Carilla Bus Service
Carilla Bus Service "M.A.N." Taken in Terrace Road, Perth. December 1951
Depot: Pickering Brook Road, Carilla. Livery: Mid green with cream roof and window surrounds. Later changed to mid green window surrounds and below waist band with cream waist band and roof. The Carilla Bus Service operated from Carilla through Pickering Brook, Carmel, Bickley, Lesmurdie Hill and Welshpool Road to Perth. The route wound its way through the Daring Range to the south of Kalamunda passing through bush land and orchards and transversing some of the most scenic and hilly country in the environs of Perth.
Before the bus service began, public transport had been by rail along the Upper Darling Range Railway. Commuting to Perth had been slow and tedious, the route being via Kalamunda, Gooseberry Hill, the Zig Zag and Midland. The one train a day took 1 hour, 50 minutes to reach Perth from Pickering Brook and two hours to return. The bus service was, therefore, very welcome to the neighbourhood.
CARILLA BUS SERVICE "M.A.N." TAKEN IN TERRACE ROAD, PERTH. DECEMBER 1951 #1
KALAMUNDA No 16 BEDFORD PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY CARILLA BUS SERVICE. TAKEN IN TERRACE ROAD, PERTH . DEC 1951 #2
Kalamunda No. 16 Bedford Previously Owned by Carilla Bus Service. Taken in Terrace Road, Perth . Dec 1951
The service was begun about New Year 1947 by my Brother Max using a Bedford Bus. Later acquisitions were a forward control White from Scarborough Bus Service (licensed DR.1250 and a new normal control MAN diesel from a N.S.W. operator (licensed DR.924) and a new normal control Bedford OB which was subsequently sold to the Kalamunda Bus Service. The body from the MAN was later transferred to an Austin truck chassis, the licence number becoming DR.1221. Only two buses were necessary to maintain the service and one of these was generally laid over in Perth during the day. The importance of the service increased in July 1949 when trains ceased using the railway on a regular basis. In June 1957, I took over the operations from Max. The Bus Service left Carilla each morning for Perth at about 7.30 p.m. and returned every evening. There were two buses on Wednesdays and Thursdays. It was very handy for the locals to go shopping in the City.
Forward Control M.A.N. and Austin Buses Parked at Carilla Bus Service Depot at Pickering Brook
The sparseness of the population in the districts served, the low utilisation of the vehicles, the increase in private car ownership and rising costs combined to make the enterprise become a poor commercial proposition. This gave me no incentive to outlay the additional capital which was necessary to upgrade the vehicles to continue the service. Neither was the M.T.T. anxious to take over such a far-flung and unrenumerative route. The situation was saved by an agreement whereby the M.T.T. loaned the Carilla Bus Service a vehicle. Buses loaned under this scheme included an ex Metro Leyland Lion (MTT No. 37 licensed DR.2367) and an ex Beam Transport A.E.C. Regal Mark 3 (MTT No.139).
Latterly, the route was cut back to operate between the Lesmurdie Shopping Centre (where it connected with the Kalamunda buses) and Carilla.
The arrangement continued until March 1972 when the M.T.T. finally assumed full control of all services in the district. George Whittle from Pickering Brook was the first official passenger on the Carilla Bus.
FORWARD CONTROL M.A.N. AND AUSTIN BUSES PARKED AT CARILLA BUS SERVICE DEPOT AT PICKERING BROOK #3
MTT BUS CARILLA ROUTE 1974 $4
MTT Bus Carilla Route 1974
There were times when it took lots of “overtime” to get the bus ready for the next day. I remember once I just got back to Carilla when the bus broke down. I finished the job – just in time to have a quick breakfast and be ready to leave for the 7.20 a.m. trip to Perth. Another day a gear box main shaft broke outside the bus shelter at the corner of Pomeroy Road. I arranged for another bus to collect the passengers and changed the shaft on the side of the road.
“Archie” Anderson from Carmel will remember the night, coming home from the Saturday late night run (pictures) the bus gave up opposite Gray’s place in Welshpool Road. I ran down to Gordon Gray’s and he took me in his ute out to Archie’s place. I woke him up and he got out his big, light blue Pontiac car, then piled in the waiting passengers. That car was certainly full that night but everyone was safely delivered home.
A Metrobus in the Front Yard Brings Back Memories for Former Driver Doug Waters. Right. for Son Roy, Left, It's a Case of Continuing a Family Tradition
The only sure way to start this bus when it was cold, was to give it a sniff of ether, so I kept a bottle in the destination box. One night, after sitting in the terrace for several hours in the cold I decided it was time for the ether. I reached up, fumbled the bottle, it fell on the floor and smashed. That really caused a panic as, forgetting the cold, the passengers opened doors and windows to let the gas escape.
Over the years there was only the one accident on record. I was following a gravel truck on Welshpool Road when a snake wriggled out in front of the truck. The driver jumped on his brakes – I braked and swerved to avoid him but collected the side of the truck. Luckily the only casualty was one lady got a broken leg.
I had another fright one night. A young lad from Carmel, who used to be a passenger on the Bus, bought himself a motor bike and used to take great pride in lairing past the bus. I’m sure to impress the girls. This particular night, as he tried to pass, just outside McNabb’s place in Pomeroy Road, he hit a puddle, lost control and the bike went one way and he landed in front of the bus.
A METROBUS IN THE FRONT YARD BRINGS BACK MEMORIES FOR FORMER DRIVER DOUG WATERS. RIGHT. FOR SON ROY, LEFT, IT'S A CASE OF CONTINUING A FAMILY TRADITION #5
EARLY CARILLA BUS SERVICE TIMETABLE #6
Early Carilla Bus Service Timetable
Luckily the brakes were good as when I got out his head was only about a foot away from the front wheel, We left the bike at Mrs. McNabbs and I think his suffering was more of embarrassment as he climbed on to the bus and accepted a ride home.
One night when we got to Bickley I pulled up to let a passenger off but he sat not moving, and colourless. I really thought he had died but we managed to find as pulse so set to work till he revived and we got him mobile and into his neighbours, we went on our way to Pickering.
One of the “characters” on the bus had a “problem” and found the trip too long to go without a sustainer but of course alcohol was not allowed on the bus. This day, from the rear vision I noticed he would periodically duck this head inside his coat. I thought he must be having a problem with his neck but when I asked him he showed me. He had a straw in a flask hidden in the inside pocket of his suit coat. Top marks for initiative.
Original Weekly Ticket for the Carilla Bus Service
Another “regular” had one feathered bird on his place, an emu, but he would often board the bus with a powdered milk tin full of eggs to sell in Perth. After some complaints from a nearby poultry farmed about the disappearance of eggs from his place, I asked this old chap where the eggs came from and pointed out he only had one emu. He was quite unruffled and said “Oh I get them”.
Max told me that he once employed an Indian Driver. He pulled up at the Pomeroy Road corner to collect passengers, tried to take off but the bus only shuddered. After a couple of these starts, he went into Blamire’s and rang Max. Down came Max, the Bus moved with no trouble but when the other driver tried he still only got the shudders. Max looked – suggested the driver try again but this time with the hand brake off.
ORIGINAL WEEKLY TICKET FOR THE CARILLA BUS SERVICE #7
REVISED CARILLA BUS SERVICE TIMETABLE 1968 #8
Revised Carilla Bus Service Timetable 1968
So many stories came back as the passengers became almost like a family. If one of the regulars just didn’t turn up at the bus stop it was almost a matter of concern and all eyes would keep a look out in case they were running late and had only made it to the gate. Quite often the next day there would be an explanation.
The Carilla bus run was typical of a community that still had time.
RESEARCHED BY DOUG WATERS
Reference: Article: Memories of Walliston