Neville & Sadie Wells

NEVILLE and SADIE WELLS have both been resident of Circular Head, Tasmania all their lives with Neville being born in 1938 and Sadie 1939.

They have been bus and coach operators since 1964, starting in a remote town named Marrawah, where they owned the towns general store. The service they purchased ran from Marrawah into Smithton to the local high school, with the first bus being a 1948 Ford. Over many years, they acquired all the rural school bus contracts in the area, and by 2009, owned 20 services. Over the years, Neville has covered every job, before retiring from driving in 2015. Neville joined the committee of the Tasmanian Bus Association in 1968, became a board member in 1973, vice president in 1987 and was president 1989-1996, continuing onto the executive in 2007. He received a Life Membership in 1988. He represented Tasmanian Bus Association on the national level from 1997 to 2003 and received their inaugural Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Award in 2005.

Neville has also been heavily involved in the community, being a life member of The Repda Football Club, a member of the Smithton Rotary Club where he received the Paul Harris Award in 2003. He is now a senior active member at age 80. After shifting to Smithton in 1975 he became of member of the Smithton Football Club 1979-1985 and was treasurer of the Smithton Gentlemen's Club 1988-1998.

Sadie supported Neville in every aspect of the business, doing all the book work as well as driving and joining all committees that their four children were involved with. This included school groups, scouts, guides, mothers clubs. She has also been an active member of Soroptimist and Meals on Wheels. The family became involved in Go Karts in 1990. Neville and Sadie both joined the committee and were given a life memberships in 1996 and 1999, after holding the Karting National Titles in 1996.

Neville and Sadie own two shacks in the Tarkine Area where he has been played an active role on various Committees surrounding the Arthur Pieman Conservation Area. Today, although they are retired, both Neville and Sadie are constant visitors to the bus depot, to keep their eye on daily activities and helping out in any way they can. Today the fleet is made up of over 25 vehicles. An honour well deserved.