MANSFIELD'S Rodney (Rod) Stewart is adjusting to the sale of his fourth-generation family business, Stewarts bus company on February 1 to another operator, Fallons.
A reflective Rod said, "The business has been in the family a long time and it is hard to explain why I have made the choice to sell."
But he cited "more hoops to jump through" these days with increased governance and risk assessment to manage, which had added to his workload in recent years.
Unlike himself, who started driving buses in 1992 after his father Barry got sick and his mother Lyn took over, Rod said his adult children are busy with their lives in Melbourne, and he wouldn't expect them to want to take on the business.
"I came back to the business, it was our life," Rod said.
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"Mum's family was into trucks, so we were a very transport orientated family," he said.
His mother's family moved from Rutherglen after successfully tendering for the mail and freight run from 10 Mile to Woods Point via Knockwood and Gaffney's Creek, which began July 1, 1926.
Alex Stewart and his son Hector adopted this new terrain, starkly contrasting the flat surroundings of Rutherglen, Howlong, and Chiltern.
A 1926 four-cylinder Dodge was purchased, and the T-Ford kept as a backup.
Traversing the high country in those early days was challenging, to say the least; the road was the equivalent of a rough bush track with winding steep grades and endless hairpin bends.
Add to this the seasonable conditions, which range from bushfires to snowstorms.
Rod's grandfather Hector took on driving for the mail service in the T-Ford when he was only 15.
At that time, it was permissible if a licensed driver was present; whether that was complied with in those early days is unknown.
Once Hector reached his 18th birthday, he obtained a driver's license.
In 1929, his father took over the Mansfield to Ten Mile segment and amalgamated the two runs.
Alex then bought a much more luxurious vehicle than the Dodge, with many different model cars and buses to follow.
Most were seven-seaters and invariably were overloaded with mail, passengers, newspapers and freight.
In his written account, Hector recalls a 1938 Dodge with seven passengers inside, a roof laden with luggage, and four more passengers up top.
There are many more accounts of various challenges encountered, but one bushfire that was different from the others was on Black Friday, January 13, 1939.
According to Hector, he usually waited for the flames to die and drive through.
With three passengers on board, he returned to Woods Point for their safety, only to find that the township had been wiped out.
Arriving in Woods Point just before midnight, he found his wife Nell and nine-month-old son Barry (Rodney's father) sheltering in a mine tunnel.
Snow and ice were also common interruptions to trips, with Hector sometimes forced to use the car like a snow plough to get through.
Not to mention dealing with heavy snow, causing trees to collapse across the road.
The advent of the chainsaw and four-wheel drives in recent years "improved conditions by 500 per cent," said Hector.
Rod's grandfather Hector died in August 1988 at his Woods Point home at 77, 62 years after arriving in the remote mining settlement.
Rod's father, Barry, took over the business and died at 53 in 1992.
This coincided with the 90th anniversary of the Stewart family starting the mail contracts.
Today's well-established business boasts a fleet of 10, including five school buses and four smaller buses, a far cry from the horse and cart used by his great-grandfather Alex in the early days.
Rod said it was in 1945 when the family took on the school bus routes, catering to students from Boorolite, Howes Creek, Kevington, Tolmie, Bonnie Doon and Barjarg.
His dad, Barry, also did a stint with Bill Heathcote on the Mansfield to Mt Buller service.
"It has been rewarding especially driving the school bus and seeing two generations come through," said Rod.
He said that students from his school bus routes have been approaching him in the supermarket to ask if he is leaving, which has been a nice gesture.
With the sale of the Stewarts' business to Fallons bus lines in Alexandra, Rod wants to reassure the Mansfield community that despite the transition, there should be little change in the current service with the same staff and a depot in the town retained.
The smaller community bus that does the once a week run to Woods Point on a Thursday will continue under the new ownership.
However, the regular mail run to Woods Point has not been sold, and Rod will continue to operate that service Monday to Friday.
He was also proud that they were able to use their assets for community events such as the Tour de Trail and other functions such as weddings.
"One of the reasons for selling is that the new owners have more resources and are better able to service the growing needs of our area," said Rod.
While not an easy decision, Rod believes that Fallons, another family-owned company with 140 staff, will have the capacity to manage the business.
Rod said the transition to zero emissions will commence on July 1.
This plan aims to replace every state government-contracted bus with a new vehicle as the old ones are retired, which is an added cost.
What's next for Rod?
He is adjusting to not having to do the early school runs and is watching the Stewart name disappear from the side of the buses with mixed feelings.
However, he is looking forward to cycling again; he used to compete with the Hume Veterans Club.
Rod will now have time for his other hobby, which involves "getting his head under the bonnet" and restoring his 1983 Jaguar.
Without the full-time commitment of the business, he now hopes to travel to Europe, with his sights on excursions to car-related destinations such as Goodwood in England.
Whatever Rod's future holds, the Stewart family has undoubtedly played an essential part in the history of transportation in Mansfield and outlying areas for over 100 years.
A legacy to be proud of.
