Austral
IndustryBus manufacturing
DefunctNovember 1998
FateMerged with Denning
SuccessorAustral Denning
Headquarters
Geebung
,
Australia
ParentClifford Corporation

Austral was an Australian bus manufacturer in Geebung, Brisbane, Australia. Austral merged with it primary competitor, Denning, in the 1980s and was sold to the Clifford Corporation in 1996 before closing its manufacturing plant in 1998.

History

Austral was originally formed as Athol Hedges. It was later renamed Domino Hedges, and then Domino, before becoming Austral in 1982. This renaming occurred when it was purchased by the Australian Manufacturing Group. Austral produced originally bodied buses before diversifying into integral buses and coaches (body and chassis) in the 1970s.[1]

In December 1988, Austral was sold to JRA Limited who also owned Denning, Austral's largest rival in the coach market.[2][3] Both continued to operate separately until 1990 when the Denning plant in Acacia Ridge was closed and production transferred to the Austral factory.[4]

From 1992 onward, the combined business was rebranded "Austral Denning". In July 1996, along with JRA's other bus bodybuilding operations, it was sold to the Clifford Corporation and rebranded Austral Pacific. That resulted in Ansair Orana Volvo B10BLE buses being bodied at Geebung for Brisbane Transport. Following the collapse of Clifford Corporation, the plant closed in November 1998.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Victorian Buses in the Eighties" Australian Bus Panorama 6/2 September 1990 page 11
  2. ↑ "JRA acquires Austral" Fleetline February 1989 page 22
  3. ↑ "Industry News" Australian Bus Panorama 4/5 March 1989 page 10
  4. ↑ "Bodybuilder News" Fleetline September 1991 page 151
  5. ↑ "The Austral Pacific Collapse" Australian Bus Panorama 14/5 April 1999 page 17
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