Kefford Corporation
| Parent | ComfortDelGro Cabcharge |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1850 |
| Service area |
Ballarat Geelong Melbourne |
| Service type | Bus & coach operator |
| Depots |
Altona Ballarat Geelong Oakleigh Sunshine Werribee |
| Fleet | 377 (May 2013) |
| Website | www.kefford.com.au |
History
The Kefford Corporation was started in the early 1850s by Richard Papworth Kefford began operating horse drawn lorries in Collingwood. The business later began operating trucks until selling its remaining operations in 1976.[1]
In January 1976 Kefford Corporation entered the bus market with the purchase of Point Cook - Werribee Passenger Service, Werribee. In the 1980s a number of operations were purchased:[2]
- Davis Motor Service, Ballarat in December 1981[3]
- Bono Bus Lines, Maidstone in July 1987 with bus Route 406, operation rebranded as Westrans and operator from a new depot in Footscray. The Bono family continues to operate Firefly Express in Maidstone [4]
- Sinclair's Bus Service with routes 605 Melbourne City Centre - Elsternwick and 630 Elwood - Monash University in January 1988[5]
- Sitch Group in January 1988 with subsidiaries:[5]
- St Kilda Bus Service with route 606 Port Melbourne - St Kilda in May 1991 and rebranded Werribee Bus Lines[6]
- Benders Buslines, Geelong in March 1999[7][8]
In the 1990s, the Point Cook - Werribee, Bono and Sitch services were rebranded as Westrans, the former Sinclair services as Eastrans.
In February 2009 Kefford Corporation was purchased by ComfortDelGro Cabcharge.[9]
Fleet
As at May 2013 Kefford Corporation operated 377 buses.[10]
References
- ↑ Kefford Corporation Tiltaway
- ↑ Melbourne Metropolitan Bus Operators and Fleet Listings. Melbourne: Bus & Coach Society of Victoria. 1991. pp. 31–34.
- ↑ "Victorian Buses in the Eighties" Australian Bus Panorama 6/1 July 1990 page 13
- ↑ "Victorian Buses in the Eighties" Australian Bus Panorama 6/8 May 1991 page 14
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Victorian Buses in the Eighties" Australian Bus Panorama 7/1 August 1991 page 3
- ↑ "Kefford Group Fleets" Australian Bus Panorama 7/1 August 1991 page 35
- ↑ Major bus buys for Kefford & Hill Australasian Bus & Coach
- ↑ "Kefford Expands" Australian Bus Panorama 15/4 February 2000 page 22
- ↑ Kefford Group finds a buyer Australian Bus & Coach
- ↑ CDC Group Australian Bus Fleet Lists