ABC #397

SERVE
WITH
CARE
Co-MD of family run Brisbane Bus Lines
Lara-Jane Mitchell believes one of the
greatest strengths of their business is the
ability to be flexible and adapt to change.
It’s something her father, Ian Mitchell, can
vouch for in his 36-year run in bus game.
WORDS ANJALI BEHL IMAGES NICK WILSON + DALE TOKELY
Brisbane Bus Lines (BBL) was
established by Lara-Jane’s
grandfather, Bill Mitchell,
with the purchase of the
South Toowoomba Bus
Service in 1947. He soon expanded his
operations to run Sunday Sightseeing
tours and for the next 37 years he
continued to grow his footprint in
the industry with many bus company
acquisitions. He formally registered the
business name in 1965. After his sudden
demise in 1984, his sons Ian and Jeff
became directors of the company.
They worked in partnership for 22
years until Jeff’s retirement in 2006. Ian
purchased Jeff’s share of the business and
today two of his three children - Lara-Jane
and James Mitchell - are working with
him.
After a part-time stint with the family
business, Lara-Jane went
on to finish her graduate degree before
re-entering the business in March 2009.
For four years she worked across various
business operations before becoming
co-director in 2012.
“Dad’s work ethic instilled in me
the importance of dedication and
commitment. Currently, I manage the
business alongside my father and I’m
thankful that he is around to pass on
his knowledge and years of experience,”
Lara-Jane explained.
Meanwhile, James followed the
family tradition of putting his passion
for quality service delivery into his role
as fleet presentation manager and yard
supervisor.
“It is important to me that our
customers can enjoy a clean, wellpresented,
safe and reliable vehicle
whether they travel on one of our school,
urban or charter vehicles,”
he said.
THE JOURNEY
The business has literally seen it all – from
a depot fire in 1967 to floods in 1974
that inundated a fleet of its buses and
office building; supplying vehicles to the
Sydney Olympics and the Gold Coast
Commonwealth Games; a large-scale fleet
replacement programme, multiple office
relocations to meet expansion demands -
and now a global pandemic.
“There is something to be said for
Left: Ian, James and Lara-Jane Mitchell on the
balcony of the new building.
busnews.com.au September 2020 ABC
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