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Frank Crowley (1908-1984) - Cessnock bus driver. Recorded 5 December 1983. Part 1/1.
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SummaryTAPE 346B FRANK CROWLEY
Recorded 5th December 1983.
Part 1/1.
Frank Crowley was born at Inverell in 1908. He moved to Cessnock in 1920 and first began driving buses for Norm Chapman in 1924. After Chapman's were "bought out" by Rover Motors he began driving for "Black & White" buses and recalls driving a service to Paxton Colliery. In the interview Mr Crowley recalls his career as a bus driver in Cessnock. Recalled in the interview is how Chapman started in the bus industry and a recollection of the various bus operators and their services operating in and around the Cessnock area.
00:50
Bill Jenkins
1:00
Recollection of Bill Jenkins' first bus
1:25
Bill Jenkins began bus service in 1938
1:30
Bill Jenkins first vehicle was "Chev" truck Recalls Bill Jenkins early fleet vehicles
1:54
Drivers were Roy Cooke, Jack Wilson, Les Searston, Charlie Luscomb
2:15
Location of C. Luscomb's livery stables.
2:30
Peter Doyle.
Joseph Patrick Doyle
3:05
Recalls Luscomb's horse bus service
3:35
Wal Rutherford. Age of Frank Crowley, c.1983.
Moved to Cessnock in 1920
4:07
Bill Hancock
4:35
Recalls Bill Hancock's "Chev" lorry
4:55
Bill Hancock ran bus service to Abermain
5:03 Arthur Hancock
5:03
Operating in 1922.
Ditton & Hill Bus Company.
Recalls dispute between Council and Ditton & Hill
5:55
Les Brown
6:25
George Ryder "buys out" Les Brown, 1924
6:55
Norm Chapman, Cessnock-Bellbird sevice
7:05
Amy Chapman, nee Hoskin
7:50
Began driving buses for Chapman in 1924
8:00
Recalls Chapman selling to Rover Motors. Recalls how Les Brown was "bought out"
9:45
Mel Jurd
10:20
Bert Townsend ran service to Pelton Colliery
10:55
Bill Baxter, Cessnock-Kurri service
11:03
Location of McNicoll Bros. bus depot
11:25
"Black & White" buses
11:35
Keith Essie
11:55
Bus services "bought out" by Rover Motors
12:54
Amos Fogg ran service to Aberdare Central
13:25
Vern Peart. Millfield pit
14:07
Alec McMurray
14:25
Peter Phillips
15:10
Worked for "Black & White" buses. Bill McNicoll
15:35
Left Cessnock to work at Mittagong
15:40
Worked driving service to Paxton Colliery in 1940
16:05
Bill Peden
16:35
Reg Batterham ran miners to Kalingo Colliery
17:55
Scott Magill ran miners to Aberdare Central.
Rover buses
18:07
Recollection of Scott Magill's "Chev" bus
19:05
Norm Chapman, Recalls how Chapman began in industry.
Recollection of Chapman's bus route.
Recalls Rothbury-Maitland service.
Recalls Cessnock-Bellbird service
21:00
Recalls Ford "buying out" Headley
21:35
Location of Chapman's garage, Alfred Street, Cessnock
22:30
Previously from Inverell.
Recollection of George Ryder
23:08
Tom Fairfull
24:00
Ted Lowe. Location of Ted Lowe's garage.
Location of Wallace's garage
25:05
Bill Muir
23:50
Jack Holmesville ran miners to Paxton. Sonny Kirwan
28:15
Recalls petrol being supplied in drums
29:15
Joe Carter.
Lenny Carter
30:00
Recollection of Crossley's horse bus
30:30
Mitchell's horse bus.
Patrick's horse bus.
Recall being five different services to Kurri.
31:45
Recalls five different services to Bellbird
33:25
Name of Hancock Bros. buses.
"Bluebell' (name of Chapman's bus)
"The Grey Buses"
33:55
Early train fares, Cessnock-Sydney (via Newcastle)
37:40
Recalls Sunday evening "walkers" in Kurri
39:50
Recalls sinking of Pelton Colliery shaft
40:10
"Baron" John Brown
41:20
End (Tape
346/Side B)
Crowley, Francis Henry, 1908-1983PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToGeorge RyderTom FairfullReg BatterhamPeter Phillips - Owner of Kearsley Bus Company. Recorded 13 October 1983. Part 1/1. Roy Cooke (1908-1985) - Bus driver. Recorded 10 February 1984. Part 1/1.Les Brown (1900-1983) – Founder of Rover Motors. Recorded 22 August 1983. Part 1/1.Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010CollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Cessnock, NSW[2] Stanford Merthyr, NSWIdentifier346B
Recorded 5th December 1983.
Part 1/1.
Frank Crowley was born at Inverell in 1908. He moved to Cessnock in 1920 and first began driving buses for Norm Chapman in 1924. After Chapman's were "bought out" by Rover Motors he began driving for "Black & White" buses and recalls driving a service to Paxton Colliery. In the interview Mr Crowley recalls his career as a bus driver in Cessnock. Recalled in the interview is how Chapman started in the bus industry and a recollection of the various bus operators and their services operating in and around the Cessnock area.
00:50
Bill Jenkins
1:00
Recollection of Bill Jenkins' first bus
1:25
Bill Jenkins began bus service in 1938
1:30
Bill Jenkins first vehicle was "Chev" truck Recalls Bill Jenkins early fleet vehicles
1:54
Drivers were Roy Cooke, Jack Wilson, Les Searston, Charlie Luscomb
2:15
Location of C. Luscomb's livery stables.
2:30
Peter Doyle.
Joseph Patrick Doyle
3:05
Recalls Luscomb's horse bus service
3:35
Wal Rutherford. Age of Frank Crowley, c.1983.
Moved to Cessnock in 1920
4:07
Bill Hancock
4:35
Recalls Bill Hancock's "Chev" lorry
4:55
Bill Hancock ran bus service to Abermain
5:03 Arthur Hancock
5:03
Operating in 1922.
Ditton & Hill Bus Company.
Recalls dispute between Council and Ditton & Hill
5:55
Les Brown
6:25
George Ryder "buys out" Les Brown, 1924
6:55
Norm Chapman, Cessnock-Bellbird sevice
7:05
Amy Chapman, nee Hoskin
7:50
Began driving buses for Chapman in 1924
8:00
Recalls Chapman selling to Rover Motors. Recalls how Les Brown was "bought out"
9:45
Mel Jurd
10:20
Bert Townsend ran service to Pelton Colliery
10:55
Bill Baxter, Cessnock-Kurri service
11:03
Location of McNicoll Bros. bus depot
11:25
"Black & White" buses
11:35
Keith Essie
11:55
Bus services "bought out" by Rover Motors
12:54
Amos Fogg ran service to Aberdare Central
13:25
Vern Peart. Millfield pit
14:07
Alec McMurray
14:25
Peter Phillips
15:10
Worked for "Black & White" buses. Bill McNicoll
15:35
Left Cessnock to work at Mittagong
15:40
Worked driving service to Paxton Colliery in 1940
16:05
Bill Peden
16:35
Reg Batterham ran miners to Kalingo Colliery
17:55
Scott Magill ran miners to Aberdare Central.
Rover buses
18:07
Recollection of Scott Magill's "Chev" bus
19:05
Norm Chapman, Recalls how Chapman began in industry.
Recollection of Chapman's bus route.
Recalls Rothbury-Maitland service.
Recalls Cessnock-Bellbird service
21:00
Recalls Ford "buying out" Headley
21:35
Location of Chapman's garage, Alfred Street, Cessnock
22:30
Previously from Inverell.
Recollection of George Ryder
23:08
Tom Fairfull
24:00
Ted Lowe. Location of Ted Lowe's garage.
Location of Wallace's garage
25:05
Bill Muir
23:50
Jack Holmesville ran miners to Paxton. Sonny Kirwan
28:15
Recalls petrol being supplied in drums
29:15
Joe Carter.
Lenny Carter
30:00
Recollection of Crossley's horse bus
30:30
Mitchell's horse bus.
Patrick's horse bus.
Recall being five different services to Kurri.
31:45
Recalls five different services to Bellbird
33:25
Name of Hancock Bros. buses.
"Bluebell' (name of Chapman's bus)
"The Grey Buses"
33:55
Early train fares, Cessnock-Sydney (via Newcastle)
37:40
Recalls Sunday evening "walkers" in Kurri
39:50
Recalls sinking of Pelton Colliery shaft
40:10
"Baron" John Brown
41:20
End (Tape
346/Side B)
Crowley, Francis Henry, 1908-1983PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToGeorge RyderTom FairfullReg BatterhamPeter Phillips - Owner of Kearsley Bus Company. Recorded 13 October 1983. Part 1/1. Roy Cooke (1908-1985) - Bus driver. Recorded 10 February 1984. Part 1/1.Les Brown (1900-1983) – Founder of Rover Motors. Recorded 22 August 1983. Part 1/1.Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010CollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Cessnock, NSW[2] Stanford Merthyr, NSWIdentifier346Bloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Frank Crowley (1908-1984) - Cessnock bus driver. Recorded 5 December 1983. Part 1/1., [346B]. Living Histories, accessed 30/11/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/56023