Menu
Alan Runciman, senior.
Expand/collapse
Details
DescriptionPrinted in greyscale in the ‘Leader’ on July 25, 1989; he was one of four people receiving 'Knight of the road' awards, for his many years transporting locals, especially children.
It was reprinted on November 26, 1997, with a report on his funeral; he had died at Te Omanga Hospice on November 16, aged 82.
He was the fourth of a Waikato farmer's eight children, and his first job was driving a truck, at the age of 13, then worked on farms. When he died, he had been married to Beth for 58 years.
He signed up for World War II, and never got to fight, in spite of three 'final' leaves.
After the war he drove buses for New Zealand Railways Road services for 12 years; on night shift work he had to cycle from Trentham to Woburn and back on metal roads.
He became their senior driver in Upper Hutt.
Runciman Motors was set up to take over the borough council's upper valley service, and was initially financed by shopkeepers and a bank loan; Allan bought the company in 1956.
He ran it successfully for many years; it was eventually sold to Stagecoach, which had bought most of the Wellington-area bus services. The Runciman name survives on school buses.
The city council awarded him a 'Knight of the Road' award in 1989.
In 1989, at 73, Allan had retired, but still had bus and taxi licences and did some relief driving for his sons, who now had the business.
The picture dates from before mid-1993, when the 'Leader' changed from 171 x 119 mm greyscale prints to 152 x 102-mm colour prints.
Date TakenJuly 1989
It was reprinted on November 26, 1997, with a report on his funeral; he had died at Te Omanga Hospice on November 16, aged 82.
He was the fourth of a Waikato farmer's eight children, and his first job was driving a truck, at the age of 13, then worked on farms. When he died, he had been married to Beth for 58 years.
He signed up for World War II, and never got to fight, in spite of three 'final' leaves.
After the war he drove buses for New Zealand Railways Road services for 12 years; on night shift work he had to cycle from Trentham to Woburn and back on metal roads.
He became their senior driver in Upper Hutt.
Runciman Motors was set up to take over the borough council's upper valley service, and was initially financed by shopkeepers and a bank loan; Allan bought the company in 1956.
He ran it successfully for many years; it was eventually sold to Stagecoach, which had bought most of the Wellington-area bus services. The Runciman name survives on school buses.
The city council awarded him a 'Knight of the Road' award in 1989.
In 1989, at 73, Allan had retired, but still had bus and taxi licences and did some relief driving for his sons, who now had the business.
The picture dates from before mid-1993, when the 'Leader' changed from 171 x 119 mm greyscale prints to 152 x 102-mm colour prints.
Date TakenJuly 1989Part of
About the original
Reference1997 11 26 1FormatGreyscale printSize119 x 171 mm
FormatGreyscale printSize119 x 171 mmScanned byDon McLeod
Click on the image to add
a tag or press ESC to cancel
a tag or press ESC to cancel
loading google map....
Alan Runciman, senior.. Upper Hutt Libraries, accessed 21/08/2026, https://uhcl.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/26107