Strathfield Bus Route 215

Image right: Route 215 bus at The Broadway, Strathfield South, c.1925. Courtesy State Library of NSW. Hood Collection

This photo, taken at The Broadway shops in Strathfield South c.1925, shows a bus on route 215. During the 1920s all Sydney buses were privately owned and operated.[1]  Bus route numbers were first introduced to Sydney in 1924-25. Interestingly, they were primarily assigned alphabetically by final non-city destination, meaning those terminating at Strathfield had higher numbers than say, those terminating at Abbotsford. 

The 215 bus service was operated by widow, Annie Rose from 1925 until 1929, when it was transferred to John Carl (J.C.) Moreton. Annie Rose’s husband, Alfred Edward Rose, formerly a Mayor of Wellington, NSW, had been bus proprietor until his death in March 1925 at his home Weswill, 178 Homebush Road, Strathfield. J.C. Moreton also lived in Homebush Road, at no.196, on the corner of Hunter Street, during the early 1930s. During the industrial unrest of that decade, he became President of the Feeder Bus Operators’ Association.

Route 215 traversed The Boulevarde, Liverpool Road, Cross street and Mintaro Avenue. Some services extended to Homebush Road.

Many of the new bus routes operated near tram and rail routes, thus competing with government services. The introduction of the Transport Act of 1930 curtailed the expansion of the private bus industry by altering the way the state’s transport systems were run. This was followed by the State Transport (Co-ordination) Act of 1931 which taxed those bus routes seen to be competing with trams or trains. Many of these routes ceased in late 1931. Some were relicensed with altered routes to ‘feed’ into tram or train services but there was great controversy and debate over the government’s actions. By June 1932 the feeder bus operators of Sydney numbered 160 and ran 310 buses with 1200 employees drawing annual wages of £300,000.[2] 

Government-run buses began operation on Christmas Day 1932 with route 144 Cremorne to Manly, replacing an earlier private route. Government bus routes increased rapidly during the following few years.

 In February 1935 J.C. Moreton objected to the government’s position of insisting that private buses carry a conductor to manage overcrowding when government buses were not required to do the same.[3] 

In November 1936 operators of at least 18 private feeder bus services were notified that their licences were to be cancelled and that the department would run buses on their routes from 1 March 1937. These included:

‘Strathfield to Belmore Station, via Broadway, Enfield: route 216; operated by J.C. Moreton; two buses.

Strathfield to Elsie Street; route 214; operated by J.C. Moreton; two buses.

Strathfield Station to South Strathfield; route 215; operated by J.C. Moreton; two buses.’[4] 

‘The Mayor of Strathfield (Alderman Shortland) said he believed that the bulk of the opinion of residents was very decidedly against any Government acquisition.’[5] 

Messrs Burk and Sheppard, operating 11 buses from Ashfield to Rookwood Cemetery, and Homebush, via Five Dock and Burwood also received a cancellation notice.[6] 

By 3 December 12,000 people had signed a petition to Parliament objecting to the licence cancellations. A public meeting was held that evening in Strathfield Town Hall [7] where John Jackett MLA was reported to have claimed that ‘we have travelled too far along the road to socialisation already.’ He and Mr Ross MLA also reiterated their opposition to the ‘filching from the bus owners of the routes which they pioneered.’ [8]

‘The Minister for Transport (Mr Bruxner) has denied allegations made by officials of the Feeder Bus Operators’ Association that opposition was organised by Government officers at a citizens’ meeting at Strathfield Town Hall on Thursday night on the question of feeder buses, and that a special State bus was used to take a number of State bus employees from the meeting.’ [9]

There were further calls for Michael Bruxner’s resignation during 1937 amid claims that bus proprietors had been deprived of their livelihood without compensation.[10] 

On 1 March 1937 route 215 was taken over by the Department of Road Transport & Tramways and extended to run from Burwood – Strathfield – South Strathfield – Belmore.

Moreton sued the Transport Department that year ‘against the amount of compensation determined by the Transport Department for taking over the appellants’ bus routes, No.s 214, 215 and 216, on the ground that the amount was inadequate.’ [11]

Jeff Sweet slide DGT Leyland OPD2-1 2767 on route 415, Coronation Parade Enfield March 1969. Courtesy City of Sydney Archives

A new numbering system, introduced just before the advent of war, assigned bus numbers 400-499 to the Inner West. Strathfield was selected to trial the new geographic system during 1939. The 215 bus route was renumbered to 415 and still runs today, more than 100 years after it began.

UTA Leyland Leopard Mk I 3731. Route 415, Coronation Parade near Long Street Enfield November 1980. Courtesy City of Sydney Archives

Local Studies Advisor

References

[1] Henderson, Robert. Sydney Route Numbering History a18761_a3bc1542c2e44af7a53a4e7ca2a35d99.pdf

[2] Sydney Morning Herald 23 June 1932 p.13 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16909118

[3] Daily Telegraph 22 February 1935 p.7 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/246499641

[4] The Sun 27 November 1936 p.1 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230909061

[5] Sydney Morning Herald 30 November 1936 p.11 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17270221

[6] Sydney Morning Herald 1 December 1936 p.10 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17313509

[7] Daily Telegraph 3 December 1936 p.8 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/246976482

[8] Daily Telegraph 4 December 1936 p.8 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/246969751

[9] Sydney Morning Herald 7 December 1936 p.8 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17295039

[10] The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser 23 April 1937 p.1 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/194208352

[11] Sydney Morning Herald 25 June 1937 p.6 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17387267