Palmers Overland (Interstate) Tours

[system improver]

From the BCSV archives, here are some photographs of George Palmer's Melbourne - Sydney - Brisbane service circa 1950. I have seen it referred to as both Palmer's Overland Tours and Palmer's Interstate Tours.

First, a Symons & Fowler Chevrolet with NSW rego MO 3742

Second, in times when it used to rain, a Symons & Fowler International with rego KW 666, looks like it's Victorian, but I have no record of it.

And finally, an unregistered MBA White, looks like prior to delivery.


Any further information on the vehicles or the service would be welcomed.

[Centralian]

Love that last vehicle. Thanks for posting those. I'm sure none of the Palmer's - Wyong, Blacktown or this one, were related, but you never know.

[leopard1543]

Interesting photos. Yes that last one is certainly a nice looking vehicle
The first 1 looks very English for a Chev.

[HSV1955]

Hi nice pictures, that I am proud to say are of my grandfathers buses,he started the first bus line between Melb, Syd & Bis.
My Grandfathers full name was George Frederick Thomas Palmer.

Regards D E Palmer
0408 399 927

[Looselion]

Yes, according to my records the regular scheduled service operated under the name "Palmer's Interstate Express Passenger Service" and commenced in July 1947. The service was operated as a two-day daylight journey between each capital city, Mel - Syd / Syd - Bne. I have no information about frequency of the service or where the overnight stops were taken. Maybe the grandson has more on this, and I'd be grateful for any further input he may be able to make.

There's no doubt that George Palmer was a trailblazer and his story's of great interest to me in view of my father's emulation of his passenger transport business model a few years later. Reg Ansett's Pioneer Tours was there in the same marketplace of course, but Reg seemed not to catch on to the symmetry of intercapital distances that made ideally for the two -day service/tour itinerary. Pioneer Tours almost exclusively adhered to the minimum three day journeys between these same cities.

[GM]

The third vehicle has an MBA body chassis unknown. GM

[Looselion]

I've been fortunate enough to get in touch with George Palmer's grandson David, who posted some information here a little earlier. He has kindly added some details which I'll relate here......

"Palmer's Interstate Express Passenger Service" started on 8th December 1945 (note the correction to the commencement date as I had originally posted) and stopped in 1950. George Palmer then started an overseas travel organisation named Oceanic Tours that later became Atlas World Tours. Prior to the "Palmer's Interstate Express Passenger Service”, George owned the Yarraville local bus service that started in 1940.

David has advised that he will also provide pictures of three of his grandads Yarraville buses and one of the other buses from the "Palmer's Interstate Express Passenger Service."

He said "I am sure the BA forum thread will like," and I assured him the folks there certainly would!

I'll update as soon as I hear again from David.

[Looselion]

I received the photo below from David Palmer today, and another of three his granddad's Yarraville Bus Co vehicles, which I'd like to do a little restoration on before I post it.
The K5 International was a popular workhorse at this time. The side-loader body has a similarity to the C & B units built for Aussie Tours.

[system improver]

I received the photo below from David Palmer today, and another of three his granddad's Yarraville Bus Co vehicles, which I'd like to do a little restoration on before I post it.

I look forward to it. These will be the first buses to be used on that route, now operated by Sita.

The side-loader body has a similarity to the C & B units built for Aussie Tours.

It does, but it is a Symons and Fowler body.

I note that the Victorian number plates end in "666". The pictured bus would have been registered around April 1947.

[Looselion]

I'm not so fast on the image restoration stuff. More to do but I want to get this posted before we all retire.......
Looks like a K6 Inter and couple of Fords....
This would certainly be of interest to the folks at Sita ....

[GM]

Federal and two Chevrolets. GM

[system improver]

And with Grummet bodies, the middle one being the Austerity version. I reckon the colour scheme is two tone green with black band. This was the scheme of McConnell's Bus Lines (T L Calderwood) which was the operator of the route from 1965 to 1969. The original route number was the 101A, which began in 1940. We have George Palmer being the owner by 11/44 (maybe the original owner) but by 10/52, it had been sold to John Ormond Goller, who traded as Yarra-King buses. In 5/55, it was sold to A R McConnell who then sold it ( as above) in 1965. It was a three licence service throughout this period. Murray Coaches PL (not to be confused with Murray's Coaches of today) bought the service from McConnell's BL in 1969 and it was sold to Sita in 1975, by then the route was renumbered as the 430 (in 1971). There were route alterations about four years ago and it is now the 431.

Here is a Bruce Tilley pic of one of McConnell's BL buses taken in 1966, being the oldest in his fleet at the time and the only one in this livery. It is a Grummet bodied Reo from 1950 and it is quite possible that George Palmer was the original owner of it before the service was sold to Goller:


The rego plates of the three buses in Looselion's post above seem to be HP 579, FT 498 and FU 452. I doubt whether that last one would get past the VicRoads censors these days. That would place them to service in late 1945, early to mid 1943 and mid to late 1943 respectively.

This thread is also of relevance:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=39108&p=443526#p443526

[Laurie Daniel]

I was very pleased to come across Palmers Interstate express service in this forum. On 25th & 26th of March ,1947 I travelled from Stratford, Vic. to Sydney in JB666, the sideloader bus pictured. I have a better photo of this vehicle taken on the ferry at Batemans Bay being before a bridge was built there.
George Palmer received a lot of publicity in Gippsland during the early post-war years.He was determined to get the interstate passenger service going against strong government opposition. Railways were almost sacred then, in fact the Transport Regulation Board who issued transport licences was colloqually called the " railways protection board!" George Palmer was a persistant lobbyist. Initially he was only permitted to run between the railheads at Bairnsdale and the most southern coastal railhead in NSW. I don't remember where that was. In order to provide a reliable timetable and reach the overnigh stop at a reasonable hour he convinced Nsw authorities to allow him to run through to Sydney but had much more trouble convincing Victorian government.
When I travelled he was only licenced to run from Traralgon to Sydney. Frequent late trains effected his timetable so much that eventually hi licence was extended to Melbourne. Sydney was the terminus when I travelled. Obviously Brisbane came later.
In 1947 the Princes Highgway was bitumen from Melbourne to Brodribb River past Orbost ,then apart from some sealed roads in towns was grave or dirt surface to Batemans Bay.In many parts in East Gippsland and Southern NSW the road was only sigle lane. From memory the bus left Traralgon about 1PM and reached .Genoa Hotel for dinner about 7PM, then continued to overnight stop at Eden. After early breakfast next day trip continued reaching Sydney sbout 7PM. Consequently several hours of night travel was involved on the most primative parts of the road. The driver said he preferred thi as it was easier to see headlights coming through the bush at night than a car in daylight!. I just realised that JB666 was probably the first bus I ever saw with kangaroo bars fitted.
I will endeavour to download my photo. The bus looked much newer then.

Palmers bus. Traralgon to Sydney--1947.jpg (249.8 KiB) Viewed 1221 times

[Looselion]

Many thanks Laurie. Some very interesting history there......

[system improver]

Yes, thanks Laurie for the pic and that interesting bit of history. Can you recall the colour scheme?

[Laurie Daniel]

Glad my imformation was of interest. Body colour of the bus was cream. I can't be certain about the roof & top of bonnet but think it was black but may have been dark green.