 | |
 Scania K440EB coach in Fremantle in September 2018 | |
| Parent | The Travel Corporation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1928 |
| Headquarters | Head office: Bondi Junction Coach Company: Botany |
| Service area | Australia New Zealand |
| Service type | Tour operator |
| Fleet | 70 (February 2016) |
| Website | www.aatkings.com |
AAT Kings is an Australian and New Zealand coach tour operator offering both short and long distance tours.
AAT Kings history can be traced back to the 1920s when the Pyke family began a car hire business in Sydney. In the 1930s they began to offer guided tours to Katoomba and Jenolan Caves. Tours were initially operated in seven-seater cars, until in 1935 when 14-seater coaches were introduced. [1]
In 1973 Grenda's purchased Blue Line Tourist Coaches in Sydney and a Trans Australia Airlines / Mayne Nickless joint venture formed AAT Coachlines. [2] In July 1975 AAT Coachlines purchased Pykes Tours and Grenda's coach businesses in Sydney and Melbourne. [3] [4]
Meanwhile, in 1967, Bill King formed Bill King's Northern Safaris operating out of Melbourne with two Land Rovers, an ex Army International ambulance and a Denning from his father, who was the proprietor of Coburg-Heidelberg Omnibus Service. [5] [6]
In 1970 King purchased two larger ex Army International 4x4s and two M-series Bedford 4x4s. King later designed and designed his own 18 passenger Desert Cruiser vehicles on Bedford chassis, these were relocated to Alice Springs, and packaged tours were operated in association with Ansett Airlines. [5] [6]
By 1979 Bill King's Northern Safaris was operating 10 vehicles and had four Greyhound coaches on charter. At the same time AAT Coachlines had commenced operations in the Northern Territory with four new Dennings. In 1980 AAT purchased King's business with the tours were marketed as Bill King's Australian Adventure Tours, with King remaining as manager until 1985. [6] Later both operations along with AAT Coachlines were merged to form AAT Kings. [5]
In 1983 AAT Kings was purchased by Mayer Page and Geoff McGeary, proprietors of Australian Pacific Touring. In June 1993 the business was split with Page taking control of AAT Kings, and McGeary Australian Pacific Touring. [7] [8] [9]
In 1997 AAT Kings was sold to The Travel Corporation. [10] [11] In July 2012, AAT Kings purchased Australian Pacific Touring's Day Tours and Shorts Breaks divisions. [12] [13]
In August 2014, AAT Kings purchased a share in Down Under Tours, Cairns. [14] [15]
AAT Kings has forged strong relationships with indigenous communities throughout Australia and New Zealand, including the Anangu people and Uluru Aboriginal Tours in Central Australia, as well as the Tamaki Family Marae on the outskirts of Rotorua, New Zealand. AAT Kings has also partnered with Alice Springs indigenous artist Kathleen Buzzacot and Maruku Arts to create a specially designed Aboriginal artwork featured on all coaches in Central Australia. Bone and pounamu (greenstone) carver, Lance Ngata, from Uawa (Tolaga Bay) and Turangi in New Zealand's North Island has also created exclusive artwork that features on all coaches in New Zealand [ citation needed ].
In the 1970s the fleet consisted of imported Van Hool bodied coaches. In the 1980s Dennings and later Ansair and Denning bodied Mercedes-Benz O303s were purchased. For outback operations, Centurion Transport Engineering bodied Mercedes-Benz Unimogs were purchased. [6] The livery was originally blue, yellow and orange modified in the 1990s to white with Aboriginal artworks. In 2013, a white with red and black signwriting livery was introduced. As at February 2016, the fleet consisted of 70 vehicles. [16]
AAT Kings and parent company The Travel Corporation have partnered with various organisations to help protect unique animals in Australia. AAT Kings has teamed up with Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors to support the koala rehabilitation project at Australia Zoo's Wildlife Hospital — the country's largest and busiest wildlife facility. They provide Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors with a substantial donation over two years to support the medical treatment and rehabilitation of koalas at the centre, as well as the building of eco-friendly constructions that will help protect those that are sick and orphaned. Additionally, AAT Kings supports the world's leading research facility for Little Penguins on Phillip Island in Victoria. With a major contribution via the TreadRight Foundation, a new penguin weighbridge will monitor the health of the penguins. AAT Kings also support the conservation of the endangered Tasmanian devil through sponsorship of the Tasmanian devil breeding program at Tasmania Zoo. AAT Kings has adopted two Tasmanian devils already and support the zoo in their efforts to combat the fatal devil facial tumour disease that is affecting Tasmanian devils across Australia. [17]
Redline Coaches was one of Tasmania's largest coach operators. It operated both route and charter services. As of late 2022, Redline coaches has changed its name as part of a business re-brand by the parent company, Kinetic, and has now been incorporated into the Kinetic brand with its fleet of buses reflecting this change.
Murrays Coaches is an Australian express and coach charter company.
Transdev WA is an Australian bus company operating Transperth bus services under contract to the Public Transport Authority. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Australasia.
Grenda Corporation was an Australian bus and coach company which operated services under its subsidiaries Cardinia Transit, Grenda's Bus Services, Moorabbin Transit, Peninsula Bus Lines and Portsea Passenger Service, all of which were sold to Ventura Bus Lines in January 2012. It also formerly owned the Volgren bus body building business.
Greyhound Australia is an Australian coach operator that ran services in all mainland states and territories until reduction of services in the 2000s.
Sunbus was an Australian bus operator in the Australian state of Queensland. It operated in 5 regional areas across the state under contract to the Government of Queensland under the Translink banner. As of 2022 Sunbus has changed its name as part of a business re-brand by the parent company, Kinetic. Sunbus has now been dissolved into the Kinetic brand with its fleet of buses reflecting this change.
Invicta Bus Services was a bus and coach operator in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was a Melbourne bus company that operated 16 bus routes under contract to Public Transport Victoria. It was purchased by Grenda Corporation in March 2009. which in turn was acquired by Ventura Bus Lines in January 2012.
CDC Canberra, formerly Qcity Transit, is an Australian bus operator based in Queanbeyan, New South Wales. It operates services from Queanbeyan to Canberra, Bungendore and Yass. It is a subsidiary of ComfortDelGro Australia.
Mills-Tui was an Australian manufacturer of heavily specialised vehicles in Narangba, Queensland.
Denning Manufacturing is an Australian bus manufacturer in Acacia Ridge, Brisbane, Australia. In September 2019, it was acquired by Custom Bus, but its branding and operations will be retained.
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 into Greyhound Pioneer Australia.
Australian Pacific Touring (APT) is an Australian tour and river cruising operator with worldwide reach.
Deluxe Coachlines was an Australian interstate coach operator that operated from 1979 until 1990.
Premier Transport Group is an Australian operator of bus and coach services in New South Wales and Queensland. Its origins can be traced back to December 1987 when John King purchased Nowra Coaches. It has since expanded through a number of acquisitions.
Sunliner Express was an Australian interstate coach operator.
Centurion Transport Engineering was an Australian bus bodybuilder in Upfield, Melbourne.
Highway Tours was an Australian bus company operating services in the south-western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales.
Sydney Coachlines is an Australian bus charter company in Sydney.
Newmans Coach Lines was an Australian coach charter company with operations in Sydney and Cairns.
Fantastic Aussie Tours is an Australian bus company in the Blue Mountains.