by scuba » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:12 am
The coach outside the Brisbane office is either fleet no: 10 or 11. These units were built on AEC Regal Chassis by New England Motor Company in their Garage in South Lismore as were most of the company's vehicles from the late 1940's through to the mid 1950's. These two vehicles were unique in that they were thought to be the first two coaches in Australia to have underfloor bins and no rear boot, which is why this one appears higher than most other buses from that era. As is visible in the photo, the paintwork looks a little faded and the vehicle is fitted with a driver's door. It is painted in the "brown, green and cream' livery the company employed throughout the late '40's and '50's. A photo I found on a NSW state Library Website, which had been taken in 1961 shows this bus, or it's twin repainted in the "all green" livery (the compant's last), with sloping trims over the windows (to make them look more modern!), and the driver's door having been sealed up. New England built their own bodies from the late '40's through to the mid '50's. Their first post WW2 fleet (the company was founded in 1907) were built by Starr Brothers in Sydney and from the late '50's were manufactured by Athol Hedges of Northgate (Brisbane). New England never had Watt Brothers vehicles in it's fleet. Like Flopsy, I am also a son of Allan McNaughton. I spoke to my father about writing a history of the bus company and of the airline (New England Aiways, later Airlines of Australia) which was also owned by the company in the 1930's, shortly before his death in 2005, however, the project was shelved after he died. This renewed interest in the company has given me the impetus to revisit the project, as, I feel, this important "missing link" in Australia's road and air transport industries should be documented while there are still some of those around who can provide photos, anecdotes, etc. I would be pleased to hear from any any surviving ex-staff members or their descendants who wish to contact me.