In October 2013 the Stewart family celebrated 65 years of operation in Bundaberg – making them one of the longest consecutively owned bus companies in Australia. Although their business in Bundaberg commenced during October 1948, their family’s involvement in buses extends back even earlier to Cairns in North Queensland, where Matthew and Evelyn Stewart purchased the ‘Wattle Bus Service’ circa 1937. Originally cane farmers, the Stewarts purchased the one-bus operation which operated a mixed town and schools run servicing Digger, Sheridan and Lake Streets in the city during the week with hourly services to the picture theatre on Saturday nights and church runs on Sunday nights.
