The foundations of APT were laid in 1924 when McGeary converted his tray truck into a bus and joined with other enterprising operators to transport commuters left stranded by an extended cable-tram strike in Melbourne's northern suburbs.

McGeary learned it was necessary to drop off and pick up customers very quickly as the striking tramway workers would attempt to tip the bus over on its side.

With his new home set on a double block of land, it was not long before Bill and his brother George, who also worked as a driver, built a large timber garage in the yard to house the three buses.

Determined that the business should remain in the family, Geoff McGeary, at the age of 19, applied for special dispensation to obtain an under-age bus driving license.

Quickly identifying the opportunities that recreational travel presented the bus industry, McGeary was soon selling mid-week day trips to kindergartens, extended journeys to school groups and sending his buses to Central Australia and Queensland on ground-breaking camping holidays.

In the mid-1960s, Geoff McGeary and his closest competitor Mayer Page of Melbourne Motor Coaches, were elected to the charter committee of the Road Passenger Service Operator's Association.

Though the bulk of the company's work was still in bus charter contracts at the start of the 1970s, Australian Pacific Coaches were increasingly turning their attention to extended touring.

APT's first overseas tour to New Zealand was met with such enthusiasm that McGeary and Page began regularly taking Australians to experience "The Land of the Long White Cloud".

[11] McGeary and Page consolidated all these brands into, what is still known today as, AAT Kings, then was rebuilt as a separate touring business to compete with APT.

Completely self-sufficient, the 48-passenger coaches, towed safari trailers with refrigeration, food, tents and everything needed to survive touring the Australian Outback.

This program marked APT's first major foray outside Australia, New Zealand and traditional coach-only touring, to now include cruise ships.

[12][13][14] In 1997 Page sold AAT Kings to Bermuda-based Travel Corporation, owner of such brand names as Trafalgar Tours, Insight Vacations and Contiki.

In June 2012 APT became partners and shareholders with leading UK cruise specialist Noble Caledonia and its luxury expedition ship MS Island Sky.

[25] In January 2014 Geoff McGeary was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australian (OAM) for services to Tourism in the 2014 Australia Day Honours.

By the time his son, Geoff, took over the business, there were five vehicles; a Chevrolet, two Fords and two SB Bedfords ranging in age from seven to eleven years.

In 1978, Ansair bodied Mercedes-Benz O303 42 seaters were purchased; fully equipped with air conditioning, hydraulic tilt seats, a chemical toilet and trailer towing attachment.

[1] The APT Group invested in the building of luxury river boats in Europe in 2005 with Jimmy Murphy of Brennan Tours and cruising expert, Rudi Schreiner.

These camps are situated on Aboriginal land by special agreement with local indigenous communities and are available to both APT tourists and self-drive travellers.

[32] Founded by Tim Littler, GW Travel is a company that operates private trains in Russia, Mongolia, China, Tibet, India, Canada and Africa and holds an exclusive lease on the new Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express.