SEVENTIES STYLE
It’s hard not to admire families like the Higginsons in our industry – companies that started from humble beginnings in the ’60s and continue to be a success story. In times where big business is becoming increasingly the norm, these types of family run operations keep us in touch with our industry history and today can still show us how it’s done.
For this test drive we got to drive another golden oldie, a 1970 Bedford VAM70 that is entwined with the history of Moonee Valley Coaches, now run by Garry Higginson, the son of founder Ray Higginson.
BEDFORD ON BOARD
Moonee Valley Bus Lines was formed in 1966 by Ray and a partner Joe Bellafiori.
“In 1970, dad bought his first brand new bus, which is the Bedford Freighter, which we’re driving today, and started doing tours to Central Australia and all over the place from Canberra to Swan Hill. So, he was doing both charter and route service.”
“As the business grew he started to get a few
