A significant piece of Queensland’s bus history has been preserved, with a former Surfside route bus finding a permanent home in the Queensland Omnibus & Coach Society’s heritage collection.
The vehicle, a 21-year-old Volvo B12BLE numbered 858, has been donated by Kinetic and will make its first public appearance this weekend at the Brisbane Transport Museum’s first open day of 2026. The bus is notable as the first vehicle to carry a BusTech VST body, marking a milestone in Australian bus manufacturing.
During its working life, the bus operated exclusively on the Surfside network, providing route services and school transport across the Gold Coast. After retiring from service at Surfside’s Coomera depot, the vehicle has been restored to its original Surfside livery, reflecting the appearance familiar to generations of local passengers.
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Kinetic Australian managing director Matthew Campbell says the donation recognises the deep links between local operators, manufacturers and the communities they serve.
“This bus tells a unique story of the Calabro family’s legacy in Queensland transport,” Campbell says.
He sats the vehicle represents the convergence of two strands of that legacy: the growth of Surfside Buslines as a community-focused operator and the development of BusTech as a nationally significant bus body manufacturer.
Tony Calabro OAM and the late Joe Calabro OAM, both recognised this year with Medals of the Order of Australia, were instrumental in shaping both businesses. They founded BusTech and expanded Surfside Buslines after acquiring it in 1989, ultimately integrating it into Transit Australia Group.
Campbell acknowledges the work of Kinetic’s Molendinar and Coomera workshop teams, along with Coastal Body Works, in restoring the bus to its original condition.
The restored Volvo will be displayed at the Brisbane Transport Museum open day on Saturday, February 7, and will also offer joyrides for visitors. The event will feature an “All Volvo” theme, with bus 858 joined by other historic Volvo vehicles from the QOCS collection.
Additional vehicles from Kinetic’s fleet will also be on display, including the only Volvo B12M operating in Australia, the final bus ordered by the Calabro family for the Surfside fleet, and an earlier-generation Volvo B7RLE BusTech vehicle.
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