Dysons

Dyson Group of Companies, operating as Dysons, was a bus and coach operator in Victoria, Australia. The oldest of its subsidiary companies is L.C. Dysons Bus Services, which was founded in June 1952 and is based in Bundoora in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

The company was acquired by bus operator Kinetic on 2 October 2026. The company ceased operations with all of its routes and assets transferred to Kinetic.

History

L.C. Dysons Bus Services was founded in June 1952 when Laurie Dyson purchased the business of Ned Gastin, who operated route 46A Regent station to Janefield Hospital. Over succeeding years, a number of routes and businesses were purchased both within Melbourne and in regional Victoria: Nathalia to Melbourne service bought from HE Taylor in August 1957The Dyson Story Australian Bus Panorama issue 11/6 March 1996 page 6 Kinglake to Melbourne route bought from Heather & Co in 1959 Acquired a 50% shareholding in Northcote Bus Service in 1966, later increased to 100%. Operated as a separate brand until January 1982Victorian Buses in the Eighties Australian Bus Panorama issue 6/2 September 1990 page 11 Bought Lockington to Melbourne route from Harrison, Echuca in 1968 Bought Anderson's Coaches, Moama which operated the service from Barham and Moama to Melbourne.Victorian Buses in the Seventies Fleetline issue 56 March 1980 page 6 Entered a joint venture with Reservoir Bus Company to form East West Bus Company to operate route 560 Broadmeadows station to Greensborough in August 1980Victorian Buses in the Eighties Australian Bus Panorama issue 6/1 July 1990 page 12 Bought Bega to Melbourne route from Gil Toplis in December 1982Metropolitan Changes Flletline issue 82 May 1982 page 76 Acquired Deniliquin - Moama - Melbourne route from Ansett Pioneer in 1987Victorian Buses in the Eighties Australian Bus Panorama issue 6/8 May 1991 page 12 Bought Bairnsdale - Lakes Entrance route from Lextours, Lakes Entrance, in 1987 Bought Reid's Metropolitan Services in December 1991Reids Australian Bus Panorama issue 7/7 April 1992 page 42 Acquired Albury - Mildura service from Arms & Bell in July 1992Dysons Australian Bus Panorama issue 8/2 September 1992 page 43 Bought Sale - Bairnsdale and Bairnsdale - Orbost route from Florance, Orbost, in January 1994Dysons Australian Bus Panorama issue 9/6 February 1994 page 48Coach services co-ordinated Truck & Bus Transportation February 1994 page 90 Eastern Roadlines, Bairnsdale in January 1994 Entered a joint venture with Cobb & Co and Sid Fogg's to operate services on behalf of Australian Pacific Tours in 2001 Australasian Bus & Coach Bell Street Bus Company including the Cobb & Co coach business in August 2003 Australasian Bus & CoachDyson's Acquires the Nixon Group Australian Bus Panorama issue 19/1 July 2003 page 26 In 2003 Dyson's commenced operating services in Alice Springs, sold in May 2012 to Australian Transit GroupAlice Springs Depot Dysons May 2012 Bought Kyneton Bus Lines in March 2006Kyneton Bus Lines Australian Bus Fleet Lists Acquired Mylon Motorways, Wodonga in July 2008Mylon Motorways to change hands The Border Mail 20 June 2008Mylon Motorways Australian Bus Fleet Lists Bought Northern Bus Lines, Glenroy, from the Pulitano Group in July 2008Northern Buslines Australian Bus Fleet Lists Reservoir Bus Company and Midland Tours in November 2012Press Release – Reservoir Bus Company Dysons October 2012 Full ownership of East West Bus Company in February 2014 Wangaratta Coachlines in July 2014Dysons gears up with buy-out of Wangaratta coaches The Border MailDysons acquire services and vehicles from Wangaratta Coachlines Australian Bus issue 66 November 2014 page 6 O'Connell's Omeo Bus Service in April 2017Dyson Group Acquire O'Connell's Omeo Bus Service Dysons 5 April 2017 Shepparton Transit/Fallons Bus Service on 1 June 2017 with nine regional bus routes, one V/Line route and 44 vehiclesDyson Group acquires Shepparton Transit Dysons 30 June 2017Dyson Group Expanding Australasian Bus & Coach 13 October 2017 Acquired the Corowa-Albury Rutherglen operation from R & L Webster in September 2017 Bought Bunnaloo Bus Lines in Bunnaloo in January 2018 Bought McDonald's Euroa in January 2018 Acquired Wandong Bus & Coach in March 2018 Bought Purtills, Deniliquin in December 2019, with 55 vehiclesIconic NSW Riverina bus company sold to Victoria's Dysons Australasian Bus & Coach 25 October 2019Deniliquin firm sells to Dyson Australian Bus issue 98 March 2020 page 4 Bought Little's Gippsland Coaches in October 2021, with 28 vehiclesDyson Group Expands Gippsland Operations Dysons 5 October 2021Dyson Group expands rural Victoria operations Australasian Bus & Coach 7 October 2021 Acquired Moonee Valley Coaches route services in March 2024, with 11 vehiclesDysons announces acquisition of Moonee Valley route services Australasian Bus & Coach 1 March 2024

Further to the above acquisitions, Dysons also gained additional bus routes as a result of bus contracting: In partnership with Reservoir Bus Company, Dysons formed Melbourne Bus Link in April 1998, after being awarded a contract to take over provision of services in the western and south-east regions of Melbourne from Met Bus.Historic Reforms for Melbourne's Buses Australian Bus Panorama issue 13/3 December 1997 page 35 The operation ceased in August 2013. PTV route services of Panorama Coaches (routes 343, 578, 579, 580 and 582) in July 2025

Services Since the late 1970s, as well as running route services in Melbourne, Dyson have operated services under contract to V/Line. In February 1989, all of Dyson's existing long coach services were integrated into the V/Line network.Dysons Australian Bus Panorama issue 4/5 March 1989 page 35 Dyson operate V/Line services as far afield as Batemans Bay, Canberra, Griffith and Adelaide.V/Line timetables Dysons

From 2002 until December 2007, Dyson operated a service in New South Wales between Parkes and Condobolin under contract to CountryLink.Countrylink Contractors Announced Australian Bus Panorama issue 18/3 November 2002 page 29New Countrylink contracts effective 1 November 2002 Fleetline issue 281 December 2002 page 190 In January 2015, Dyson commenced operating five-year contracts to operate services for NSW TrainLink from Wagga Wagga to Griffith, Cootamundra to Tumbarumba, Cootamundra to Bathurst/Dubbo and Parkes to Condobolin.New contracts cost Wagga based coach company Daily Advertiser 30 December 2014New NSW TrainLink Rural Coach Service Contracts Australian Bus issue 68 March 2015 page 20

In September 2024, the Victorian Government announced that Dysons had been awarded a new ten-year bus contract to operate buses in northern Melbourne. As part of the new contract, it would retain roughly half of its existing routes (mostly north of the M80 Ring Road and east of Sydney Road), and would also gain five bus routes operated by Panorama Coaches. However, it would lose the other half of its existing routes. All but one (route 504) of its former Northern Bus Lines routes were lost to CDC Melbourne. Route 504, the two former Moonee Valley routes it acquired in February 2024 (routes 503 and 506), and nine other inner-north Melbourne routes were lost to Kinetic Melbourne. The new contracts and changes in bus operators commenced on 1 July 2025.

Fleet , Dysons fleet consisted of 690 buses and coaches. Dysons official fleet livery is white with green stripes however newer buses which operate route services in Melbourne are painted in the Public Transport Victoria livery. Some coaches are painted in V/Line livery and NSW TrainLink livery.

Cessation In May 2026, it was announced that, after operating for 73 years, Dysons was to be bought by Kinetic. At the time, Kinetic Melbourne operated just south of Dysons' Melbourne operating area. The acquisition was finalised on 2 October 2026, with all Dysons routes, depots and assets transferred to Kinetic. The rebranding to Kinetic also began immediately that day and the Dysons brand ceased to exist.

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