AAT Kings

Bonluck coach at Bondi Beach in October 2013
Parent	The Travel Corporation
Founded	1928
Headquarters	Head office: Bondi Junction Coach Company: Botany
Service area	Australia New Zealand
Service type	Tour operator
Fleet	70 (February 2016)
Website	www.aatkings.com

AAT Kings is an Australian and New Zealand coach tour operator offering both short and long distance tours.

AAT Kings history can be traced back to the 1920s when the Pyke family began a car hire business in Sydney. In the 1930s they began to offer guided tours to Katoomba and Jenolan Caves. Tours were initially operated in seven-seater cars, until in 1935 when 14-seater coaches were introduced.

In 1973 Grenda's purchased Blue Line Tourist Coaches in Sydney and a Trans Australia Airlines / Mayne Nickless joint venture formed AAT Coachlines. In July 1975 AAT Coachlines purchased Pykes Tours and Grenda's coach businesses in Sydney and Melbourne.

Meanwhile, in 1967, Bill King formed Bill King’s Northern Safaris operating out of Melbourne with two Land Rovers, an ex Army International ambulance and a Denning from his father, who was the proprietor of Coburg-Heidelberg Omnibus Service.

In 1970 King purchased two larger ex Army International 4x4s and two M-series Bedford 4x4s. King later designed and designed his own 18 passenger Desert Cruiser vehicles on Bedford chassis, these were relocated to Alice Springs, and packaged tours were operated in association with Ansett Airlines.

By 1979 Bill King’s Northern Safaris was operating 10 vehicles and had four Greyhound coaches on charter. At the same time AAT Coachlines had commenced operations in the Northern Territory with four new Dennings. In 1980 AAT purchased King's business with the tours were marketed as Bill King’s Australian Adventure Tours, with King remaining as manager until 1985. Later both operations along with AAT Coachlines were merged to form AAT Kings.