Tony & Beryl Coombs
are the current owner/ operators of the BLACK AND WHITE BUS.

The Black & White Bus is still operating the Glen Innes to Inverell service, a service started by a group of businessmen including Dr Vivers, of Kings Plains Castle. In 1906 when the first motorcars were sold in Australia they planned a service to connect the Inverell train to the Glen Innes train linking Inverell, Warialda & Moree with Brisbane. By 1907 they had purchased two Dennis cars to do the run. The only problem was the cars did not have the power. When the cars had to go up steep grades such as the Waterloo Range, the passengers had to get out and walk beside the car. A court case took place and a sum of money was paid back to the businessmen. Two eleven seater Cadillacs were then purchased for the run.

The service was operated by Glenister & Mackenzie Ltd but had opposition from W A Cramsie's Motor Service, previously known as W. Child's Motor Service, from about 1914 to the 1930's and Col Pegler's "Black & White Motor Service" from mid 1920's through to 1932 when Glenister & Mackenzie were bankrupt. Glenister & Mackenzie Ltd were the NSW Agents for the Fageol Safety Coach, the first commercial bus sold in Australia in the mid 1920's and the first bus used between Glen Innes and Inverell.

They also operated in Sydney with a service Sydney to Parramatta and it's thought that in 1927 when our courageous State Government brought in laws to stop any operator competing with the State Railway that that was the beginning of their end.

It was in November 1929 that the Black & White Motor Service purchased it's first bus, a 110 horse- power six cylinder "Mack" Bus. It was 32 feet long, 8 feet wide, 8ft 9in high & seated 23 passengers. It was the first vehicle to use rubber mounts for the engine, body & spring suspension. In 1932 it's believed Col Pegler's Black & White took over the Glen Innes to Inverell service as the main operator.

We have found very little information about Col Pegler, apart from a News Paper article from the Glen Innes Examiner, 21-5-1932, when Col Pegler donated the Black & White Uniforms to the Glen Innes Football Team who became known as the Black & Whites and in 2001 it's the Black & White Magpies.

From the late 1940's through to the 60's Black & White ran the long nose Fords, 33 seaters of timber frame and iron clad with an unusual set-up of five passenger doors on the kerb side. The frame was so strong it carried four tons of freight on the roof.

Fares in 1915 to 1920 were 15 shillings, when the Fageol Bus was operating they dropped to 12/6 and in 1929 Black & White's were 10/-. Today it's $16.80 full fare. Comparing a fare with a wage, fares are cheaper today than they were eighty years ago.