Early history

The previous life of our motorhome as a Leyland Swift bus

Our Motorhome is based on a Leyland Swift bus chassis, powered by an AEC AH760 rearmount engine, with a semi-automatic 5 speed box.

This particular chassis is what is known in the bus world as a "Durban Swift", built in England for shipment to South Africa during the apartheid days, it was stamped and paperworked for delivery to "SA", but "somehow" was delivered to South Australia instead.

The body was built by Domino Industries in Brisbane, and plated as a 1979 build.

Domino Swift

Domino Swift

Domino Swift

Domino Industries Group Pty Ltd

After changing through several owners including Premier Coaches, Coolum Coaches, Haidleys, Craikes, and Mt. Gravatt Bus Service, she was finally retired and sold to a Mr. Simpson for conversion to a motorhome. Mr. Simpson removed the seats and internal fittings, before selling the bus to us as another unfinished project (Hey Brett!!).

During the 1982 Commonwealth Games, this coach was used to ferry the athletes between the QE2 stadium at Nathan, to accommodation venues up the Sunshine coast, as was dubbed "Matilda" after the large winking kangaroo mascot.

"Matilda" the commonwealth games mascot

"Matilda" the bus, retired at Mt. Gravatt Bus Service

She is still listed on the BusAustralia site by Mt. Gravatt Coaches as "Matilda".