page_title: Ventura Bus Lines
section_title: Early history
hierarchical_section_title: Ventura Bus Lines / History / Early history
caption_attribution_description: Ventura bus 895 rego 5972AO on route 742 picks up passengers at Heatherdale
context_page_description: Ventura Bus Lines is the largest provider of public bus transport services in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its fleet of 915 buses operate 141 routes out of 12 depots and move on average 36 million people a year. The company also provides V/Line, event transportation, school bus and aged care services.
context_section_description: Ventura was founded in December 1924 by Henry Cornwall. The name and company colours (dark blue, light blue and yellow) derived from Ventura County, California where Cornwall had spent time after serving in World War I. A former employee of Track & Kintrack, St Kilda, Harry decided to form his own bus company when his employer refused to run a bus service along dirt roads through what was then Melbourne's outer east.
  Cornwall began operating a bus route between Box Hill and Melbourne City Centre, and in 1930 began running buses between Box Hill and Mentone. The first depot was behind the petrol station on the corner of Station Street and Canterbury Road, in Box Hill South.
caption: Custom Coaches bodied Scania L94UB at Heatherdale in September 2009
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