Railways and Tramways of Australia

Melbourne’s tramways have a lengthy history, extending back to 1884. Horse, cable and electric trams have operated. Most of the city’s tramways were under control of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) from 1919 to 1983. Following the establishment of the MMTB there was substantial growth in the network and the number of passengers carried. Melbourne’s trams are now in private ownership, being operated by Yarra Trams.

 

Horse trams

Melbourne’s first trams were operated by horses. On 20 December 1884 the first horse tram operated from Fairfield to Fairfield Park. Other horse tram lines opened in 1887 between Sandringham and Cheltenham, and between Victoria Bridge and Kew; in 1889 between Elsternwick and Glenhuntly, and between Brunswick and Coburg; in 1890 between Hawthorn Bridge and Auburn Road in Hawthorn, and from the corner of Royal Parade and Gatehouse Street in Parkville to the main gates of the zoo.

 

Horse tramways were cheaper to build than cable or electric tramways. However, disadvantages included their overall slower speeds than cable or electric trams, as well as the manure left behind and the smell that went with it. Many of the horse tramways established in the 1880s had a short lifespan or provided only intermittent services. Some were converted to electric tramways. The last horse tramway was the zoo tram line, which was taken over by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) in 1919 and closed in 1923 after a fire in the early hours of 5 November destroyed the depot and stables, including all four horse tramcars.

 

Cable trams

The first cable tramway opened between Spencer Street and Richmond in 1885. An extensive network of cable tramways was developed over the next five or so years, reaching 45.9 miles (73.9 km), making it one of the largest cable tram networks in the world. It was technically advanced at the time and reflected Melbourne as a sophisticated and fast-growing city. Melbourne’s cable tram network serviced the densely-populated inner city suburbs of the city. The dates of opening of the various lines are as follows:

Line                                                    Opening date

Richmond                                           11 November 1885

North Fitzroy                                      2 October 1886

Victoria Bridge                                   22 November 1886

Clifton Hill                                          10 August 1887

Nicholson Street                                 30 August 1887

Brunswick                                           1 October 1887

Johnston St Bridge (Collingwood)     21 December 1887

Brighton Road                                    11 October 1888

Prahran                                                26 October 1888

North Carlton                                      9 February 1889

Toorak                                                 15 February 1889

North Melbourne                                 3 March 1890

West Melbourne                                  18 April 1890

South Melbourne                                 17 June 1890

Port Melbourne                                   20 June 1890

Windsor–Esplanade (St Kilda )           27 October 1891

 

The cable tramway system was operated by the Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company until the network came into government ownership on 1 July 1916, and it was then operated by the Melbourne Tramways Board. On 1 November 1919 the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) was established and took control of the cable tramways.

 

A private cable tramway between Clifton Hill and Northcote was opened on 18 February 1890 by the Clifton Hill to Northcote & Preston Tramway Company. It closed and re-opened twice until it was purchased by Northcote Council, who leased it out to private operators. In 1916 Northcote Council began to run the line themselves until it came under the control of the MMTB on 2 February 1920. The cable trench on this line was shallower than on the rest of the system, precluding through running of trams until the trench was deepened when it came under control of the MMTB.

 

Cable tams consisted of a grip car (or dummy) which towed a trailer saloon car. A moving cable was laid underneath the street and the gripman would use a mechanism called a grip, which extended through a slot down to the cable, to attach the car to the cable, thus providing propulsion. To stop the car, the gripman would release the grip from the cable and apply the brakes. In 1925 there were 601 sets of dummy and trailer cars in service.

 

A Royal Commission into Melbourne’s railways and tramways reported in 1911 on some of the disadvantages of cable trams compared to electric trams, including difficulties of extending the system to outer suburbs because of high construction costs, slower speeds and less reliable machinery. It recommended electrification and that cable tram lines should be converted to electric tram lines in order of priority. Nevertheless, cable trams would continue to operate for many years. Various lines were converted to electric traction from 1925 to 1937. Around 64% of the system was converted, while the remaining lines were abandoned. On 26 October 1940 the last cable tram operated in Melbourne, from the city to Clifton Hill.

 

Electric trams

Although a working electric tramway had been exhibited at the Centennial International Exhibition in Melbourne in 1888–89, Australia’s first electric trams in regular service operated in Melbourne on 14 October 1889. The line ran from Box Hill to Doncaster through open countryside, but closed on 6 January 1896. Cable trams continued to serve the inner suburbs, and it was not until 1906 that the first permanent electric tramways opened in Melbourne.

 

The first permanent electric tram line in Melbourne was between St Kilda and Brighton, and opened for traffic on 5 May 1906. It was operated by Victorian Railways, which referred to it as an electric street railway, and was a broad (1600 mm) gauge line, whereas other tramways in Melbourne were built to standard (1435 mm) gauge. Victorian Railways continued to operate the line until the 1950s.

 

Further electric tramways were constructed, most extending to developing suburbs and connecting with cable tramways, which served the inner city suburbs. They were built and operated by local trusts, although the North Melbourne Electric Tramways & Lighting Company also operated two electric tram lines. On 2 February 1920 the lines of five electric tramway trusts were transferred to the MMTB. The North Melbourne Electric Tramways & Lighting Company lines come under the control of the MMTB in 1922.

 

Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB)

The MMTB was established in 1919 and soon operated nearly all tramways in Melbourne. Two lines operated by the Victorian Railways were never part of the MMTB and closed in the 1950s. After its establishment the MMTB began working towards converting the cable tramways to electric traction, and also building new electric tram lines. The MMTB controlled tramways within Melbourne until 1983. The table below shows key statistics regarding the electric tram network in Melbourne for every five years from 1920 to 1980.