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Famous bus family recognised with OAM medals

The two brothers were both part of the OAM honours for 2026, recognising decades of service in the Australian bus transport sector

A pair of famous Australian bus industry members have been recognised with Medals of the Order of Australia (OAM) during yesterday’s ceremony.

The Calabro family was front and centre on the day, with Tony Calabro and the late Joe Calabro both receiving medals of the OAM in the general industry for their services in the bus transport industry.

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The pair were co-founders of BusTech Group in 1998, as well as co-owning Transit Australia Group and Surfside Buslines. They were both former co-owners of Calabro Brothers in the 1980s, taking over Surfside Buslines from Greyhound with 56 buses in June 1989 following a string of acquisitions that resulted in the take-over of Sunbus from Transit Australia in April 2008.

The restructure meant Calabro’s Queensland business came under the Transit Australia Group.

On top of this, the pair, through Transit Australia Group, were recognised as the 2015 Gold Coast Business of the Year, the 2015 Mayor’s Innovation GC Award and the 2016 Large Employer of the Year at the Queensland Training Awards.

Outside of the Calabro brothers, volunteer driver of the Cancer Bus in Launceston Bruce Edwards received a medal of the OAM too for his service to the community through various organisations.

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