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Crowthers is a family-owned bus company that operates charter coach services, and until the end of 2008, operated local bus services in the southern suburbs of Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia
.
In 1966, a new timetable saw the introduction of Route 66. This route ran from Cronulla to Caringbah via Burraneer Bay Road and had a regular service seven days a week. By this time, Route 65 and 66 both had regular services. Crowthers had some minor services with an irregular schedule.
It was realised in 1971 that there were two patronage centres in the area, one being Sutherland Hospital
and the other what is currently known as Westfield Miranda
. After this realisation a new timetable was introduced, including half-hour services from Caringbah to Miranda via the hospital.
In 1998, Paul and Barry Crowther had purchased the company from their family, and a year later purchased Kurnell Buslines.
2000 saw a huge achievement for Crowthers as they had managed a fleet of 126 buses and over 200 drivers for the sponsors of the Sydney Olympics.
In 2008, Veolia Transport NSW
purchased the route bus operations of Crowthers, including their local buses. Services were taken over by Veolia on 1 January 2009.
The BusLink name was introduced in 1990 following the Passenger Transport Act of 1990 which caused routes to be renumbered throughout Sydney. At the time there were two companies running services to and from Kurnell, one being Crowthers and the other Nicholson's Cronulla; due to the Transport Act this made the two companies cooperate to run the timetable together and ultimately merge as one into BusLink.
Routes were operated daily from Cronulla
or Kurnell
to Westfield Miranda
via Caringbah railway station, North Caringbah
and North Cronulla, or via Caringbah Station and Burraneer Bay Road and Cronulla Sharks Leagues Club. BusLink services from Cronulla to Miranda benefited shoppers who travelled to Miranda Fair, commuters who needed to get to a train service to work, and school children from Cronulla High School, Woolooware High School
, Caringbah High School
, De La Salle, Our Lady of Fatima Caringbah, Buraneer Bay Public School and Port Hacking High School.
In 2007, their fleet of buses underwent a change of livery.
In addition to this, Crowthers operated a Sutherland Shire Council-initiative called the Shire Shuttle. This late-night/early morning service provided free transport from major pubs and clubs in the Shire to bus stops along the plotted route. Crowthers also ran a service called Sharks Shuttle which provided a free service to Toyota Park from Heathcote, Engadine, Cronulla Station and Woolooware Station during Cronulla Sharks
home games.
BusLink and Caringbah Bus Service
worked in conjunction to run the Sunday 985 route.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
History of service
In the early 1900s, S. Crowthers and Sons Pty Ltd had established a small bus service in the Wollongong area and eventually expanding further south to Dapto. From 1952, Crowthers began operations in Sydney by taking over Route 65 from bus company Ryder and Moore. This route ran between Cronulla railway station and South Cronulla. Route 65 was renumbered in 1992 to what is now known as the 985.In 1966, a new timetable saw the introduction of Route 66. This route ran from Cronulla to Caringbah via Burraneer Bay Road and had a regular service seven days a week. By this time, Route 65 and 66 both had regular services. Crowthers had some minor services with an irregular schedule.
It was realised in 1971 that there were two patronage centres in the area, one being Sutherland Hospital
Sutherland Hospital
Sutherland Hospital is part of the South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service and is located in Caringbah, a southern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The hospital has a general medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, aged care, rehabilitation...
and the other what is currently known as Westfield Miranda
Westfield Miranda
Westfield Miranda , owned and managed by the Westfield Group, is a large shopping centre in the suburb of Miranda in the Local Government Area of Sutherland Shire in southern Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:Miranda Fair was originally opened in 1964 and was purchased by...
. After this realisation a new timetable was introduced, including half-hour services from Caringbah to Miranda via the hospital.
In 1998, Paul and Barry Crowther had purchased the company from their family, and a year later purchased Kurnell Buslines.
2000 saw a huge achievement for Crowthers as they had managed a fleet of 126 buses and over 200 drivers for the sponsors of the Sydney Olympics.
In 2008, Veolia Transport NSW
Veolia Transport NSW
Veolia Transport NSW is a division of the global Veolia company that operates the Metro Light Rail, the Metro Monorail and commuter bus services in the southern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.-Metro Transport:...
purchased the route bus operations of Crowthers, including their local buses. Services were taken over by Veolia on 1 January 2009.
BusLink
Routes were operated daily from Cronulla
Cronulla, New South Wales
Cronulla is a beachside suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cronulla is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Sutherland Shire....
or Kurnell
Kurnell, New South Wales
Kurnell is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kurnell is located south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire....
to Westfield Miranda
Westfield Miranda
Westfield Miranda , owned and managed by the Westfield Group, is a large shopping centre in the suburb of Miranda in the Local Government Area of Sutherland Shire in southern Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:Miranda Fair was originally opened in 1964 and was purchased by...
via Caringbah railway station, North Caringbah
Caringbah, New South Wales
Caringbah is a suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Caringbah is located 24 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Sutherland Shire...
and North Cronulla, or via Caringbah Station and Burraneer Bay Road and Cronulla Sharks Leagues Club. BusLink services from Cronulla to Miranda benefited shoppers who travelled to Miranda Fair, commuters who needed to get to a train service to work, and school children from Cronulla High School, Woolooware High School
Woolooware High School
Woolooware High is a comprehensive secondary school in the Sutherland Shire, Sydney, Australia. It prides itself on a high level of academic excellence, uniform and community relations. However, the school may be best known for their participation in performing arts, in particular the band, which...
, Caringbah High School
Caringbah High School
Caringbah High School is located on Willarong Road North in the suburb of Caringbah, in the Sutherland Shire, Sydney. It is one of ten academically selective, public and co-educational high schools in New South Wales....
, De La Salle, Our Lady of Fatima Caringbah, Buraneer Bay Public School and Port Hacking High School.
In 2007, their fleet of buses underwent a change of livery.
Previous routes
| Route | Start | Via | End |
| 984 | Cronulla Cronulla, New South Wales Cronulla is a beachside suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cronulla is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Sutherland Shire.... |
North Caringbah Caringbah, New South Wales Caringbah is a suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Caringbah is located 24 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Sutherland Shire... |
Miranda Miranda, New South Wales Miranda is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Miranda is located 24 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the Sutherland Shire.... |
| 985 | Cronulla | South Cronulla | Miranda |
| 987 | Miranda | Cronulla | Kurnell Kurnell, New South Wales Kurnell is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kurnell is located south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire.... |
In addition to this, Crowthers operated a Sutherland Shire Council-initiative called the Shire Shuttle. This late-night/early morning service provided free transport from major pubs and clubs in the Shire to bus stops along the plotted route. Crowthers also ran a service called Sharks Shuttle which provided a free service to Toyota Park from Heathcote, Engadine, Cronulla Station and Woolooware Station during Cronulla Sharks
Cronulla Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales...
home games.
BusLink and Caringbah Bus Service
Caringbah Bus Service
Caringbah Bus Service is a company that operated route bus services in the southern suburbs of Sydney, Australia until 30 September 2011.Caringbah Bus Service operated daily services from Miranda to Port Hacking, Dolans Bay and Lilli Pilli via Caringbah railway station, and school services in the...
worked in conjunction to run the Sunday 985 route.