Peter Pickering

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2023.

Peter Pickering was born in 1960 in Swan Hill, Victoria, to Ted and Dorothy Pickering. Ted and his brother George co-owned Pickering Transport Group (PTG), formally known as Lake Boga Transport.

Peter left school at 15 years of age to start his diesel apprenticeship but before completing it he moved into truck driving. Peter often reminisces on the times he was stuck in the middle of nowhere, before mobile phones were a thing, the truck stops he frequented and his innate knowledge of how to get almost anywhere without a map.

In 1960 Peter’s father sought to expand PTG into school buses, they started with two contracts. In 1988 a decision needed to be made, ‘Who would manage the buses?’ That is when Peter decided passenger transport was his calling.

2023 will be Peter’s 35th year as managing director of Swan Hill Bus Lines (SHBL) which he and his wife, Sue, took sole ownership of in October 2007. Peter has taken the company from four school buses to 240 school buses and coaches. He employs over 300 employees across three states: Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. SHBL has diversified from just school buses and is now made up of Trainlink Services, Tour/Charter services, Country Regional Urban Bus Services or CRUBS, Town Bus Services and emergency services for V/Line, Victoria Police, State Emergency Services and the Country Fire Authority.

Peter’s most memorable trip, besides the mystery bus trips he threw each year for his staff Christmas parties, was a trip to Beverford. One evening he received a call asking him to pick up a group of Victorian Police, so he did. He then found out he needed to transport them to Beverford without headlights! Once he arrived, he was instructed to lay down in the back of the bus with the police dogs! This trip came with a lot of risk and rules but Peter was more than happy to help.

Peter is respected for amongst other things the time he served on the board of the Bus Association and his generosity to local charities to which he donates annually.

Peter is currently semi-retired, whilst still being actively involved in the passenger transport industry, day-to-day running of SHBL and attending all industry events. Peter is now taking time to travel the world with his wife, Sue.