MMA & Ansett buses

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Herbert
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MMA & Ansett buses

Post by Herbert »

With the backing of chocolate millionaire MacPherson Miller, pilot Horrie Miller established MacRobertson Miller Airlines in the late 1920s. By mid 1963 it had been incorporated into Ansett Airlines & and adopted the Ansett livery.

Here's a look back to the 1970s at former MMA & Ansett buses. Two Ford D300s:

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A former MMA Bedford / Ansair with Karratha Taxi Service:

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Another former MMA Bedford / Ansair, presumably at Kewdale Freight Terminal:

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Rare beasts were Norlings; this ex-MMA unit appears to be wearing the Sunbury livery, though it is suggested that it never operated for them:

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I'm unsure of the make of this Ansair-bodied unit photographed at Paraburdoo - It may even be the Norling in the above photo. Can anyone help clarify?

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In St Georges Tce, Perth, is this Ford R192 / Ansair:

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Look, not a security guard in sight! Another Ford R192 / Ansair basks in sunshine at Perth Airport:

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system improver
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Re: MMA & Ansett buses

Post by system improver »

Thanks for posting this interesting selection, with a bit of a mystery.

The 4th photo certainly looks like the Sunbury livery, but I can't remember this vehicle operating for them. Mr Treweek sold the company to the current owners, Donric (Don McKenzie and Richard Baird), in 1980 and this livery was then developed. There would have been no need for a bus with a luggage compartment on their routes, but then again, stranger things have happened. My records show that it was new to MMA with body date 10/77 on a Norling-Inter chassis/engine. This chassis type was indeed rare. There was one other Norling-Inter bodied by Ansair 6/79 for Hussey's Roadlines of Deniliquin which later ended up in Queensland. It appears that W & H Norling Engineering was operated by Bill Norling in Dandenong Rd, North Clayton from 1952 until 1995.

My guess (like yours) is that the bus in the fifth photo is the same bus as in the fourth, but in earlier days. Maybe Colin can recall where he photographed it in the "Sunbury like" livery with later style WA plates, maybe on its way to Melbourne!


I have an interesting family story about Sir Macpherson Robertson. My mum was in the first intake of girls to MacRobertson Girls High in 1935, a state school for girls partly funded by Sir Macpherson Robertson. On leaving school, her first job was in the office section at the MacRoberston chocolate factory in Abbotsford. Soon after starting as a 16 year old, she was doing some filing and, in her words, " this old bloke in a starched white coat" brushed up behind her. She gave him a nasty look and when he has gone, asked one of the other secretaries who the old bloke was. She was told that it was Sir Macpherson Robertson, and that his actions were "a little habit of his". Mum soon decided to move to another job.
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panther998
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Re: MMA & Ansett buses

Post by panther998 »

system improver wrote:Thanks for posting this interesting selection, with a bit of a mystery.

The 4th photo certainly looks like the Sunbury livery, but I can't remember this vehicle operating for them. Mr Treweek sold the company to the current owners, Donric (Don McKenzie and Richard Baird), in 1980 and this livery was then developed. There would have been no need for a bus with a luggage compartment on their routes, but then again, stranger things have happened. My records show that it was new to MMA with body date 10/77 on a Norling-Inter chassis/engine. This chassis type was indeed rare. There was one other Norling-Inter bodied by Ansair 6/79 for Hussey's Roadlines of Deniliquin which later ended up in Queensland. It appears that W & H Norling Engineering was operated by Bill Norling in Dandenong Rd, North Clayton from 1952 until 1995.

My guess (like yours) is that the bus in the fifth photo is the same bus as in the fourth, but in earlier days. Maybe Colin can recall where he photographed it in the "Sunbury like" livery with later style WA plates, maybe on its way to Melbourne!
As a former Ansett-ANA employee, I can't help noticing that all except the Norling are (were) sporting the white, orange and dark brown 'ANSETT Airlines of Australia ' livery that was gradually introduced from November 1968.

When I photographed the freshly painted Inter-Norling (pic 4) on 19 Dec 1979 in Henderson Av (then a cul-de-sac) in Redcliffe, it was wearing the fairly short-lived white with orange, black and gold bands / stripes livery which came into vogue for Ansett Airlines ground vehicles (but NOT aircraft) around 1976-77. At least 2 Perth based Fords also sported this 'colour scheme', which, from memory, evolved from publicity material issued to mark Ansett's 40th Anniversary [1936-1976] and only lasted about 4 years. See http://perthbus.info/report.php?vid=6BJ200 for 1979 views of one of the Fords [6BJ200] in the same livery (with signwriting), which was subsequently copied / adopted by Sunbury Bus Lines in Victoria during the early 1980s.

The gilt edged orange and black stripes scheme was quite rapidly ousted by the horrifically bland / dull / uninspiring white with navy blue Ansett. letters (note the distinguishing full stop) introduced from 13 April 1981, after this (once great) airline / company had completely passed out of founder Sir Reg's long-standing, albeit mostly tenuous, control. This 'non-livery' WAS accompanied by a complex 'multi-colour stripes plus white stars' emblem on aircraft tails, but these embellishments were conspicuously absent from the airline's buses and other ground based plant.

Interestingly, MMA (aka Mickey Mouse Airlines in some circles) was renamed Airlines of Western Australia some 3 months later (01 July 1981) and the aircraft were gradually repainted into a livery of white with red over green bands along the windows 'cheat-line', capped by a 'stylised' rendition of WA's state floral emblem, the red and green Kangaroo Paw, on the empennage. The affected aircraft, mostly Fokker F28s, looked exceptionally nice, imho, equal to the earlier (1960s) very attractive MMA scheme that featured white with 2 shades of blue and MMA in 'rounded' red letters. Sadly, I have never seen any colour images of any 'airport' buses in either of these great liveries (hint, hint).

As for the so-called Norling Airporter coach, I doubt that the badge which this vehicle displayed on its front grille back in 1979 (largely obscured by the bull-bar, incidentally) actually / truly related to its chassis make, per se. Since seeing and photographing this vehicle over 30 years ago, my sporadic research has unearthed NIL confirmation that any such chassis maker ever existed, in Australia or elsewhere. From the best of the very scant references (written or electronic) I've found over the years, I concur with system improver's observations. I suspect that the chassis of this bus had been modified somehow / somewhat from its original maker's spec by the firm W & H Norling Engineering, based in Dandenong Rd, North Clayton, Victoria, between 1952 and 1995 - (Ref : http://rotarnet.com.au/users/9/98110/Vocational1.htm). To me, it appears that Norling was merely a chassis modifier, NOT a chassis maker.

Imhv, 6DE895 was probably based on an International chassis, or major components thereof. I readily confess my ignorance about the precise nature of how Norling Engineering (presuming that firm was the one involved in this instance) modified the airport coach shown - but I can't help thinking it might have been along the lines of altering / strengthening the suspension and/or encapsulating / modifying the engine, to contend with roads afflicted by seasonal conditions (eg, corrugations / ruts in the dry, miring mud in the wet). Or installation of the roof mounted 'heavy duty' air-conditioner. Or all of these plus maybe items I can't think of .. .. :(

Some years ago while still working for Transperth, I showed my pic of 6DE895 to a colleague who had worked for MMA in the late 1970s. He remembered it as having been stationed at one of the airfields in WA's North West, but I can't recall if he mentioned Paraburdoo or any specific timeframe.

To me, it seems reasonable to conjecture (but not conclude, acknowledging that ATDB Admin prefers us to express proven / provable facts and quite rightly frowns on rumour and spurious statements) that the Airport coach shown at Paraburdoo in pic 5 could be the same vehicle in its 'as built' condition and bearing the earlier livery and rego. It is possible (only just, some might say) that a relatively new vehicle based in remote WA would be sent to the other side of Australia to be upgraded / modified in certain ways to render it 'better fit for purpose' and return (via Perth) repainted and reregistered. Or maybe Norling Engineering sent staff from Dandenong over to Perth to carry out the mods ??

Then again, Ansett mostly used Ford chassis for this work (airline pax transfers), sourced through its Victorian dealership in that brand. Which begs the question, why would the airline buy an International based bus for a particular application? Well – maybe because Ford only produced medium duty bus chassis that were unsuited to the more arduous tasks faced in outback WA / Australia. And Sir Reg was renowned for being 'pro-American' (and somewhat anti-UK / Europe – no Leylands or Volvos, etc, for him!) when it came to purchases of aircraft and vehicles for his very successful fleets. But exceptions were made, where necessary to ensure 'horses for courses', as evidenced by the short Bedford in pix 2 and 3 (presumably a VAS1) bearing the same basic body style as the Inter-Norling, but with larger windows.

Herbert, another interesting and intriguing batch of images depicting an oft-overlooked facet of bus history. Thanks to the original photographers and yourself for taking / posting them. Sorry if my (VERY lengthy) comments have failed to help clarify the queries .. .. or raised still more questions / debate / argument, etc. Then again, refer to my very first words above ..... and perhaps gain a sense of a topic that is just a little 'close to my heart', in a manner of speaking.
Last edited by panther998 on Tue Aug 19, 2014 5:55 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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adx666
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Re: MMA & Ansett buses

Post by adx666 »

Dont apologise Panther998, knowledge is a wonderful thing and I (and I'm sure many others) love to read your informative reply's.

No need to be sorry about knowing what you are talking about either!
Sad sad days with seas and seas of silver sh!t :evil:
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panther998
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Re: MMA & Ansett buses

Post by panther998 »

Thank you for your kind comments, UQB003 - I very much appreciate the feedback !
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Industry
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Re: MMA & Ansett buses

Post by Industry »

Do you happen to have anymore photos on these interesting buses and Australia's history you could post
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mrobsessed
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Re: MMA & Ansett buses

Post by mrobsessed »

I reckon (and have absolutely NO evidence to back it up) that a mod to an International chassis of that age would be extending the chassis to facilitate a forward entrance. This mod still happens today with Hino FD chassis.
chassisman
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Re: MMA & Ansett buses

Post by chassisman »

Hi there,
FYI, Norling Engineering in Clayton Vic constructed 3 bus chassis' in the 1970's,2 for Husseys Bus Lines in Deniliquin NSW & one for Ansair who built the body on it.
The 2 for Hussey's were both built from the ground up,one powered by a Dodge V8 petrol engine & the other an Inter V8.
The 3rd unit which was delivered to MMA was powered by a Leyland 401(?) diesel.

If anyone would like more info on these units please contact me.
system improver wrote:Thanks for posting this interesting selection, with a bit of a mystery.

The 4th photo certainly looks like the Sunbury livery, but I can't remember this vehicle operating for them. Mr Treweek sold the company to the current owners, Donric (Don McKenzie and Richard Baird), in 1980 and this livery was then developed. There would have been no need for a bus with a luggage compartment on their routes, but then again, stranger things have happened. My records show that it was new to MMA with body date 10/77 on a Norling-Inter chassis/engine. This chassis type was indeed rare. There was one other Norling-Inter bodied by Ansair 6/79 for Hussey's Roadlines of Deniliquin which later ended up in Queensland. It appears that W & H Norling Engineering was operated by Bill Norling in Dandenong Rd, North Clayton from 1952 until 1995.

My guess (like yours) is that the bus in the fifth photo is the same bus as in the fourth, but in earlier days. Maybe Colin can recall where he photographed it in the "Sunbury like" livery with later style WA plates, maybe on its way to Melbourne!


I have an interesting family story about Sir Macpherson Robertson. My mum was in the first intake of girls to MacRobertson Girls High in 1935, a state school for girls partly funded by Sir Macpherson Robertson. On leaving school, her first job was in the office section at the MacRoberston chocolate factory in Abbotsford. Soon after starting as a 16 year old, she was doing some filing and, in her words, " this old bloke in a starched white coat" brushed up behind her. She gave him a nasty look and when he has gone, asked one of the other secretaries who the old bloke was. She was told that it was Sir Macpherson Robertson, and that his actions were "a little habit of his". Mum soon decided to move to another job.
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