Adelaide - Transport
Also see:Place Names - Norwood
Place Names - Kensington
Place Names - Hindmarsh
Tramways
A Brief Essay on Tramways
(Also see Geoffrey H. Manning's A Colonial Experience, Chapter 19.)
By the 1870s had become apparent to the authorities that rail communication was an efficient way of conveyance and by 1877 horse trams had arrived on the local scene where services plied to and from nearby suburbs. Thebarton was serviced as from 23 October 1880 when a line opened running from Hindley Street, across the Park Lands along Mile End Road "where it crossed over the Holdfast Bay and Nairne railway lines close to their junction". It then took a northerly course to the Hindmarsh Bridge' and, after crossing same, ran "down to the Hope Inn" and turned off to the depot. Another line along Henley Beach Road opened on 13 February 1883 and was more convenient for the residents of Thebarton.
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However, all was not smooth running for the patrons because many complaints were forthcoming about the uncomfortable trips, the dilatory manner of drivers and the cheekiness of tramboys:
Every variety of jolt and violent swaying, both sidelong and upwards, has to be endured - not necessarily for the whole journey, because it is open to passengers, who cannot bear the infliction, to get out and walk before reaching their destination.
The trams rarely run up to the time that is published... the boys are decidedly cheeky (their being dirty is... excusable) and some of the drivers seem asleep during the journey... The already fatigued bony horses... should have been turned out four years ago...
A complaint about drunkenness and larrikinism together with a novel remedy by invoking the use of trams was forthcoming from a concerned citizen:
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[The trams] carry dozens of larrikins to Henley Beach regularly every Sunday, who make a practice of going there purely to get drunk; and the result is they disgrace their manhood and offend women and children, not only by a grievous exhibition of intoxication, but also by resorting to the most obscene and revolting language.
The evil can be easily remedied... Carry out the same policy as adopted by the Railway Commissioner towards the Semaphore, and Henley Beach will be free from visitors. Give them slow trams, put on some old horse cars, and do not dust them more than once a day in summer; charge 1/6 [15 cents] return, and never allow passengers to arrive at the tabulated time, and even drunks will seek fresh places for their weekly spree.
The electrification of tramways came to the district in December 1909 with a double track line to Thebarton from Adelaide and a single track to Henley Beach; the latter section was completed first so four cars were transported from the Hackney Depot to Thebarton and a passenger service inaugurated on 23 December 1909 with horse cars carrying out the former until 9 March 1910.
To give passengers better access the former horse tram route was altered and a new one built along Parker, Albert and Holland Streets to take passengers into Hindmarsh via a reinforced concrete bridge built across the river at the end of Holland Street and then along Manton Street.
This was to change in January 1923 when a new line opened which went down the south side of the Port Road and down George Street to connect with the former line at Albert Street. The return route crossed the river on a new bridge built from Manton Street to Cawthorne Street (since demolished) and on into Light Terrace, Port Road (then Shierlaw Terrace) and the north side of the Port Road.
Electric trams served the community for nearly fifty years when, in 1954, following a decision which is still the subject of concern today, they were replaced by buses, the proponents of which contended that they were more mobile and that routes could be changed or extended at less cost; matters such as air pollution did not enter into the debate! Gangs of men commenced removing the tram lines in Light Terrace in September 1954 and the Henley Beach service was terminated in 1957. With the one exception of the Glenelg line the complete suburban network had been dismantled by the close of 1958.
General Note
A history of trams in Adelaide is in the Advertiser,24 January 1934, page 29.
Tramways
Electric Trams
Also see Adelaide - Streets - Miscellany.
"Electric Trams and Lighting" is in the Register,
23 and 28 January 1889, pages 6e and 4g,
4 June 1897, page 4g,
18 August 1899, pages 4d-5b-6e.
"Electric and Other Tramways" is in the Register,
29 April 1891, pages 4f-6c.
"Electric Tramways" is in the Register,
19 December 1894, page 4i.
"Electric Cars for Adelaide" is in the Register,
1 May 1897, page 5b,
"Tramways and Electric Traction" on
4 June 1897, page 4g.
"Electric Trams and Railways" is in the Register,
28 May 1898, page 4f.
"Should Adelaide Have Electric Tramways?" is in the Register,
18 and 19 August 1899, pages 4d-5e-6e and 5d.
"Electric Trams for Adelaide" is in the Advertiser,
18 and 19 August 1899, pages 7b and 6e,
Observer,
26 August 1899, page 42d.
"Electric Tramways" is in the Register,
27 September 1899, page 6f.
"The Sydney Electric Trams - What Adelaide Wants" is in the Register,
20 January 1900, page 4h.
"The Electric Tramway" is in the Register,
18 January 1896, page 5g,
Advertiser,
31 March 1900, page 11c,
10, 14 and 23 April 1900, pages 9c, 9c and 6d,
9 and 23 May 1900, pages 9b and 7e,
5, 8, 13 and 21 June 1900, pages 4c, 7b, 7d and 4f.
Also see Register,
21, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 April 1900, pages 7f, 6g, 3d, 9h, 3e and 3e,
5, 10, 25, 29 and 31 May 1900, pages 4d, 7c, 6g, 4b and 4d,
6, 7, 18 and 20 June 1900, pages 6a, 6g, 2g and 5h,
9, 10, 11 and 26 July 1900, pages 4d, 4d, 4d and 4e,
16 and 21 August 1900, pages 4f and 3h,
12 and 17 September 1900, pages 4d and 4c,
10 October 1900, page 4d,
7 November 1900, page 4c,
20 May 1901, page 5b,
10 and 17 June 1901, pages 3h and 6f,
12 and 29 August 1901, pages 4b and 4c.
"Tramways and Electricity" is in the Register,
22 November 1899, page 5a,
"Electric Trams for Adelaide" on
11 April 1900, page 4g.
A meeting of the Public Tramways League is reported in the Register,
20 September 1900, page 6g.
Also see Register,
27 August 1901, page 3g,
9 and 18 September 1901, pages 7g and 4c,
27 November 1901, page 6e,
9 December 1901, page 6c,
4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 February 1902, pages 4c-5a, 5c, 4c-5b, 5c, 7d and 5a
30 August 1902, page 6g,
Observer,
9 August 1902, page 24a,
The Herald,
4 and 11 January 1902,
1 and 7 February 1902, pages 6b and 1a.
"The Westinghouse Trams" is in the Register,
27 June 1901, pages 4f-7h.
Also see Observer,
5 December 1903, page 43a,
Register,
20 December 1902, pages 6d and 7b,
4 August 1903, page 3d,
21 September 1903, page 4c-f,
16, 18, 19 and 27 February 1904, pages 6d, 4c, 4h and 10a,
2 and 3 March 1904, pages 6d and 5a,
20 and 26 August 1904, pages 6c and 6b,
6 and 28 September 1904, pages 4c and 4d,
4 October 1904, page 4d,
14 and 15 November 1904, pages 4d-6h and 5a.
Cartoons are in The Critic,
16 November 1904, page 15.
"The Tramways Muddle" is in the Observer,
12 August 1905, page 42a,
"The Tramway Problem" in the Register,
7 December 1905, page 4c.
Also see Register,
18 January 1905, page 4d,
8 August 1905, page 4c,
21 August 1906, pages 4c-6h,
21 December 1906, page 4b,
13 and 21 February 1907, pages 5e and 7a,
6 and 9 March 1907, pages 5e and 8d,
5 April 1907, pages 4c-7b,
22 and 23 May 1907, pages 6d and 5d,
20 July 1907, page 8f,
8 and 30 August 1907, page 7c and 4d,
4 and 7 January 1908, pages 6e-7b and 6i.
"Selecting the Trust" is in the Register,
9, 15, 18, 24 and 25 January 1907, pages 7a, 5d, 4b and 5d,
3 February 1907, page 5c.
Biographical details of W.C.T. Goodman are in the Register,
17 May 1907, page 5b.
"The Tramways - Where the Lines Should Go" is in the Register,
19 January 1907, page 8f; also see
24 January 1907, page 4b,
"The Tramways Trust" on
25 January 1907, page 5d.
"Tramway Routes - What the People Think" is in the Register,
22, 25 and 28 May 1907, pages 6d-7b, 14a and 8e,
1 June 1907, page 10h,
20 July 1907, pages 7a-8f-8g,
Express,
23, 28 and 29 May 1907, pages 4f, 3h and 4d,
19 July 1907, page 1h,
5 and 7 August 1907, pages 3f and 4e.
"Tramway Trust and Architects" is in the Register,
6 December 1907, page 4c.
"Tramlines Through Squares and Parks" is in the Register,
25 February 1908, page 9e.
Photographs are in the Chronicle,
30 May 1908, pages 29-30,
20 June 1908, page 30,
7 November 1908, page 30,
5 December 1908, pages 29-30-31,
23 January 1909, page 31,
17 March 1909, page 35.
A plan of tramway routes is in the Register,
8 August 1907, page 7; also see
27 August 1907, page 6c;
"New Fares and Routes" is in the
Register,
4 January 1909, page 4h.
An editorial complaint is in the Register,
30 and 31 August 1907, pages 4d and 8d.
Also see Observer,
10 August 1907, page 41a,
19 October 1907, page 43c,
Register,
15 October 1907, page 5d,
25 February 1908, page 9e,
9 April 1908, pages 4c-5a,
21, 22, 26 and 28 May 1908, pages 4c, 9a, 7a and 4f,
24, 25 and 30 November 1908, pages 6e, 6f and 4g,
1 and 3 December 1908, pages 5f and 7c,
1, 4, 5, 7 and 22 January 1909, pages 6f, 3b-4h, 7a, 7c and 5b,
13 and 16 February 1909, pages 5b and 11g,
4 March 1909, page 9f.
"Tramways in the Squares" is in the Express,
24 February 1908, page 1g.
"Constructing the Tram Tracks - A Navvy's Life" is in the Advertiser,
27 October 1908, page 8g.
Photographs and other information are in The Critic,
27 May 1908, pages 16 and 17,
3 September 1908, page 19, 17 March 1909, page 3,
28 April 1909, page 3,
4 August 1909, page 4 (cartoons and photographs).
A photograph of the staff of the MTT is in The Critic,
24 February 1909, page 3.
Biographical details of C.A. Smith, MTT accountant, are in the Register,
28 September 1908, page 4g.
"Electric Car Drivers - How They are Trained" is in the Register,
17 October 1908, page 11f,
22 March 1909, page 3g,
"Concession Tickets" on
9 July 1910, page 13e.
"First Electric Tramcar" is in the Register,
30 November 1908, page 4g,
1 and 3 December 1908, pages 5f and 7c.
"Constructing the Tram Tracks - A Navvy's Life" is in the Advertiser,
27 October 1908, page 8g.
"Public Dissatisfied" is in the Register,
1 and 5 January 1909, pages 5g and 7a.
The formal opening of the electric tram service is reported in the Register,
5 March 1909, page 5c; also see
9, 11, 15 and 19 March 1909, pages 6b, 6i, 5a and 5a,
8 April 1909, page 6c.
"From Horses to Electricity" is in the Observer,
13 March 1909, page 41a.
"Sunday Morning Trams - What the Parsons Think" is in the Register,
6 March 1909, page 10g,
18 and 25 March 1909, pages 5f and 7b,
"Sunday Morning Trams" in the Advertiser on
14 and 22 January 1910, pages 8i and 10g.
"The Tramways" is in the Register,
9 March 1909, page 6b.
"The Depot Buildings" is in the Register,
20 March 1909, page 10d.
"Training Tramway Men" is in the Register,
22 March 1909, page 3g.
"Trust Charged With Intimidation" is in the Register,
5 May 1909, page 7a.
"The New Cars" is in the Register,
29 and 31 May 1909, pages 11e and 9d,
1, 2 and 9 June 1909, pages 9d, 6d and 9e.
Also see Register
10 and 12 May 1909, pages 3g and 4h,
9 June 1909, page 9e,
5 August 1909, page 9a,
5 April 1911, page 8h,
26 May 1911, page 6b,
28 June 1911, page 7e,
3 January 1912, page 7c,
27 October 1920, page 6e.
"Waiting for Cars - A Long-Suffering Public" is in the Express,
23 June 1909, page 3g.
"The Tramways - Viewed by an Expert" is in the Register,
5 August 1909, page 9a.
"Tramways Prosecution" is in the Register,
11 September 1909, page 12e.
"The Hackney Depot" is in the Register,
19 October 1909, page 4g; also see
11 November 1909, page 6e,
23 December 1909, page 6g.
"Adelaide Tramways - Then and Now - From Horses to Electricity - Best System in the World" is in the Register,
9 March 1909, page 10,
"Tramways and Secrecy" on
29 November 1909, page 4e; also see
10 March 1909, pages 5b-7a.
"Tramway Triumph" is in the Register,
9 March 1910, pages 6c-7c.
"The Tram Service - Criticisms and Suggestions" is in the Advertiser,
18 April 1910, page 10e.
Tramway accidents are discussed in the Register,
5, 6, 8, 10, 13 and 20 September 1910, pages 4c-6d, 4h-5g, 5g, 15g, 8i and 9b,
"Our Tramways - A Great Organisation" on
3 December 1910, page 10b,
"Hobble Skirts" and tramways on
12, 17 and 28 January 1911, pages 4d-f-g, 8f and 12e.
"Hobbled Skirts and Tram Cars" is in the Register,
7 June 1911, page 6f.
"Tramways' Power House" is in the Register,
26 November 1910, page 11a.
The trials and tribulations of a tram conductor are revealed in the Advertiser,
1 January 1910, page 8f.
Biographical details of Wallace Burnett are in the Register,
4 November 1910, page 6h.
"Tramway Strike Averted" is in the Register,
15, 16 and 17 December 1910, pages 8e, 6f and 15d.
"Our Tramways" is in the Register,
3 December 1910, page 10 (includes photographs).
Biographical details of George Bird, tram driver, is in the Register,
8 December 1910, page 7a.
"Left in the Trams" is in the Register,
21 December 1910, page 6f.
"Tramways Trust and Unionism" is in the Register,
8 May 1911, page 8g.
"Trouble With the Trust - A Sunday Mass Meeting" is in the Register,
6 March 1911, page 8h.
The opening of the tramways' power station is reported in the Register,
8 June 1911, page 5a;
photographs appear on
10 June 1911, page 8.
"More Routes Opening" is in the Register,
28 June 1911, page 7e,
1 and 3 July 1911, pages 15g and 8b.
"The Trams of Adelaide" is in the Advertiser,
26 August 1911, page 7,
"The Tramway Man at Work" on
18 February 1913, page 18a,
"Traffic on the Trams" on
2 June 1914, page 16d.
"Tramways and Sunday Business" is in the Register,
15 September 1911, page 9c.
"Hints to Tramway Passengers" is in the Register,
1 November 1911, page 6d.
"Two Years' Operations - Statistical Analysis" is in the Register,
3 January 1912, page 7c.
"Then and Now" is in the Register,
25 July 1912, page 6d.
"Tramways Turmoil" is in the Observer,
5 October 1912, page 49a,
"The Tramways and Conciliation" on
28 December 1912, pages 31d-49a,
4 January 1913, page 40a.
"Tramways - Something of the Inner Workings" is in the Chronicle,
22 February 1913, page 45c.
"Tramway Wages" is in the Observer,
4 January 1913, page 40a.
"Collisions - Excitement on Tramcars" is in the Register,
28 May 1914, page 6i.
"Birthday of the Trams" is in the Advertiser,
9 March 1915, page 6h.
"Tramway's Trust Purchase [of Town Acre 375]" is in the Register,
5 and 8 February 1916, pages 8g and 7d.
A new system of indicating the destination of trams by numbers is detailed in the Advertiser,
28 May 1917, page 6e,
"Trams and Passengers" on
26 May 1920, page 6e,
"Overcrowded Trams" on
20 December 1921, page 6g.
"Hatpins on Tramcars" is in the Register,
25 July 1917, page 6d, 8 May 1918, page 6f.
"The War and Tramways" is in the Register,
30 August 1917, page 8d.
Photographs of employees on active service are in The Critic,
27 December 1916, pages 13-17.
"The Tramways" is in the Register,
11 October 1917, page 4c,
"The Trail of the Tram - Improvement of Suburban Property" on
19 June 1919, page 4d.
"Smoking in Tram Cars" is in the Advertiser,
29 November 1920, page 9a.
Also see SA - Social Matters.
"A Runaway Tramcar" is in the Register,
6 June 1918, page 6h.
"The Tramways Peace" is in the Observer,
23 November 1918, pages 27e-30a and
7 December 1918, page 27d.
"Trams Still Idle" is in the Express,
15 November 1918, page 1e.
Photographs of a tramway strike are in the Observer,
23 November 1918, page 23.
Biographical details of A.B. Moncrieff are in the Observer,
28 June 1919, page 32c.
"Why Mr Holden Resigned" is in the Register,
4 April 1919, page 4h.
"Tramways Trust and Patriotism [re A.W.M. Young]" is in the Register,
21 and 23 April 1919, pages 4f and 9e.
"Churches and Trams - Walking to Worship" is in the Register,
27 June 1919, page 7a.
An obituary of Mr E.S. Moulden is in the Express,
13 August 1919, page 1f,
Register,
14 August 1919, page 6g,
Observer,
16 August 1919, page 31b.
The opening of the city depot is reported in the Register,
25 November 1919, page 6g; also see
15 January 1920, page 7a,
12 and 13 May 1920, pages 7d and 10d,
24 November 1921, page 7d.
"A Week of Fewer Trams" is in the Register,
23 February 1920, page 7d.
"The Crushing Nuisance" is in The Mail,
29 January 1921, page 2f.
"Pickpockets and Tram Passengers" is in the Register,
21 January 1922, page 12a.
"Trial of a New Tram" is in the Advertiser,
27 January 1922, page 8e and
its introduction on
3 May 1922, page 6e.
"Tramway Trust and Public - Growing List of Complaints" is in the Advertiser,
29 May 1922, page 9f.
"New Tramway Routes" is in the Register,
10 January 1923, page 7c.
"Our Tramways - History of the Work" is in the Register,
8 March 1923, page 11c,
"Trams and the Working Man" on
8 May 1923, pages 8d-9c.
Biographical details of C.H. Dewhirst are in the Register,
6 August 1923, page 8g.
"Power for Adelaide Trams" is in The News,
15 February 1924, page 9e.
"Tram Routes - Several Alterations" is in the Advertiser,
23 September 1924, page 14b.
"Tramways Symphonic Band" is in the Register,
13 June 1924, page 13f.
The Tramways Band is discussed in the Register,
5, 6 and 7 March 1925, pages 9c, 8d and 9d,
Advertiser,
28 April 1923, page 15a,
6, 7, 12, 25 and 30 March 1925, pages 12f, 15f, 16e, 11g and 12e,
2 April 1925, page 14c; also see
The News,
19 November 1924, page 10a,
5 March 1925, page 1a,
1 April 1925, page 1e.
A photograph is in the Observer,
5 April 1924, page 34.
"After the Last Car - How Adelaide Gets Home" is in the Register,
16 July 1926, page 10i.
"Tram Speeds" is in the Observer,
29 September 1928, page 69d.
Photographs of electric trams "old and new" are in the Chronicle,
23 January 1930, page 54.
A history of electric trams is in The News,
11 March 1930, page 11e.
"Men Still Give Up Their Seats to Women" is in The News,
17 January 1934, page 8a.
Articles on trams are in The Mail,
29 September 1928, page 10a,
18 March 1933, page 13.
"How Adelaide Trams Work" is in the Register,
4 February 1929, page 9d.
"Twenty-Five Years of Electric Trams" is in the Advertiser,
9 March 1934, page 20g.
"Trams, Conductors and Passengers" is in The News,
14 May 1937, page 4g.
