]

Bus stop on Carrington Street, Wynyard 1930s

full record »
Contributed By
City of Sydney Archives
[029\029888]
(SRC3472)

Early Leyland double-deck omnibus 1929

full record »
By
Ted Hood
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[hood_00964]

George Street showing Royal Hotel c1905

full record »
By
John Henry Harvey
Image courtesy of the
State Library of Victoria
[Image H91.300/311]

Horse buses outside the old Sydney Railway Station, corner of Devonshire and George streets 1895

full record »
Contributed By
State Archives & Records New South Wales
[842/36NID]

Horse-drawn omnibus, Circular Quay c1900

full record »
Contributed By
National Archives of Australia
[C4078, N7373]

Horsedrawn omnibuses, corner Parramatta Road and Bay Street with Sydney University on the skyline c1870

full record »
By
American & Australasian Photographic Company
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[a2825373 / ON 4 Box 74 No 279]
(Mitchell Library)

New double-decker motor bus, Sydney c1934

full record »
By
Sam Hood
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[hood_04650 / Home and Away 4650]

New electric trolley-bus 1930s

full record »
By
Sam Hood
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[hood_06979 / Home and Away 6979]

North Sydney 1957

full record »
By
lindsaybridge
Contributed By
Flickr
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/intervene/3850965655]
CC BY 2.0

Peak hour traffic going east on Military Road, Cremorne January 1952

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[ON 388/Box 038/Item 007]
(Mitchell Library, courtesy ACP Magazines Ltd.)

Peak hour, Kings Cross c1961

full record »
By
Jeff Carter
Contributed By
National Library of Australia
Jeff Carter
[nla.pic-vn3548997]

Pitt Street coach, Sydney 1892

full record »
By
Fred Hardie
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[a440023 / PXD 754, 23]

Pitt Street from Hunter Street looking north 1856

full record »
By
Samuel Thomas Gill
Contributed By
National Library of Australia
[nla.pic-an7536051]

Pitt Street from King Street looking south 1856

full record »
By
Samuel Thomas Gill
Contributed By
National Library of Australia
[nla.pic-an7537491]

Pitt Street, Sydney 1892-93

full record »
By
Fred Hardie
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[a440024 / PXD 754, 24]

Rail pay bus on trial run to Moss Vale 1937

full record »
By
Sam Hood
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[hood_15553 / Home and Away 15553]

The Belmore bus accident at the Cooks River Bridge, Canterbury during the late heavy rains and floods in Sydney June 1889

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[TN83]
(Australian Town and Country Journal, 8 June 1889, p27)

Traffic in George Street after buses replaced trams 1962

full record »
Contributed By
State Archives & Records New South Wales
[17420_a014_a0140001211]

Road transport