| Parent | Ansett Transport Industries |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1905 |
| Ceased operation | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne |
| Service area | Adelaide Brisbane Canberra Darwin Melbourne Perth Sydney various regional destinations |
| Service type | Coach services |
Ansett Pioneer was an Australian long distance coach operator. Founded in 1905 as the AA Withers Bus Company, the company maintained continuous operation under a variety of corporate monikers until its 1993 merger intoGreyhound Pioneer Australia.
Ansett Pioneer's origin can be traced back to 1905 when AA Withers Bus Company commenced operating day tours inMelbourne. In 1923 it was renamed Pioneer and in 1927 undertook a transcontinental trip from Melbourne toDarwin. In 1944 Pioneer was sold toReg Ansett. In 1955 Pioneer began operating daily services betweenMelbourne andSydney and in 1957 began operating a weekly service fromAdelaide toPerth.[1][2] In 1958 Pioneer Express was renamed Ansett Roadlines of Australia.
In July 1986Ansett Transport Industries sold Ansett Pioneer to Melbourne and Northern Territory bus proprietors John Sinclair and Ron King.[1][3]
In January 1988 Ansett Pioneer was split in three:[4][5]
In July 1988 the operation was rebranded Pioneer.[6] In February 1989 Pioneer Trailways was placed in liquidation.[7]
In November 1989 the Penfolds sold out to the Crawfords bringing all Greyhound and Pioneer services under common ownership.[5] In 1992 Greyhound and Pioneer merged withBus Australia and in 1993 all three were united under theGreyhound Pioneer Australia brand.[8]
Many of Ansett Pioneer's early coaches wereReo andGMC chassis bodied byAnsair. It also importedFlxible Clippers,GMC PD4106s, PD4107s,MCI MC7s, MC8s and MC9s from North America.[9]
In the 1980s it purchased locally builtRFW,Austral Tourmaster andDenning Landseer coaches as well as Ansair bodiedMercedes-Benz O303s,Volgren bodiedVolvo B10Ms andKässbohrer Setras.