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{{Short description|Australian commercial intercity bus company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox bus company
|name             = 
|logo             = Murrays logo.svg
|logo_size        = 
|image            = Murrays coach in Flinders St, 2013.JPG
|image_size       = 
|image_caption    = [[BCI Bus|BCI]] JXK6127 on [[Flinders Street, Melbourne]] in October 2013
|company_slogan   =
|parent           = Ron Murray
|founded          = 1950s
|headquarters     = [[Red Hill, Australian Capital Territory|Red Hill]]
|service_area     = [[Canberra]]<br />[[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]]<br />[[Melbourne]]<br />Southern [[New South Wales]]<br />[[Sydney]]<br />[[Queensland]]
|service_type     = Coach operator
|routes           = 4
|stations         = 
|depots           = [[Canberra]]<br />[[Melbourne]]<br />[[Sydney]]<br />[[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]]<br />[[Brisbane]]<br />[[Chinchilla]]
|fleet            = 199 (January 2020)
|website          = {{URL|http://www.murrays.com.au/}}
}}

'''Murrays Coaches''' is an Australian express and coach charter company.

==History==
[[File:Quad axle coach-Canberra.jpg|thumb|[[Pressed Metal Corporation South Australia|Austral Pacific]] bodied [[Scania 3-series (bus)|Scania K113TRBL]] at the [[Jolimont Centre]]]]
[[File:Murrays Coaches - BCI JXK6137 'Explorer' (1).jpg|thumb|[[BCI Bus|BCI]] JXK6137 in [[Canberra]] in January 2011]]
Murrays was founded by Bill Murray in the early 1950s as a school bus operator in [[Canberra]]. The operation was taken over by Ron Murray in 1970 by which time it was operating services to [[Captains Flat]], [[Kowen|Kowen Forest]], [[Naas (valley)|Naas]], [[Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve|Tidbinbilla]], [[Uriarra]] and [[Williamsdale, Australian Capital Territory|Williamsdale]] with 10 buses. Murrays were operating seven school buses when the services were taken over by [[Qcity Transit|Deane's Buslines]] in November 1997.<ref>"Murray's Cease School Bus Runs" ''Fleetline'' July 1998 page 125</ref>

At some point Murrays diversified into coach operation, initially to the [[Snowy Mountains]]. By the mid-1980s Murrays were operating interstate services from Canberra to [[Sydney]], [[Wollongong]] and [[Narooma]]. These services continue today.<ref>[http://www.murrays.com.au/ExpressCoachService.aspx Express Services] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426093625/http://www.murrays.com.au/ExpressCoachService.aspx |date=26 April 2013 }} Murrays</ref>

In May 1979, Murrays purchased Sydney bus routes 6 [[Arncliffe, New South Wales|Arncliffe]] to [[Earlwood]] and 49 [[Carlton, New South Wales|Carlton]] to [[Rockdale, New South Wales|Rockdale]]. These were sold in October 1982 to Brighton Bus Lines after the laws requiring tourist vehicle licences to be attached to route service operators were relaxed.<ref>"Deuce" ''Fleetline'' issue 186 January 1991 page 9</ref><ref>"What Has Changed in 20 Years" ''Australian Bus Panorama'' issue 14/2 December 1998 page 8</ref>

In late 1988, an operation commenced on the [[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]] followed in 1989 by [[Melbourne]].<ref>"Murrays Coaches" ''Australian Bus Panorama'' September 1989 page 36</ref>

Murrays expanded rapidly in the early 1990s, capitalising on the growth of inbound tourism and the departure of some of its rivals. In May 1998 the [[Transdev Shorelink|Koala Tours]] business in Sydney was purchased.<ref>"Ownership changes" ''Fleetline'' July 1998 page 133</ref><ref>"Shorelink" ''Australian Bus Panorama'' August 1998 page 48</ref>

In May 2015, Murrays commenced operating a service in Queensland from [[Miles, Queensland|Miles]] to [[Brisbane Airport]].<ref>[http://www.dalbyherald.com.au/news/all-aboard-new-bus-for-dalby/2634954/ All aboard new bus for Dalby] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208102229/http://www.dalbyherald.com.au/news/all-aboard-new-bus-for-dalby/2634954/ |date=8 December 2015 }} ''Dalby Herald'' 12 May 2015</ref>

==Fleet==
Murrays initial coach fleet was built up with ex [[Ansett Pioneer]] [[GM Buffalo bus|GMC PD4107s]] and [[Mercedes-Benz O302]] and [[Mercedes-Benz O303|O303]]s. In the mid 1980s Murrays purchased a number of new Mercedes-Benz, [[Volvo Buses|Volvo]] and [[Austral (bus manufacturer)|Austral]] coaches.

Following the collapse of [[Deluxe Coachlines]] and [[Sunliner Express]] amongst others, Murrays was able to renew its fleet with large numbers of near-new Austral, [[Denning (bus manufacturer)|Denning]] and [[Scania AB|Scania]] coaches. In the mid-1990s it took delivery of 120 [[Pressed Metal Corporation South Australia|PMC Australia]] bodied [[MAN Truck & Bus|MANs]] and Scanias.

Between 2008 and 2011, Murrays conducted a major fleet renewal purchasing over 60 [[BCI Bus|BCI]] coaches. As at January 2020, the fleet consisted of 199 vehicles.<ref>[http://fleetlists.busaustralia.com/nat.php?search=MUR Murrays Coaches] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917201659/http://fleetlists.busaustralia.com/nat.php?search=MUR |date=17 September 2013 }} Australian Bus Fleet List</ref>

Until the early 1990s, Murrays had a livery of three greens and black when a new livery of white with green signwriting was adopted.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{commons category-inline}}
*{{Official website|http://www.murrays.com.au/}}
*[http://www.showbus.com/australia/gallery/murray.htm Showbus gallery]
*[http://fanaticodelgmc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/gm-coach-en-australia.html Murrays GM PD 4107 images]

{{Australian interstate coach operators}}
{{Regional NSW public transport}}

[[Category:Bus companies of Australia]]
[[Category:Companies based in Canberra]]