The first school bus, supplied and driven by Bill Latham, operated between Cumberland and Barcaldine in 1958. Known locally as The Monkey Bus it was sold to Fred Brown in 1964.
By 1985, a total of about 100 children were conveyed by buses on four different routes – the numbers varied depending on the number of children in each family. Families included those who owned stations and those who worked for them. There was often much jubilation when a large family arrived as it would mean the school bus run would continue to be funded and run. That sentiment holds today.
Story of the Barcaldine District School Buses
