A huge two-day Denning 60 year reunion commemorative event is in the planning and kicks off on Saturday, June 17 at the Acacia Ridge Hotel in Brisbane
Former Denning employee of 12 years and 40-year bus industry veteran Dick White came up with the idea for the event and is looking forward to marking the occasion with other Denning enthusiasts and people involved in the bus industry more broadly.
“Like most former employees, Denning is in my blood and I have a real attachment and connection to the Denning vehicles,” he says.
“The year 2017 celebrates 60 years of Denning products – so it is very fitting to have the first ever Denning Reunion.”
“We are expecting up to 200 people to come – past and present employees, operators, drivers and anyone else who has been associated with Denning over the years.”
He says that the reason why many people identify so strongly with — and be so fond of — Denning buses in Australia is simple.
“It comes down to the quality and reliability of the product,” White says. “Denning has spanned decades now – driven by a wonderful team of enthusiastic employees who made the product what it is. That is the main reason why the product is held in such high regard throughout Australia.”
While White finds it a real challenge to pick one; his personal favourite is the Den-Air model – with full air bag suspension.
“The Den-Air was a significant catalyst for the Denning product – having moved on from traditional leaf spring suspension.
There will be no shortage of striking examples of classic Denning buses on show at the event, with at least 15 vehicles on display, ranging from the Mono, Denair and Denflex – through to the later Landseer and Double Decker models.
“There are a number of people who are bringing their memorabilia collections which are rarely seen and highly prized. These will be in addition to largest display of current and restored Denning coaches in Australia ever seen – spanning 45 years of design,” White reveals.
Former Denning assistant service manager Eric Horder has the largest collection of Denning memorabilia to my knowledge and he will be showcasing this publicly for the first time – as part of a wider memorabilia collection celebrating 60 years of Denning.
White formed a strong personal connection to the brand while working for Denning in sales at the Acacia Ridge factory in Brisbane.
“I worked alongside a great sales and service team which saw the Denning product develop into arguably Australia’s market leading coach.”
“This is a great chance for us all to get together and reminisce about the ‘old days’ with past and present customers and employees,” White says.
“I’m really looking forward to hearing from our guest speakers who will share their knowledge and experience in the industry and just reconnecting with familiar faces that we haven’t seen in some time.”
Those keen to attend must register by May 31 via the website www.denningreunion.com.au, or by filling-out and posting a registration form to PO Box 3094, Mt Ommaney, QLD, 4074.