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Melbourne Motor Omnibus Company

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The Melbourne Motor Omnibus Co came into existence in 1912. Originally it was to be floated as a public company with capital of £50,000 in £1 shares. The company was to be registered when 6,000 shares had been applied for.[1] The company was to be floated on the idea of introducing motor buses in Melbourne Australia.

In July 1912 it was reported that the Melbourne Omnibus Co Ltd was not floated rather it was changed to a private company[2], with the intention being to find the right vehicle to put into service to prove reliability and cost effectiveness. Mr H. Harrison was a driving force in getting the company up and running.[3]

It was decided that two vehicle makes were to be imported and from there they would be put to exhaustive tests under local conditions. The vehicles were to cost £1250 each and specification was to include an average speed of up to 18 miles per hour under full load.[4]

By the end of July 1912 the Melbourne Motor Omnibus Co Pty Ltd had ordered a Daimler CC Bus expected to arrive in Melbourne in the October.[5] The bus was to be imported as a complete vehicle, with the idea being that in future buses would be imported in cab chassis configuration with local Australian coach builders able to make the bus body following the example from the test vehicle.[6]

In November 1912 the Daimler CC bus arrived. Features of the bus included a Knight sleeve valve engine rated at 40 h.p. a gearing system of silent chain type which was the latest for the time and a worm type gear box. This was the same vehicle that the London County Council has just ordered 400 units of for extending their services around London.[7]

On Christmas Eve 1912 it was reported that the Daimler CC Double Decker bus "glided swiftly and silently along the city streets".[8] The bus at this stage was soon to be plying for hire between East Brunswick and Swanston Streets, Melbourne.[9]

In January 1913 it was reported that the Daimler Bus had been remarkably well patronised. In regard to the Daimler bus it was complimented for its "smooth running of the engine, noiseless gears, and the quiet and easy manner in which the load is taken up when starting".[10]

On Saturday July 25 it was reported that the Lord Mayor of Melbourne (Councillor Hennessy) and members of the City Council were treated to a bus ride to St Kilda and back on one of the Daimler buses that the Melbourne Omnibus Motor Co was about to put into service.[11]

Late February 1913 it was reported the first meeting of the Melbourne Motor Omnibus Co Pty Ltd was held. At this meeting shareholders were reported to have expressed their satisfaction with the arrival of the Daimler motor buses and the financial position of the company to date. The chairman of directors advised that another shipment of Daimler buses was due to leave London for Australia at the end of February. The company had drawn up contracts for the construction of the bodies locally. The design was to be based on the same as used on the Daimler bus bodies used in London.[12]

In May 2013 it was reported that based on the success of the Daimler buses the Melbourne Motor Omnibus Co Pty Ltd would be floated as a public company. The business had a number of routes and at this time had just opened a new line between St Kilda and East Brunswick.[13]

In July 1913 it was reported that Mr F. Massey Burnside who had been in Australia as a representative of the Daimler Company would be joining the Melbourne Motor Omnibus Company as their General Manager.[14]

On Monday 13 October 1913 in Melbourne's 'The Age Newspaper' there appeared an advertisement for the application of shares in the Melbourne Motor Omnibus Co Ltd. An extract from this advertisement is as follows: "The Melbourne Motor Omnibus Company Limited is the only registered company in Melbourne devoting itself to Motor Bus passenger transport exclusively, and has a number of buses actually running and earning revenue and a large number of buses arriving within the next three weeks. The chassis are of Daimler manufacture, and the buses are of the latest London type, silent, fast, comfortable and convenient. The bodies are built locally".[15]

The first directors of the public company were J.W.C Downs (Chairman), H.W. Harrison, R.W. Kennedy, F.T. Hickford, H.J. Carter. The secretary of the business was F. Leslie Bruford.[16]

In November 1913 it was documented that the Melbourne Motor Omnibus Co Ltd employs over 100 people. In regard to the imported Daimler bus fleet Australian contractors had at this time completed 18 bus bodies.[17] One of the main local contractors used for the coach building was Messrs. Jas. Flood and Co.[18]

January 1914 the newspapers advised that the Melbourne Motor Omnibus Co was considering implementing an all night bus service between the city and the principal suburbs.[19]

In March 1914 the Melbourne Motor Omnibus Co Ltd had its first half yearly meeting. The meeting was held at the Grand United Order of Oddfellows in Latrobe Street. The meeting was attended by 500 shareholders. At that meeting it was noted that the Melbourne City Council had granted some new routes although the company had "not obtained everything asked for". The Daimler bus was proving its superiority to other buses.[20] The business at this time had made a net profit for the first half year of working. Seven additional buses were due at the end of March, making a total fleet of 25 buses.

March 1914 also saw the inauguration of half hourly bus services on a Sunday between Melbourne and Prahan.[21] At this time routes also existed through the city to St Kilda, North Melbourne, Flemington Bridge, Brunswick, Doncaster and Heidelberg.[22] In June 1914 the business commenced a trial run of daily services to Kew.[23] In October 1914 Sunday morning routes were established from Fitzroy and Northcote to Melbourne.[24]

In July 1914 the Melbourne Motor Omnibus Co moved the garaging of all its buses to Tinning Street, Melbourne. At this time the business had 20 Daimler buses in service, two due to be put into service within a week, and three more by the end of the month, making 25 the total Daimler fleet.[25]

On 5 November 1914 it was documented that the Sunshine Motor Co. who were the national distributors of Daimler commercial vehicles had 22 Daimler bus and truck chassis sold but before they could set sail for Australia from England war was declared. Vehicles from the Daimler factory had been commandeered by the British Government and this would be so while the war was on.[26]

November 1914 also saw the first balance sheet of the company circulated to shareholders. The directors report was signed by Mr J.W.C. Downs, the chairman of directors. With the outbreak of war the British Governments ban on the export of motor buses had meant the company could not increase its fleet to adequately meet the increased demand for services. The total number of passengers carried for the year ended 30 June 1914 was 3,141,000 and covered some 459,345 miles. This meant the average Daimler bus in service travelled 34,020 miles. Takings for the year was £25,161.[27]


References

  1. ^ Land Newspaper, Sydney, NSW, Friday 12 April 1912, page 15.
  2. ^ Land Newspaper, Sydney, NSW, Friday 12 July 1912, page 15.
  3. ^ 'Punch", Melbourne VIC, Thursday 16 April 1914, page 38.
  4. ^ Land Newspaper, Sydney, NSW, Friday 12 July 1912, page 15.
  5. ^ Leader Newspaper, Melbourne VIC, Saturday 27 July 1912, page 22.
  6. ^ Land Newspaper, Sydney NSW, Friday 20 September 1912, page 15.
  7. ^ Leader Newspaper, Melbourne VIC, Saturday 16 November 1912, page 22.
  8. ^ The Age Newspaper, Melbourne VIC, Wednesday 25 December 1912, page 4.
  9. ^ Sun Newspaper, Sydney NSW, Saturday 28 December 1912, page 5.
  10. ^ Land Newspaper, Sydney NSW, Friday 24 January 1913, page 16.
  11. ^ Argus Newspaper, Melbourne VIC, Saturday 25 January 1913, page 20.
  12. ^ Land Newspaper, Sydney NSW, Friday 28 February 1913, page 16.
  13. ^ 'Punch', Melbourne VIC, Thursday 29 May 1913, page 46.
  14. ^ Daily News, Perth WA, Tuesday 22 July 1913, page 3.
  15. ^ The Age, Melbourne VIC, Monday 13 October 1913, Page 7.
  16. ^ The Age, Melbourne VIC, Monday 13 October 1913, Page 7.
  17. ^ Leader Newspaper, Melbourne VIC, Saturday 8 November 1913, page 24.
  18. ^ 'Punch', Melbourne VIC, Thursday 20 November 1913, page 42.
  19. ^ Argus Newspaper, Melbourne VIC, Saturday 31 January 1914, page 19.
  20. ^ Brunswick and Coburg Leader, Melbourne VIC, Friday 6 March 1914, page 5.
  21. ^ Prahan Cronicle, Melbourne VIC, Saturday 7 March 1914, page 2.
  22. ^ 'Punch", Melbourne VIC, Thursday 16 April 1914, page 38.
  23. ^ 'Hawthorn, Kew, Camberwell Citizen', Melbourne VIC, Friday 5 June 1914, page 5.
  24. ^ Preston Leader, Melbourne VIC, Saturday 10 October 1914, page 2.
  25. ^ Brunswick and Coburg Leader, Melbourne VIC, Friday 10 July 1914, page 1.
  26. ^ 'Punch', Melbourne VIC, Thursday 5 November 1914, page 9.
  27. ^ Brunswick and Coburg Leader, Melbourne VIC, Friday 20 November 1914, page 1.
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