Hip hip hooray! 35 years of Buster

Buster the Fun Bus: a beloved friend to Fremantle children and parents alike. Thanks to the service being around for an impressive 35 years now, it can boast of being multigenerational – children that went in the 80s and 90s are now taking their kids to meet their old friend and further strengthen those indelible community ties.

For those that have not heard of Buster the Fun Bus (today known as Buster It’s All About Play), the easiest way to describe it is as a mobile play group.

On a set day a colourful van will park near a big expanse of mottled shaded green grass somewhere in Freo, where it is met by eager children with their carers and bright picnic rugs. Slowly but surely, tubs of toys, play equipment, games and books will be plonked out between rugs.

Once the lids are removed there is no stopping any kid from getting stuck into some serious play for the next two hours.

We are seeing more and more people sharing the truth that for many the experience of caring for children in those early years can be overwhelming and isolating. Buster provides a service to support carers to get out of the house into the sunshine without having to pay or enroll.

The simplicity of just turning up with the added bonus that parents are surrounded by other parents going through the same life experience is not lost on anyone who joins a session – it is undeniable that invaluable friendships have been forged on the grasses beside Buster.

Buster’s humble beginnings were in 1986 – the year of the America’s Cup taking place in Fremantle. Due to so much money being pumped into the yacht race, the general feeling was that there needed to be something put back into the local community.

Joyce Wilkin, the Fremantle Children Services Manager, seized the day by writing an application on a tight deadline to secure a $35,000 grant for the community project.

Soon after, City of Fremantle Children’s Services employee, Marcus Holt, was given the job of coordinating.

He was also given a tight deadline of only one month to get it all up and running in conjunction with the start of the America’s Cup. While time was short, Marcus still took so much pride and care in sourcing the toys and equipment and outfitting the bus to fit it all.

Having come from a background of camping with the YMCA in the US, Marcus had a good idea of what would work. He fondly remembers the enjoyment he received from being let loose to spend money on new games and sports equipment, as well as novelty items that most of the kids would have never seen before.

While the Buster name, which Marcus came up with all those 35 years ago, has remained the same, the ‘fun bus’ is no longer the same van from the 80s (it has had at least five reincarnations now).

There is no doubt, however, that the original was the coolest due to the design and paint job, which were completed by the artist in residence at Fremantle Prison, Steve Culley, and a group of inmates.

The art was inspired by different themes and characters from children’s picture books with an overall brightly coloured psychedelic style.

Buster originally provided a much wider service – travelling to many different locations, such as caravan parks, blocks of flats and open areas in the City of Fremantle, Melville and Cockburn. During school hours the bus provided fun for pre-school aged kids and then primary school aged kids after school. There were even popular school holiday programs.

One of Marcus’ warmest memory from those early years was inflating recycled garbage bags to become 3 to 4m giant sausage balloons and then sending them flying into the sky with dozens of kids in hot pursuit.  Another popular activity was teaching the kids to make dribble sculptures using water and sand in a sandpit.

While Buster now only stays in the City of Fremantle and concentrates its service for pre-school age toddlers and children, its longevity is a true testament to the spirit of Freo.

State Government funding cuts have threatened the service all too many times. However, just when the end seems inevitable, the community has come back fighting with petitions, local politicians enlisted to fight it and front pages of local newspapers published.

The message is strong and always the same: a free service that values and supports children and their carers within the community should never ever be shut down. Buster– and that spirit of community care – must never be lost.

Learn more about Freo at the Fremantle History Centre. Its collection includes books, photos, biographical files, newspapers, council minutes and agendas, publications, maps and plans. Open by appointment Monday to Friday and Saturdays fortnightly, email [email protected]

Image: Buster the Fun Bus in 2010.