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PersonDepicts or Relates To
- Con Connolly
- "Sonny" Kervin
- Bob Armstrong
- George Ryder
- Rab Lewis
- Les Hill (1893-1974) - Cessnock. Narrated by Jack Delaney, recorded 6th November 1983. Part 1/1.
- Cec Tapp (1910-1995) - Bus driver, Cessnock area. Recorded 13 November 1983. Part 1/1.
- Les Brown (1900-1983) – Founder of Rover Motors. Recorded 22 August 1983. Part 1/1.
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Louis McCrohon (1904-1985) - Bus driver. Recorded 17 June 1984. Part 1/1.
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SummaryLOUIS McCROHON
Recorded on 17th June 1984
Part 1/1
0:42
Louis was born in Quirindi in 1904, then the family moved to Belford for 7 years
0:58
Four days after the First World War started they came to Cessnock at age 10, 1914
1:37
He drove solid tyre before Vincent Street was concreted. He drove buses for Ditton & Hill, 1922
1:53
Charlie Luscombe had a lorry.
2:27
Alf Ditton, Les Hill - Louis drove for Chapman and he came after D&H.
3:15
John Brown, Joe Scott (Shire Clerk)
3:32
Ditton & Hill depot was near Aberdare Road. George Ryder used to bring up the petrol in tins for the buses from Shell. Louis started as a bus driver.
5:06
Les Brown was another driver.
5:20
Gladstone Hill was another driver. Les didn't drive.
5:48
Alf Kirk was a managing director.
6:12
Reason Ditton & Hill went bankrupt - the Bellbird Disaster was one of the major causes. Les Brown's sister, Mrs Mills, was married to a miner who died and she received compensation. She bought the first pneumatic tyred bus in the district. All the rest were solid tyres. "Rutherford, Barksby - a dozen of them came after - battling to get a license". Chapman lived at the west end of Cessnock.
7:34
Keith Essie. McNicholl had the Black and White buses.
7:48
"The Bluebell", Chapman's buses. There was no regulation at all. He drove the first bus from East Maitland when they took the trams off.
8:49
Charlie Christiansen had the bus from Kurri to Maitland.
9:08
Marble Bar restaurant/refreshment rooms, Kurri
9:39
Con Connolly and Jim Smith and Louis went driving. Connolly and Smith bought Christiansen out.
9:56
Rovers built up - Hill wanted to sell the bus.
10:45
Early history of Rover Motors - Mel Jurd, Wallace who had a little carrying business. George Ryder bought Rover Motors.
11:44
1922/23 Louis worked 72 hours a week for £5. He drove the Bellbird run. Wages/hours worked, Rover Motors. He used to run up Wollombi Road. There were no bus stops.
12:48
Recollection of Friday night shopping - often having 80 passengers on the bus.
13:53
Cec Tapp, Neil McNeill drove, Bill Muir.
14:39
Tom Pont - he and a group of councillors were buying a fleet of buses. They didn't have the buses by the time the trams were off so they hired them from where ever they could. Their first was a new Republic.
15:33
Pont's depot, Maitland - it started at Pont's foundry. Captain Perceval was taking people for rides on little planes. Two pound ten. The buses stopped at the Maitland Mercury.
18:56
Keith Essie's garage was near Maitland Council Chambers. Baxter
19:51
Bill Alston - ran a pit run
20:02
Stan Barksby - ran a pit run to Paxton.
20:18
J.D. Armstrong - he ran a milk run to Wollombi
20:29
Bob Armstrong Vern Peart
20:53
Andy Stewart was the yard boss and jack of all trades
21:10
Sonny Kervin was a yard boss
21:38
Les Stewart - drove buses.
22:46
"The Merewether", Rutherford's bus - he ran to Kurri.
24:38
Recalls double-decker horse bus driven by Charlie Neave. Jim Crossley at Bellbird had a horse bus.
26:07
Louis came back to settle in Cessnock in Christmas 1939. Louis' wife was Miss Bremmell - they married in Cessnock 1930. Louis worked in Millfield and Kalingo pits.
28:22
Bill Jenkins had the "Green" bus - it went to Pelton.
29:04
George Ryder
29:48
John Hancock, Billy Hancock ran to Aberdare and Abernethy.
30:21
How Batterham's started in buses - it all began with a Studebaker.
30:58
Ditton & Hill serviced Aberdare Central pit "that's what broke them"
31:10
Reason Ditton & Hill went bankrupt - a kid called Myers was killed on a Central run and the bus company got sued.
33:04
Rover Motors used to run to Millfield, Paxton, Ellalong, and then the Kurri run. Rover Motors depot.
34:42
Rab Lewis became the head of Rover Motors. He was the first inspector on the buses. George and Rab and Louis all played tennis.
37:20
Mel Jurd - came from Wollombi. He finished up in The Australia Hotel.
38:54
Recalls father killed in accident lopping trees at the Tamworth Hospital when Louis was 12 months old. His mother was 26 had 6 kids. His mother sewed for an income.
40:37
Brownsmith's horse bus at Greta. Attended Branxton convent school. They walked from Belford to Branxton to school. It was 4 miles. Family lived at Belford
41:23
Recalls McCosker's delivering bread/Butcher from Greta. Headley's bus - Rothbury to Maitland. Ford had a run into Cessnock from Rothbury - it didn't work well.
43:25
Amos Fogg - Louis worked for him for a while. Recollection of Connolly's bus fleet - solid tyred buses - he had a Republic.
Tape duration: 45:24
SubjectMcCrohan, Louis, 1904-1990PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToCon Connolly"Sonny" KervinBob ArmstrongGeorge RyderRab LewisLes Hill (1893-1974) - Cessnock. Narrated by Jack Delaney, recorded 6th November 1983. Part 1/1.Cec Tapp (1910-1995) - Bus driver, Cessnock area. Recorded 13 November 1983. Part 1/1.Les Brown (1900-1983) – Founder of Rover Motors. Recorded 22 August 1983. Part 1/1.CollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Quirindi, NSW [2] Cessnock, NSW Identifier257B
Recorded on 17th June 1984
Part 1/1
0:42
Louis was born in Quirindi in 1904, then the family moved to Belford for 7 years
0:58
Four days after the First World War started they came to Cessnock at age 10, 1914
1:37
He drove solid tyre before Vincent Street was concreted. He drove buses for Ditton & Hill, 1922
1:53
Charlie Luscombe had a lorry.
2:27
Alf Ditton, Les Hill - Louis drove for Chapman and he came after D&H.
3:15
John Brown, Joe Scott (Shire Clerk)
3:32
Ditton & Hill depot was near Aberdare Road. George Ryder used to bring up the petrol in tins for the buses from Shell. Louis started as a bus driver.
5:06
Les Brown was another driver.
5:20
Gladstone Hill was another driver. Les didn't drive.
5:48
Alf Kirk was a managing director.
6:12
Reason Ditton & Hill went bankrupt - the Bellbird Disaster was one of the major causes. Les Brown's sister, Mrs Mills, was married to a miner who died and she received compensation. She bought the first pneumatic tyred bus in the district. All the rest were solid tyres. "Rutherford, Barksby - a dozen of them came after - battling to get a license". Chapman lived at the west end of Cessnock.
7:34
Keith Essie. McNicholl had the Black and White buses.
7:48
"The Bluebell", Chapman's buses. There was no regulation at all. He drove the first bus from East Maitland when they took the trams off.
8:49
Charlie Christiansen had the bus from Kurri to Maitland.
9:08
Marble Bar restaurant/refreshment rooms, Kurri
9:39
Con Connolly and Jim Smith and Louis went driving. Connolly and Smith bought Christiansen out.
9:56
Rovers built up - Hill wanted to sell the bus.
10:45
Early history of Rover Motors - Mel Jurd, Wallace who had a little carrying business. George Ryder bought Rover Motors.
11:44
1922/23 Louis worked 72 hours a week for £5. He drove the Bellbird run. Wages/hours worked, Rover Motors. He used to run up Wollombi Road. There were no bus stops.
12:48
Recollection of Friday night shopping - often having 80 passengers on the bus.
13:53
Cec Tapp, Neil McNeill drove, Bill Muir.
14:39
Tom Pont - he and a group of councillors were buying a fleet of buses. They didn't have the buses by the time the trams were off so they hired them from where ever they could. Their first was a new Republic.
15:33
Pont's depot, Maitland - it started at Pont's foundry. Captain Perceval was taking people for rides on little planes. Two pound ten. The buses stopped at the Maitland Mercury.
18:56
Keith Essie's garage was near Maitland Council Chambers. Baxter
19:51
Bill Alston - ran a pit run
20:02
Stan Barksby - ran a pit run to Paxton.
20:18
J.D. Armstrong - he ran a milk run to Wollombi
20:29
Bob Armstrong Vern Peart
20:53
Andy Stewart was the yard boss and jack of all trades
21:10
Sonny Kervin was a yard boss
21:38
Les Stewart - drove buses.
22:46
"The Merewether", Rutherford's bus - he ran to Kurri.
24:38
Recalls double-decker horse bus driven by Charlie Neave. Jim Crossley at Bellbird had a horse bus.
26:07
Louis came back to settle in Cessnock in Christmas 1939. Louis' wife was Miss Bremmell - they married in Cessnock 1930. Louis worked in Millfield and Kalingo pits.
28:22
Bill Jenkins had the "Green" bus - it went to Pelton.
29:04
George Ryder
29:48
John Hancock, Billy Hancock ran to Aberdare and Abernethy.
30:21
How Batterham's started in buses - it all began with a Studebaker.
30:58
Ditton & Hill serviced Aberdare Central pit "that's what broke them"
31:10
Reason Ditton & Hill went bankrupt - a kid called Myers was killed on a Central run and the bus company got sued.
33:04
Rover Motors used to run to Millfield, Paxton, Ellalong, and then the Kurri run. Rover Motors depot.
34:42
Rab Lewis became the head of Rover Motors. He was the first inspector on the buses. George and Rab and Louis all played tennis.
37:20
Mel Jurd - came from Wollombi. He finished up in The Australia Hotel.
38:54
Recalls father killed in accident lopping trees at the Tamworth Hospital when Louis was 12 months old. His mother was 26 had 6 kids. His mother sewed for an income.
40:37
Brownsmith's horse bus at Greta. Attended Branxton convent school. They walked from Belford to Branxton to school. It was 4 miles. Family lived at Belford
41:23
Recalls McCosker's delivering bread/Butcher from Greta. Headley's bus - Rothbury to Maitland. Ford had a run into Cessnock from Rothbury - it didn't work well.
43:25
Amos Fogg - Louis worked for him for a while. Recollection of Connolly's bus fleet - solid tyred buses - he had a Republic.
Tape duration: 45:24
SubjectMcCrohan, Louis, 1904-1990PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToCon Connolly"Sonny" KervinBob ArmstrongGeorge RyderRab LewisLes Hill (1893-1974) - Cessnock. Narrated by Jack Delaney, recorded 6th November 1983. Part 1/1.Cec Tapp (1910-1995) - Bus driver, Cessnock area. Recorded 13 November 1983. Part 1/1.Les Brown (1900-1983) – Founder of Rover Motors. Recorded 22 August 1983. Part 1/1.CollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Quirindi, NSW [2] Cessnock, NSW Identifier257Bloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Louis McCrohon (1904-1985) - Bus driver. Recorded 17 June 1984. Part 1/1., [257B]. Living Histories, accessed 07/10/2024, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/55904