| Historical notes: | HISTORY OF THE SYDNEY TRAMWAY
SYDNEY'S FIRST TRAM LINE 1861-1866
The introduction of the first tram to Sydney in 1861 follows similar developments overseas at the same time. The 1830s saw some initial experimentation in tram transport in the United States, with the establishment of horse-drawn tramways in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston and Pittsburgh by the 1850s (Lennon & Wotherspoon 1983: 101). It was not until 1855 however that a regular street tram service was inaugurated in Europe (Paris) (Larkins & Howard 1978: 33).
The impetus for a Sydney tramway was based on the idea of providing a feeder service from Circular Quay to Redfern Square railway station, which terminated just south of the existing Devonshire Street pedestrian tunnel at Central (MacOwen 1990: 4). A Select Committee was established in October 1859, following the submission of a signed petition requesting the construction of a city tram service. Following the approval of the Committee, the Pitt Street Tramway Bill was ratified, and the line was commenced in December 1861.
Sydney's first foray into tram transportation did not fare well. Two horse-drawn trams were ordered from England along with rail lines capable of carrying goods wagons, with an additional two cars built locally between 1964 and 1965. One of the problems associated with making the line accessible to goods wagons was that the rails had to extend above the road surface to accommodate the deeper flanges of the wagon wheels. It has also been stated that the lines were laid upside down on account of the fact that they were of the wrong width (Lennon & Wotherspoon 1983: 102). Either way, the result was that the lines stood one inch above the road surface, which presented itself as a hazard to other traffic and pedestrians.
Before long, an anti-tram lobby had developed, consisting mainly of Pitt Street shop owners who argued that their businesses had suffered a downturn in patronage as a result of the nuisance of the tram line. Their cause received a favourable turn following the first tram-related death of a popular Sydney identity in 1864. With these considerations in mind, and along with the high running costs associated with the service, another Select Committee met in November 1865 which recommended the cessation of the service and that the lines be taken up. The last day of operation was 31 December 1866 with the lines promptly removed the following day.
Tramway operation between 1879 and 1961
Throughout the 1870s, there were a number of attempts to unsuccessfully revive the tram service in Sydney. By 1879, plans had been put forward for the construction of another tramway from old Redfern Station along Pitt Street, through Belmore Park, to Hunter Street via Elizabeth Street. The purpose of this line, which was envisaged as a steam-powered service, was to transport large volumes of people to the Garden Palace in the Botanic Gardens for the 1879 International Exhibition. It had been agreed by the Government that this line would only be used for six months, and that following its removal, a city bound train line would be considered (Lennon &
Wotherspoon 1983: 103).
Despite the intention of having a steam-powered service, the line was opened on 16 September 1879 using two locally built horse-drawn trams. Two weeks later, four steam motors and six double-deck cars arrived late from Philadelphia to continue the service. The steam trams were given a test run on 23 September, and were put into official service on Sunday 28 September. The line proved to be both popular and successful, and led to requests to have the line extended as a permanent service by the end of October (Larkins & Howard 1978: 59). By April 1880, the Tramways Extension Act had been passed allowing for the extension of the line into Sydney's outer suburbs, as a preferable option to an extended train service.
By 15 August, the Hunter Street line had been duplicated and an extension to Bridge Street added via Hunter and Phillip Streets. The first branch line to Randwick Racecourse was opened 14 September 1880, which extended as a single line from Elizabeth Street to Liverpool Street, along Oxford Street to Taylor Square, into Flinders Street to Moore Park; and then as a double line until its termination alongside Allison Road at Randwick Racecourse. The line proved popular and was extended into King Street, Randwick, and to Coogee Beach.
Whilst profitable at first, the lines grew quickly and began to exert a considerable financial strain on the Government who were now committed to developing the new transport infrastructure. By 1884, tram services reached Randwick, North Bondi, Woollahra, Coogee and Bronte in the east; west Kensington, Waterloo and Botany in the south-east; Newtown Station to Marrickville, and to City Road in the south-west; and from the railway terminus to Glebe Point, Glebe Point to Forest Lodge, and from Annandale to Leichhardt in the west. From this period until 1889, the tramways were generally running at a loss due to construction and maintenance costs.
Between 1900 and World War 1, the Sydney tramways improved financially with the conversion to electrification from the previous steam and cable services and the expansion of the network. During this period, the tramways recorded solid profits. By 1914, Sydney's population had grown to 750 000, and the tramway network, which reached 200 miles, carried 300 million people annually (Lennon & Wotherspoon 1983: 113). At its peak, Sydney's tramways were the second largest system in the world, second only to London's.
During the early period of the 20th Century, the development of public transportation in Sydney was on the rise, including the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge featuring rail and tram lines, the Sydney CBD subway train loop, as well as the expansion of rail services.
By the 1930s, attitudes had changed regarding the function of the tram system. Rather than being considered trunk services in their own right, trams were to become feeder services for the ever-expanding rail network. Another concern facing the trams was the increasing traffic congestion on Sydney's streets. By as early as 1828, Committees had been formed to assess the operational viability of Sydney's tramways. The first real blow came with the conversion of the Manly tram line to buses in September 1939.
The trams remained economically viable during World War II when petrol prices increased, favouring the tramways over buses and private vehicles. However, by the 1950s, attention again began to focus on the development of Sydney's rail network including the completion of the CBD loop and the construction of the eastern and southern rail lines. In 1949, the Sinclair Report was released which recommended that trams begin to be phased out by 1955 and fully replaced by 1960.
By the end of their service, the trams were run down, and expenditure on the system could not be justified. In addition, a reliance on private motor vehicles had increased adding to the roads already congested by peak-hour trams. The tram lines were systematically closed down and replaced with bus services, with the last tram running from La Perouse and Malabar on 25 February 1961.
HISTORY OF THE BONDI BEACH TRAMLINE
The earliest tram service to the Bondi area was the 1881 Waverley line which diverted from the Randwick line at Taylor Square, along Oxford Street to Ocean Street, Woollahra. The line was then extended to Cowper Road (now Bronte Road), to Leichhardt Street, Macpherson Street and terminated at St Thomas Street, near Waverley Cemetery. In its first year, the Waverley line was recognised as the busiest in Sydney, carrying 52, 965 passengers a week. By October 1882, a petition featuring 11, 500 signatories was submitted to the Legislative Assembly calling for a tramway to Bondi Beach.
By 24 May 1884, a Bondi line had been completed and extended from the intersection of Oxford Street and Bronte Road at Bondi Junction, east along present day Bondi Road and terminated at Denham Street. The Waverley line was then duplicated between Taylor Square and Bondi Junction improving accessibility between Bondi and the city. By December 1884, a direct local line operated between Bridge Street, Sydney and Fletcher Street, Bondi, with eleven trams in operation on this line by the following year. This line allowed express trams to run between Sydney and Bondi; a service that worked its way into the Australian vernacular with the expression: "Shoot through like a Bondi Tram!" - meaning to move or leave quickly. The Bondi line was again extended along Fletcher Street to coincide with the opening of the Bondi Aquarium which opened at Tamarama Beach in September 1887. The Bondi line, unlike the rest of the Sydney system, appears to have operated as a self contained unit throughout its steam-operated days (Keenan 1989: 7).
The extension of the line from Bondi Aquarium to the Beach proved to be a contentious issue, with the Railway Commissioners being asked to justify the expenditure on a line that was effectively a seasonal and recreational destination. Despite objections, the line was commenced in early 1893 and was completed by February 1894. The project involved the duplication of the Denham and Fletcher Street sections, as well as the extension of a double track which ran under Bondi Road though a cutting; terminating in a loop on the southern end of Bondi Beach. Initially, the service was a limited one, but soon expanded following residential development and increased popularity of the beach.
The first section of the Bondi line was electrified in September 1902 between Bridge Street, Sydney and Waverley with the Bondi Beach line electrified in October 1902. The line was then extended along the beach front to Hastings Parade in North Bondi on 29 February, 1929. This then connected with the Bellevue Hill line at Curlewis Street which had been established in December 1914. The Bellevue Hill line, known as the "goat track" due to its winding course through Woollahra and Paddington, ceased in 1959. An initial concern following the electrification of the Bondi Beach line was that the E Class Cars (which were introduced to the network between 1901 and 1903 and generally phased out by the 1930s) had only three inches clearance under the Bondi Road overpass. The tight clearance was eased in February 1903 when the track was lowered beneath the bridge.
The North Bondi services via Bondi Junction continued to operate until 27 February 1960; finally being replaced by buses as part of the ultimate closure of the Sydney tramways the following year. The number 380 and 381 bus routes continue to follow the general line of the tram to the present-day. |