Mallee Song Underbool faculty bus driver Robert Gloster had the shock of his occupation when he became as soon as awarded Simplest College Bus Driver for 2022 by the Bus Affiliation of Victoria.
Mr Gloster is a college bus-using inclined with 50 years of experience unhurried him. It became as soon as at the Bus Affiliation of Victoria repairs conference and replace inform this twelve months when he heard his name announced at some stage within the award ceremony.
“It form of did not register for a couple of seconds,” he acknowledged.
For three generations, Mr Gloster’s family has operated the faculty bus provider from Underbool to Ouyen in north-west Victoria, taking students on the 100-kilometre spherical outing to the nearest secondary faculty In Ouyen.
“My grandfather took over Underbool’s automotive garage support in 1925, worthwhile the faculty bus contract in 1945,” Mr Gloster acknowledged.
“There may perhaps be been comparatively loads of bus drivers and loads of buses in that point.”
The native faculty bus provider drives native students from the cities and farms along the Mallee Song, from Underbool, Walpeup to Ouyen P12 every morning and afternoon.
At some level of that point Mr Gloster has transported several generations of Mallee Song students and is now taking part within the extra most unusual field of using the Ouyen P12 drag with main faculty students.
“Now we contain bought loads of main-feeble students on the bus travelling as successfully now. So, there became as soon as loads of challenges.” Mr Gloster acknowledged.
These days’s students plug back and forth in a luxury coach-styled faculty bus, which is a miles reveal from the early faculty buses former for the route.
“Just among the normal Bedford buses that we former to contain within the early days, had cylinder head gasket concerns and when we bought in at evening-time we may perhaps perhaps perhaps pull into the workshop and work in a single day to alter the cylinder head gasket, willing to plug as soon as more the next morning.” Mr Gloster acknowledged.
A prolonged gallop to faculty
The 45-minute force every capacity with about a farm-gate steal-usaen route has helped Mr Gloster form some lasting friendships with the students over time.
“We’re very, very fortunate to contain beautiful mighty-behaved students on the bus. We essentially admire that too.” Mr Gloster acknowledged.
After almost 50 years on the job, Mr Gloster is overjoyed to portion that his son and brother is willing to build up the wheel, when he takes some successfully-earned leisure or when the time involves retire.
Frail student Tracey Lawson remembers Mr Gloster using her to faculty on a bit feeder bus support within the early 1970s.
The faculty bus provider continues to play an vital role for the Mallee Song community, helping generations of students who dwell within the cities and farms all the plot in which via the design win to faculty on time.