Premier Transport Group is an Australian operator of bus and coach services in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

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 , establishe ...

. Its origins can be traced back to December 1987 when John King purchased Nowra Coaches. It has since expanded through a number of acquisitions.

Premier Shoalhaven

In December 1987, John King purchased

Nowra Nowra is a city in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located south-southwest of the state capital of Sydney (about as the crow flies). As of the 2021 census, Nowra has an estimated population of 22,584. Situated in t ...

Coaches from Bill Gill. Nowra Coaches expanded in August 1988 when the school bus services of Sampson Tours were acquired. An all blue livery was adopted. Following the purchase of Pioneer Motor Service, the turquoise and white livery of the express operator was adopted in the 2000s and the operation rebranded Premier Shoalhaven. In July 2013, Premier Shoalhaven commenced operating a service between Moss Vale station and

Goulburn Goulburn ( ) is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of the Australian state of New South Wales, approximately south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed as Australia's first inland city through letters pate ...

under contract to

NSW TrainLink NSW TrainLink is a train and coach operator in Australia, providing services throughout New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, along with limited interstate services into Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Queensland and South Austral ...

. It also operates late night services between

Bomaderry Bomaderry (locally known as "Bommo") is a town in the Shoalhaven council district area of New South Wales, Australia. At the , it had a population of 8,718 people. It is on the north shore of the Shoalhaven River, across the river from Nowra, ...

and

Kiama Kiama () is a coastal town 120 kilometres south of Sydney in the Illawarra. One of the main tourist attractions is the Kiama Blowhole. Kiama features several popular surfing beaches and caravan parks, and numerous alfresco cafes and restaurants ...

for NSW TrainLink. Local bus services operated in Nowra still under th
Nowra Coaches
name: *101: Nowra to Wollongong University Shoalhaven Campus *102: Nowra to Basin View *103: Nowra to

Hyams Beach Hyams Beach is a seaside village in the City of Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia, on the shores of Jervis Bay. At the , it had a population of 112. The village, 180 km south of Sydney, is bordered by two beaches, Chinaman's Beach to th ...

Premier Motor Service

Pioneer Motor Service commenced operating in August 1929 when Cecil Haigh commenced operating a service from Bomaderry station (Nowra) to Bega via

Tilba Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba are two villages near the Princes Highway in Eurobodalla Shire, New South Wales, Australia. At the , Central Tilba and surrounding areas had a population of 288 (Tilba Tilba had 95). History The area was origina ...

, Bermagui,

Cobargo Cobargo is a village in the south-east area of the state of New South Wales in Australia in Bega Valley Shire. At the , Cobargo had a population of 776 people. It is 386 km south of Sydney on the Princes Highway between Narooma and Bega. T ...

and

Quaama Quaama is a village in the Bega Valley Shire, in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The village is located along the Princes Highway between Cobargo and Brogo, 30 km north of the town of Bega. It had a resident populati ...

. In 1946 the Bega to Eden service was purchase from Edwards Bus Service. Towns north of Tilba were served by Bartletts Bus Service and Harrisons Motor Service.About Us
Nowra Coaches In 1962, Pioneer Motor Service purchased Bartletts Bus Service from John A Gilbert resulting in Pioneer Motor Service covering the whole of the

South Coast South Coast is a name often given to coastal areas to the south of a geographical region or major metropolitan area. Geographical Australia *South Coast (New South Wales), the coast of New South Wales, Australia, south of Sydney * South Coast (Q ...

between Nowra and Eden. Harrisons continued to operate the night service until it ceased operating the service in the 1970s. Pioneer Motor Service commenced picking up on the night service also, becoming the sole long distance operator on the South Coast. Following deregulation in the 1990s, Pioneer Motor Service extended its services north to

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

. In May 1995, the Haigh family sold the business to John King with the depot relocated to the Nowra Coaches facility. In June 1996, the Sydney to

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

services of Kirkland's Bros were acquired followed in August 1996 by the Sydney to Brisbane services of Lindsay's Coaches. Both of these were rebranded as Pioneer Motor Service. In 1997 Greyhound Pioneer Australia took legal action to prevent the Pioneer Motor Service name being used on the services north of Sydney. This action was successful and the operation was rebranded as Premier Motor Service. In November 1998, services were extended from Eden to

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

This extension ceased on 12 December 2014. After a takeover bid for Greyhound Pioneer Australia was unsuccessful, Premier Motor Service commenced a Brisbane to

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 ...

service in August 2000. In August 2008, the Lismore to Brisbane services of Kirkland Bros were acquired.Kings Kirklands Takeover Opens Routes
Australasian Bus & Coach 6 March 2008

Premier Illawarra

On 14 June 2001, John King purchased the two largest operators in

Wollongong Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near w ...

, John J Hill and Rutty's Bus Service with 125 buses, and rebranded both as Premier Illawarra. Since 2008, Premier Illawarra's routes have formed Sydney Outer Metropolitan Bus Region 10 in Wollongong's southern suburbs. It operates depots in

Shellharbour Shellharbour (also known as Shellharbour Village) is a suburb located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It also gives its name to the local government area, City of Shellharbour, and its central business district, Shell ...

and

Unanderra Unanderra ( ) is a suburb of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 6 km south-west of the Wollongong CBD. It is bordered to the west by Farmborough, Cordeaux Heights and Farmborough Heights in the Mount Kembla ...

Surf City

In July 2007, the Surf City coach operation on the Gold Coast was purchased.

Premier Queensland

In 2012, Premier Transport Group purchased the business of Busit Queensland with depots in Mackay and

Moranbah Moranbah is a coal mining town and locality in the Isaac Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Moranbah had a population of 8,735 people. In addition to the permanent population, Moranbah also has a large fly-in fly-out popul ...

. It operates school services and contracts for

Central Queensland Central Queensland is an ambiguous geographical division of Queensland ( a state in Australia) that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton. The region extends from the Capricorn Coas ...

mines including for the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance.

Premier Charters

On 2 February 2015, the business of

Green's Northern Coaches Green's Northern Coaches was an Australian bus company operating services in Wollongong. History In August 1973, Rod Green purchased route 2 Wollongong - Stanwell Park from Hill's Bus Service with six buses.

, Thirroul was purchased with 18 buses and rebranded as Premier Charters. It operates two routes as part of Sydney Outer Metropolitan Bus Region 9 in Wollongong's northern suburbs. *2:

Stanwell Park Stanwell Park is a coastal village and northern suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It is the northernmost point of the Illawarra coastal strip and lies south of Sydney's Royal National Park. It is situated in a small valley betw ...

*15: Helensburgh station -

Coalcliff Coalcliff is a town on the coast of New South Wales, Australia, between Sydney and Wollongong. History In 1796 William Clark and others trekking north to Port Jackson from the wrecked ship '' Sydney Cove'' noticed coal exposed at the cli ...

Hopkinsons

On 1 March 2015, a 50% shareholding in

Western Sydney Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

charter operator

Hopkinsons Hopkinsons is an Australian bus company in Western Sydney. Until October 2013 it operated route services until these passed to Transit Systems. It continues to trade as a charter operator. History Hopkinsons' origins can be traced to 1923 wh ...

was purchased. The other 50% was acquired by Gerard King of Kiama Coaches.About
Kiama Coaches

Kiama Coaches

At the time Hopkinsons was acquired, Kiama Coaches also became part of the Premier Transport Group.

Stonestreets Coaches

In August 2019,

Stonestreets Coaches Stonestreets Coaches is an Australian bus company operating services in the Dalby, Gladstone, Ipswich and Toowoomba regions in Queensland. Initially a route and school bus operator, it has diversified into providing transport for energy and ...

were taken over.NSW Premier Transport buys QLD Stonestreets bus business
Australasian Bus & Coach 21 August 2019

External links

Company websiteBus Australia gallery

References

{{Regional NSW public transport Bus companies of Australia Bus companies of New South Wales Bus transport in Queensland Australian companies established in 1987 Transport companies established in 1987