Austral (bus manufacturer)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Bus manufacturing |
| Predecessor | Athol Hedges, Domino Hedges, Domino |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Fate | Ceased operations |
| Headquarters | Geebung, Brisbane , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | Buses and coaches (bodies and integral chassis) |
| Parent | Australian Manufacturing Group (from 1982), JRA Limited (from 1988), Clifford Corporation (from 1996) |
Austral was a bus manufacturing company located in Geebung, Brisbane, Australia. In the 1980s, it merged with its main rival, Denning, and later became part of the Clifford Corporation in 1996 before ceasing operations at its production facility in 1998.
History
The company originated as Athol Hedges and underwent several name changes, becoming Domino Hedges and then Domino, before adopting the name Austral in 1982 following its acquisition by Australian Manufacturing Group. Initially focused on building bus bodies, Austral broadened its scope during the 1970s to include integral buses and coaches, manufacturing both the chassis and body.
In December 1988, ownership transferred to JRA Limited, which also owned competitor Denning. Although both brands continued independently at first, Denning's Acacia Ridge factory was shut down in 1990, with manufacturing consolidated at Austral’s Geebung site.
Starting in 1992, the merged entity operated under the name "Austral Denning." The company was sold again in July 1996 to the Clifford Corporation and rebranded as Austral Pacific. During this period, it also assembled Ansair Orana Volvo B10BLE buses at Geebung for Brisbane Transport. After the collapse of Clifford Corporation, the manufacturing plant was closed in November 1998.