This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of Canberra buses.
On July 19, 1926, when the Federal Capital Commission launched the city's first official public bus service, Canberra was still very much a city under construction. Roads were unsealed in many areas, the population was only a few thousand, and most of the suburbs we know today didn't exist.
The first route connected Eastlake (now Kingston) with Ainslie, providing residents and workers with a reliable way to move around the growing capital. At the time, less than seven kilometres of Canberra's roads were sealed. Bus drivers had to navigate muddy, dusty and rough roads while still trying to stay on schedule.
Over the next century, buses connected new suburbs to the rest of Canberra, carried generations of schoolchildren and workers, and were there as a small, planned capital transformed into a thriving modern city.
To celebrate this milestone, today I share my Top 7 things you didn't know about Canberra's buses. Some may surprise you.
If you grew up in my generation, you knew them as ACTION (Australian Capital Territory Internal Omnibus Network) buses.
However, our public bus service was only officially called ACTION from 1977 until 2016, when it became part of the broader Transport Canberra organisation.
Previous names included City Bus Service, Canberra City Omnibus Service, Canberra Omnibus Service and Canberra Bus Service.
The ACT Bus History website reveals that "a parliamentary inquiry in 1928 criticised the bus service because buses had no destination signs and were often overcrowded or unreliable".
Given Canberra was still a small city, you'd hope most passengers found the right bus.
Eventually manual destination boards were introduced, followed by roller blinds in the 1970s and electronic displays in the 1980s.
"A destination blind can tell you almost as much about Canberra's development as a street directory," recalls Barry Snelson, who worked as a driver and supervisor for Canberra buses for 35 years. "Every time a new suburb appeared, a new destination had to be squeezed onto the roll," he explains.
In 1934, an AEC Regal bus was fitted with a diesel engine for evaluation, making it the first diesel-powered bus to operate in Australia.
Canberra was once again at the forefront of bus technology in 1976 when we became the first Australian city to introduce articulated buses - you know, those long "bendy buses" familiar to generations of passengers.
Barry Snelson remembers his first time behind the wheel of an "artic".
"It was with a load of other bus drivers, so you can imagine the noise and cat whistles hollered from the passenger seats in my direction. As I drove past Marist College Oval, some kids ran across for a closer look. I gave a blast of the horn and away we went, much to the amusement of the other drivers on board."
Haven't heard of a "Frankenstein bus" before? They do exist and are best described as a vehicle rebuilt using major components from two different buses.
Canberra's best-known example was Bus 724, an articulated bus. According to the Showbus Australia website, after a fire damaged its rear section in 2008, ACTION mechanics ingeniously grafted on the trailer section from another articulated bus, namely Bus 703. The rebuilt bendy bus remained in service for several more years before being used for spare parts and emergency services training.
From the 1930s to the 1970s, the federal government owned and operated all public transport in the ACT. Bus drivers often began their careers behind the wheel of a bus before being promoted to driving ministers, diplomats and even prime ministers.
Because of what they might overhear or witness, drivers were often required to sign secrecy agreements. Surely a past prime minister didn't have to be carried down the stairs at Old Parliament House and into a car as he was rolling drunk? Shhh.
One driver to rise through the ranks was Alf Stafford, a proud Gamilaroi and Darug man. During a 35-year career, he drove future prime ministers including John Curtin, Ben Chifley, Robert Menzies, Harold Holt and Gough Whitlam. He became particularly close to Menzies and later joined the Parliament House staff. A park at Kingston Foreshore now bears his name.
In the 1980s, one bendy bus carried advertising promoting the new XPT rail service between Canberra and Sydney. From a distance, some people apparently mistook the vehicle for a train.
Canberra buses have also worn a variety of colours over the years. Early buses were generally fawn with a yellow stripe, followed by coffee-coloured liveries with red trim in the 1960s. By the late 1970s, the bright orange ACTION buses that many of us grew up with had become the norm.
A little-known feature of the original Woden Bus Interchange, opened in 1972, was a public shower block. Passengers could pay 50 cents for a shower, soap and towel included, with shampoo available for an extra five cents.
Before the facility closed in 1992, it was also popular with drivers freshening up between shifts during the days before air-conditioned buses.
An even older curiosity survives at the heritage timber bus shelter in Cowper Street, Ainslie. Hidden at the rear was a wash basin and change room used by drivers when Ainslie was the end of the route. It has been closed for years and remains one of Canberra's lesser-known transport relics.
Over the last 100 years, Canberra buses have attempted to lure passengers away from cars through various marketing campaigns, including radio jingles and television advertisements.
One of the most memorable television commercials aired in the mid-1970s as part of a "Don't take your car to town" campaign promoting a new timetable of commuter buses every 15 minutes. It featured a young Max Cullen playing Henry, a model public servant who apologised to an ACTION bus for being unfaithful by driving to work.
In the commercial, Cullen, dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase and umbrella, runs his hand down the side of the bus and confesses: "I was unfaithful to you today. I don't know what came over me. I just saw that car in the driveway and before I knew it, I was inside with my hands on the wheel again.
"I know I've taken you for granted, but only if you could find it in your heart to forgive me," Henry pleads before hopping aboard and waving enthusiastically to fellow passengers. The advertisement ends with the delightfully cheesy tagline: "Don't take your car to town. Take ACTION."
During the week I caught up with the celebrated Australian actor, who now lives in Gunning.
"Filming the ad was hilarious," Max says. "It was about a day-and-a-half of filming and a real joy to do.
"I'm a method actor and I was imagining the bus as all sorts of things. I remember walking the length of the bus and caressing it like it was the most beautiful creature in the world. It was quite erotic really."
So, did Max score a lifetime of free ACTION bus travel for his memorable portrayal?
"No, please suggest that to them. But I'm not sure how many Canberra buses travel through Gunning," he laughs.
Rating: Easy - Medium
Cryptic Clue: Read all about it
How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to tym@iinet.net.au. The first correct email received after 10am, Saturday July 18 wins a double pass to Dendy, the Home of Quality Cinema.
Last week: No one was able to identify last week's photo of an outdoor fireplace at the Snowy Mountains Travellers Rest, 583 Snowy Mountains Highway, Pine Valley (just south of Cooma).
While recently exploring the Eucumbene River, Dave Vincent of Weetangera was stopped in his tracks by the sight of this kangaroo. "He looked a bit different, so I had closer look and realised he only had one forelimb [arm]," reports Dave. "He was moving fine so obviously has adapted very well to his condition."
Did You Know: Most (more than 90 per cent) of kangaroos are naturally left-handed. So given this kangaroo lost his left arm, the learning curve might have been a bit steeper than if it had lost its right arm.
Who needs a zoo, when you can wander through the bush and glimpse exotic animals?
Martin Kenseley of Rivett was recently shocked to see this 'panda' staring back at him from a partially burnt tree stump on the side of the track to Square Rock (off Corin Road). Do you see it? Very cute.
CONTACT TIM: Email: tym@iinet.net.au or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, GPO Box 606, Civic, ACT, 2601
