ON THE BUSES

The Proserpine Guardian 31 October 31 1947 - “The sale is reported of Mrs FG McGrath’s bus service to Mr Stanley Slater who recently arrived from the Nambour district. Mr Slater stated that it was his intention to place a modern bus on the Cannon Valley service as soon as possible. He assured potential customers that he intended covering the same territory as Mrs McGrath; namely, Proserpine to Sugar Loaf to Cannon Vale Beach to Jubilee Pocket.

This is how one past local described his first trip in this bus: “The bus had no doors and seating consisted of wooden benches bolted crosswise to the tray body which was roofed but open. There were rolls of canvas at the sides in case of rain. The driver was dressed in regulation bus driver's uniform of khaki shirt and shorts and bare feet. Five miles from Proserpine, the one lane tarmac ribbon abruptly finished and we were on red gravel, swerving to avoid the ruts and pot holes. There were a number of stops where wheel tracks disappeared into the trees and there would be a wooden box or a rusty kerosene tin on a post for parcels. Another twelve miles and we passed a few scattered houses which was Cannon Valley. Half a mile on we stopped at a stone jetty which was embarkation point for the island resorts.” (John Harper)

In 1951, Bob Filby purchased this run, eventually having a fleet of five buses. Wet weather made for interesting times; like the day when 36 locals and tourists had a miraculous escape when the bus slipped off the flooded causeway at Myrtle Creek and landed upright with only about two feet of the bus above water. Luckily, the passengers, mostly young, were able to scramble out through the doors and windows. The weaker swimmers had to cling to the bus to avoid being swept away. The passengers were helped to the safety of the causeway and the sodden luggage was retrieved from the trailer. Good swimmers volunteered to dive down and gather personal items left behind.

The community of Proserpine rallied. Wet, shivering passengers were transported to town. Clothes were washed and hung on hotel verandahs and in the RSL Hall. At the hospital laundry, Matron McGrath and Red Cross members washed, dried and ironed clothes. Several bags of soggy mail were delivered to the post office.

Still today, when creeks are rising, school buses have to take children home early. On one past occasion, all of the buses had been dispatched and the principal was heaving a sigh of relief when he looked down the road and saw all the children out of the Cannonvale bus and pushing it because it wouldn’t start!

Bob Filby sold to Mr George Sampson who spent some 20 years in the district. Mr Sampson’s long line of fans included hitch-hikers who would be picked up then chastised for partaking in such a dangerous activity; pre-schoolers who were carried free of charge and the elderly who were taken on many trips.  Mr Sampson liked to keep up with the times adding modern buses to his fleet, such as in 1993, the MAN 61-seater with air conditioning, PA system and video. Such luxury!

Fast forward and today this bus run is now known as Whitsunday Transit.

Story and photo courtesy Proserpine Historical Museum

The 1956 Filby's bus incident at Myrtle Creek

McGrath's bus

Slater's Bus

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