Commenced operation | June 1952 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bundoora |
| Service area | Melbourne Regional Victoria New South Wales Australian Capital Territory |
| Depots | Bairnsdale Bundoora Deniliquin Euroa Finley Hay Kyneton Mallacoota Moama Omeo Reservoir Sale Shepparton Wandong Wangaratta Wodonga |
| Fleet | 690 (June 2024)1 |
| Website | www.dysongroup.com.au |
Dyson Group of Companies, operating as Dysons, is 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 in May 2026.2
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 19573
- Kinglake to Melbourne route bought from Heather & Co in 19593
- Acquired a 50% shareholding in Northcote Bus Service in 1966, later increased to 100%. Operated as a separate brand until January 198234
- Bought Lockington to Melbourne route from Harrison, Echuca in 19683
- Bought Anderson's Coaches, Moama which operated the service from Barham and Moama to Melbourne.5
- Entered a joint venture with Reservoir Bus Company to form East West Bus Company to operate route 560 Broadmeadows station to Greensborough in August 1980367
- Bought Bega to Melbourne route from Gil Toplis in December 19828
- Acquired Deniliquin - Moama - Melbourne route from Ansett Pioneer in 198739
- Bought Bairnsdale - Lakes Entrance route from Lextours, Lakes Entrance, in 19879
- Bought Reid's Metropolitan Services in December 1991310
- Acquired Albury - Mildura service from Arms & Bell in July 1992311
- Bought Sale - Bairnsdale and Bairnsdale - Orbost route from Florance, Orbost, in January 199431213
- Eastern Roadlines, Bairnsdale in January 199412
- Entered a joint venture with Cobb & Co and Sid Fogg's to operate services on behalf of Australian Pacific Tours in 200114
- Bell Street Bus Company including the Cobb & Co coach business in August 20031516
- In 2003 Dyson's commenced operating services in Alice Springs, sold in May 2012 to Australian Transit Group317
- Bought Kyneton Bus Lines in March 200618
- Acquired Mylon Motorways, Wodonga in July 20081920
- Bought Northern Bus Lines, Glenroy, from the Pulitano Group in July 200821
- Reservoir Bus Company and Midland Tours in November 201222
- Full ownership of East West Bus Company in February 201423
- Wangaratta Coachlines in July 20142425
- O'Connell's Omeo Bus Service in April 201726
- Shepparton Transit/Fallons Bus Service on 1 June 2017 with nine regional bus routes, one V/Line route and 44 vehicles2728
- 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 vehicles2930
- Bought Little's Gippsland Coaches in October 2021, with 28 vehicles3132
- Acquired Moonee Valley Coaches route services in March 2024, with 11 vehicles33
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.34 The operation ceased in August 2013.
- PTV route services of Panorama Coaches (routes 343, 578, 579, 580 and 582) in July 202535
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.36 Dyson operate V/Line services as far afield as Batemans Bay, Canberra, Griffith and Adelaide.37
From 2002 until December 2007, Dyson operated a service in New South Wales between Parkes and Condobolin under contract to CountryLink.3839 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.4041
In September 2024, the Victorian Government announced that Dysons had been awarded a new ten-year bus contract to operate buses in northern Melbourne.3542 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.43 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.44 The new contracts and changes in bus operators commenced on 1 July 2025.
Fleet
As of June 2024, 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.1
Acquisition by Kinetic
In May 2026, it was announced that, after operating for 73 years, Dysons was to be bought by the Australian-based multinational bus company Kinetic, Australasia’s largest bus operator.2
References
References
- "Dyson Group of Companies, Bundoora". Australian Bus Fleet Lists. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- Mortell, Sean (13 May 2026). "Dysons set to be acquired by Australasian PT business". Australasian Bus & Coach. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- The Dyson Story Australian Bus Panorama issue 11/6 March 1996 page 6
- Victorian Buses in the Eighties Australian Bus Panorama issue 6/2 September 1990 page 11
- Victorian Buses in the Seventies Fleetline issue 56 March 1980 page 6
- Victorian Buses in the Eighties Australian Bus Panorama issue 6/1 July 1990 page 12
- Melbourne Metropolitan Bus Operators and Fleet Listings. Melbourne: Bus & Coach Society of Victoria. 1991. p. 19.
- Metropolitan Changes Flletline issue 82 May 1982 page 76
- Victorian Buses in the Eighties Australian Bus Panorama issue 6/8 May 1991 page 12
- Reids Australian Bus Panorama issue 7/7 April 1992 page 42
- Dysons Australian Bus Panorama issue 8/2 September 1992 page 43
- Dysons Australian Bus Panorama issue 9/6 February 1994 page 48
- Coach services co-ordinated Truck & Bus Transportation February 1994 page 90
- Australian Pacific Tours sell to consortium Australasian Bus & Coach
- Dyson's buys Cobb & Co, Bell St & Rambler Australasian Bus & Coach
- Dyson's Acquires the Nixon Group Australian Bus Panorama issue 19/1 July 2003 page 26
- Alice Springs Depot Dysons May 2012
- Kyneton Bus Lines Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Australian Bus Fleet Lists
- Mylon Motorways to change hands The Border Mail 20 June 2008
- Mylon Motorways Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Australian Bus Fleet Lists
- Northern Buslines Archived 23 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine Australian Bus Fleet Lists
- Press Release – Reservoir Bus Company Archived 12 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine Dysons October 2012
- "Company announcement". Dysons. Archived from the original on 11 April 2014.
- Dysons gears up with buy-out of Wangaratta coaches The Border Mail
- Dysons acquire services and vehicles from Wangaratta Coachlines Australian Bus issue 66 November 2014 page 6
- Dyson Group Acquire O'Connell's Omeo Bus Service Dysons 5 April 2017
- Dyson Group acquires Shepparton Transit Dysons 30 June 2017
- Dyson Group Expanding Australasian Bus & Coach 13 October 2017
- Iconic NSW Riverina bus company sold to Victoria's Dysons Australasian Bus & Coach 25 October 2019
- Deniliquin firm sells to Dyson Australian Bus issue 98 March 2020 page 4
- Dyson Group Expands Gippsland Operations Dysons 5 October 2021
- Dyson Group expands rural Victoria operations Australasian Bus & Coach 7 October 2021
- Dysons announces acquisition of Moonee Valley route services Australasian Bus & Coach 1 March 2024
- Historic Reforms for Melbourne's Buses Australian Bus Panorama issue 13/3 December 1997 page 35
- "New Zero Emission Bus Franchises For Melbourne Commuters". Premier of Victoria. Garbielle Williams - Minister for Public and Active Transport. 4 September 2025. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- Dysons Australian Bus Panorama issue 4/5 March 1989 page 35
- V/Line timetables Dysons
- Countrylink Contractors Announced Australian Bus Panorama issue 18/3 November 2002 page 29
- New Countrylink contracts effective 1 November 2002 Fleetline issue 281 December 2002 page 190
- New contracts cost Wagga based coach company Archived 31 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine Daily Advertiser 30 December 2014
- New NSW TrainLink Rural Coach Service Contracts Australian Bus issue 68 March 2015 page 20
- "Metropolitan Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) Franchise - Green and Pink - North East Melbourne". Buying for Victoria. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
- "Metropolitan Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) Franchise - Dark Blue - North West Melbourne". Buying for Victoria. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
- "Metropolitan Bus Services Franchise Agreement". Buying for Victoria. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.