The Donric Group is an Australian owner of bus and coach companies in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

and

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. The group comprises 5 companies with over 250 vehicles and 300 staff.

History

The Donric Group was formed in March 1980 when Don McKenzie and Richard Baird purchased eight school buses from WJ Treweek to form the

Sunbury Bus Service Sunbury Bus Service is a bus operator in Melbourne, Australia. It operates seven routes under contract to Public Transport Victoria. It is a subsidiary of the Donric Group. History Sunbury Bus Service was formed by Richard Baird and Don McKenzi ...

. In 1989 Coach Tours of Australia was established as a coach charter company. In March 1989 Sweet's,

Bacchus Marsh Bacchus Marsh (Wathawurrung: ''Pullerbopulloke'') is an urban centre and suburban locality in Victoria, Australia located approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne and west of Melton, Victoria, Melton at a near equidistance to th ...

was purchased and renamed Bacchus Marsh Coaches. In 1994 Swanlink Coachlines,

Swan Hill Swan Hill is a city in the northwest of Victoria, Australia on the Murray Valley Highway and on the south bank of the Murray River, downstream from the junction of the Loddon River. At , Swan Hill had a population of 11,508. Indigenous Peopl ...

was acquired with two

V/Line V/Line is a statutory authority that operates regional passenger train and coach services in Victoria, Australia. It provides passenger train services on five commuter lines and eight long-distance routes from its major hub at Southern Cross ...

contracts. It was sold in November 2007 to the Pickering Group, owners of

BusBiz BusBiz is an Australian bus company operating in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. History The origins of BusBiz can be traced back to 1954 when Lake Boga Transport was formed to transport fruit from the Lake Boga area to Melbourne. ...

. In 2000 Thege Coach Charter,

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

was purchased and renamed Gold Bus Ballarat. In 2001 Begonia City Coaches, Ballarat was acquired and incorporated into Gold Bus Ballarat. In October 2007 Organ's Bus Service,

Kyneton Kyneton ( ) is a town in the Shire of Macedon Ranges, Macedon Ranges region of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The Calder Highway, Calder Freeway bypasses Kyneton to the north and east. Kyneton is on Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and W ...

was purchased. In June 2010,

Trans North Bus & Coach Trans North Bus & Coach is an Australian bus company operating services in North Queensland History Trans North Bus & Coach was founded in 1983 as one school bus run from Forrest Beach to Ingham. It expanded with the acquisition of the Forre ...

North Queensland North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the Australian state of Queensland that lies just south of Far North Queensland. Queensland is a massive state, larger than many countries, and its tropical northern part has been ...

was purchased. In July 2010, Coopers Bus Service of Mirani and G&JE O'Neill of Finch Hatten were purchased, followed in October 2010 by Hasties Bus Service of Innisfail, and in January 2011 Henderson's of

Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire council area and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With a population ...

. All have been brought under the Trans North Bus & Coach brand.Trans North Bus & Coach
Australian Bus Fleet Lists In September 2019, Bacchus Marsh Coaches and Gold Bus Ballarat were sold to Christians Bus Co. Don McKenzie sold his interests in the remaining Donric Group businesses to Richard Baird, who took 100% ownership of the Donric Group.

Companies

Companies which have been acquired by the Donric Group include: *Sweet's,

*Begonia City Coaches,

*Thege Coach Charter, Ballarat *Organ's Bus Service,

*Sovereign City Coaches, Ballarat *Tantau, Ballarat *Jones, Ballarat *

, Ingham *Cooper's Bus Service, Mirani *O'Neill, Finch Hatten *Hasties Bus Service, Innisfail *Hendo's Bus Service,

Companies currently operated by the Donric Group include: *Sunbury Coaches *Coach Tours of Australia *Organ's Coaches *

*Bowen Transit

Depots

Romsey Romsey ( ) is a historic market town in the county of Hampshire, England. Romsey was home to the 17th-century philosopher and economist William Petty and the 19th-century British prime minister, Lord Palmerston, whose statue has stood in the t ...

, Sunbury, Riddells Creek, Gisborne *Organ's Bus Service, Gisborne,

*Trans North Bus & Coach: Atherton,

Bowen Bowen may refer to: Places Australia * Bowen, Queensland, a town * Bowen Hills, Queensland, a suburb ** Bowen Hills railway station, a railway station in Bowen Hills ** Bowen Park, Brisbane, a park in Bowen Hills * Bowen Bridge, crossing the Derw ...

Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...

, Ingham, Innisfail, Mirani, Mission Beach,

Ravenshoe Ravenshoe ( ) is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Ravenshoe had a population of 1,400 people. Geography Ravenshoe is on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland. It is located south w ...

Fleet

As at March 2020 the Donric Group operated 267 buses and coaches.Donric Group
Australian Bus Fleet Lists

References

{{Reflist Bus companies of Queensland Bus companies of Victoria (Australia) Australian companies established in 1980 Transport companies established in 1980

History

Companies

Depots

Fleet

See also

References