Bain & Rae Corstan
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2017.
WILLIAM BAIN AND RAE CORSTON. William, known as Bain was born in Bute, SA in 1939. He was involved in transport from a very young age working for his father Bob Corston carting livestock, general and fuel. He later had his own truck carting sand and metal. His wife Rae was born in North Norwood, SA in 1942. She was also involved in transport prior to becoming Bain's wife.
Rae and Bain began Corston Coaches in 1982. In their mid-seventies they still manage their business with a hands on approach. Bain's link with the bus industry dates back to the 1940s when his grandfather provided a school bus service from Kulpara to the high school at Kadina, the largest town on the York Peninsula in South Australia. The vehicle was a General Motors truck fitted with a bus body. Bain and Rae started with a second-hand Bedford SB3 bought from Adelaide operator Foote's Bus Service. It was Bus No#1 in the Corston fleet. The bodywork was done by Syd Wood of Bankstown, Sydney. The blue and white colour scheme has identified Coston's for the past 35 years.
In 1984 Corstons purchased an AEC underfloor-engine from Barry Allen of Wallaroo. A 1970 comair-bodied Bedford VAM 3 became Corstons No#3 in November 1985. In order to cater for the charter needs Corston's acquired a Nissan civilian minibus from McCracken of Balaklava. Corstons No#5 was a 1973 GM-powered three-axle Denning monocoach. The fleet soon grew to 21 coaches. Their current fleet comprises twelve coaches including Hino, Scania, Volvo and Mercedes Benz. They do both school and charter work servicing the Adelaide, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Gawler, Adelaide Plains and the Mid-North region York Peninsula and Southern Vales.
Over the last 35 years Bain and Rae have put a lot back into their local community and are well respected among their peers. The much loved couple are true pioneers and trail blazers of the coach and bus side of road transport. They have remained lifelong friends with their drivers who have recommended them for the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame an honour they richly deserve.