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Trams in Sydney

The Sydney tramway network served the inner suburbs of Sydney, Australia, from 1879 until 1961. In its heyday, it was the largest in Australia, the second largest in the Commonwealth of Nations (after London), and one of the largest in the world. The network was heavily worked, with about 1,600 cars in service at any one time at its peak during the 1930s (cf. about 500 trams in Melbourne today). Patronage peaked in 1945 at 405 million passenger journeys. Its maximum street trackage totalled 291 km (181 miles) in 1923.

This article is about the now-closed tramways of Sydney. For the current light rail network, see Light rail in Sydney.

Sydney tramway network

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

405 million

405 million

was originally a cable tram depot which opened in May 1886. Services were extended to Crows Nest in July 1893. Upon conversion to electric operation in February 1900 the depot was extensively rebuilt in 1902 to enlarge the 12 road tram shed. Upon closure in the 1920s the shed was converted into a cinema, now the Independent Theatre.

Ridge Street Tram Depot

On 21 August 1924, a coupled set of E-class cars ran out of control near McMahon's Point, derailed and crashed into a house. There were two fatalities, and the trams were extensively damaged.

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On 10 November 1924, steam tram motor 88A as well as 2 steam tram trailers derailed due to a misaligned rail at Miranda. The driver Sam Wyatt was the only one killed, however 19 others were also injured. A Z20 class steam engine, as well as the Eveleigh accident crane were deployed to clean up the site. 88A would be scrapped at Randwick Workshops.

In 1929, a P-class tram crashed into a barber's shop on the corner of Quay and Ultimo Roads near Central Station. Almost half of the tramcar ended up in the shop.

There were accidents at , Taronga Park, when trams lost control running down the steep hill and ended up in the harbour, in 1942, 1952 and 1958.[61]

Athol Wharf

Scores of accidents – some fatal – befell tram conductors while collecting fares from the footboard of moving trams. Very early trams were enclosed, but those built from the early 1900s had no corridor. These trams included E-class, K, L, P, and O-class. Many falls are recorded in the Sydney Morning Herald. The most common injuries included death, head injuries including fractured skull and concussion. Examples of fatal falls are found in the same publication.[63]

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served the lower Eastern Suburbs (Coogee, La Perouse, Clovelly, Maroubra), and inner southern suburbs (Alexandria, Rosebery, Botany). The largest tram depot in Australia and it was the last to close in 1961 when the La Perouse line closed. The site is now the Moore Park Homemaker's Supacenta.

Dowling Street Depot

served the Bondi and Bronte routes. Closed in 1959, now the site of a bus depot.

Waverley Depot

served the inner western suburbs routes to Leichhardt, Balmain, Birchgrove, Abbotsford and Lilyfield. Closed in 1958, reopened in 2016 as Tramsheds shopping centre.

Rozelle Depot

served routes via King Street, Newtown to Summer Hill, Canterbury, Earlwood, and services to Glebe. Closed in 1957, has been neglected to the point of collapse. In 2012 the forecourt was converted into a public plaza, providing a new entrance to Newtown railway station.

Newtown Depot

served the lines via North Sydney. Closed in 1958. The open part was converted into North Sydney Bus Depot, while the car sheds were retained and incorporated into a supermarket. The site has since had many changes however still has a small bus depot on site.

North Sydney Depot

served routes to Pyrmont, Ryde, and Erskineville. It was situated on the eastern side of Harris Street adjacent to the Darling Harbour goods yard next to the Ultimo power station. It closed as a tram depot in 1953, becoming a bus depot, which later closed. The depot has since become storage and workshop space for the Powerhouse Museum.

Ultimo Depot

Depot served the Watsons Bay line. Closed in 1960.

Rushcutters Bay

served the Circular Quay–Railway Square service, and services to Woolloomooloo. Closed 1955, now the site of the Sydney Opera House. A large balloon loop encircled the depot allowing trams to turn around without changing ends.

Fort Macquarie Depot

served the isolated Manly lines until closure in 1939. The depot was converted to a bus depot before being closed when Mona Vale and Brookville bus depots opened

Manly Depot

Enfield Depot served the isolated - Mortlake/Cabarita lines. Closed in 1948 and reused as a bus depot until it closed in 1989. The water tank, originally used by the steam trams and later as part of the fire suppression system, was removed and is now at the Tramway Museum in Loftus.

Ashfield

Rockdale Depot served the isolated –Brighton-Le-Sands line. Closed 1949.

Rockdale

Dolls Point Depot was for the isolated Kogarah to Sans Souci steam tramway. Closed 1937, and replaced by a trolleybus depot at Ramsgate.

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served the Cooks River and Marrickville/Dulwich Hill lines. Closed 1954, became a bus depot then closed. Used as a storage facility for withdrawn buses. Former site of the Sydney Bus Museum before the museum moved to Leichhardt Depot. In 2010 it reopened as a Sydney Buses depot before being transferred to Transit Systems.

Tempe Depot

was only a storage depot for trams and some light maintenance works. Served as a bus depot till a new depot was opened next door in 2009. It is now the home of the Sydney Bus Museum.

Leichhardt Depot

built by Hudson Bros that went into service on the early electric tramline from Rose Bay to Ocean Street, Woollahra, on 29 August 1898. It is now on static display at Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.

C11 tram

On ,[69] a small section of the original tram tracks were uncovered during roadworks in late 2009. The City of Sydney have left these exposed to serve as a historical reminder.

Glebe Point Road

A section of uncovered tramway track was, until late 2015, visible along O'Dea Avenue in . The single track was visible through the concrete road surface for a few hundred metres, but was mostly removed during storm water improvement works through 2015 – 2016. The removal of this section can be seen in Google StreetView Timeline, where the lines were clearly visible in 2014, but began to be obscured in later years. Occasionally other buried sections of track are exposed when roadworks are carried out. For example, at the intersection of Victoria Avenue and Penshurst Street, Chatswood, extensive tram tracks are visible whenever road resurfacing is carried out.

Zetland

There is a small section of tram track going in both directions on Lower Fort Street Road in .

Millers Point

There is a small fragment of tram track exposed in the Moore Park grounds near the .

Sydney Cricket Ground

There is a small fragment of tram track exposed on , Watsons Bay at the top of Heart Break Hill.

Old South Head Road

There is a small section of tram track exposed on Great North Road, near the old Abbotsford terminus.

The tracks in and Castlereagh Streets were asphalted over and were not removed. Occasionally they appear through the road surface.

Pitt

Several ornate tram shelters still stand, such as at the corner of and Elizabeth Streets, City.

Park

At and Bronte, bus shelters are built into small cuttings that were previously tram stops.

North Bondi

On some former , there are cuttings made for tramlines through sandstone rock, most notably the deep cuttings at Bronte and Balmoral, and where what is now Havelock Avenue passes under Brooke Street at Coogee.

tramway reservations

Ornamental rosettes located where overhead wiring span wires were attached can be seen on many older buildings and rock faces, there are seven on a rock wall near the at the site of Fort Macquarie Depot as well as on buildings in the CBD.

Sydney Opera House

Many street corners where trams turned were 'cut-back' to allow space for trams to turn, and subsequently many buildings on such corners still have rounded fronts.

The abnormally wide median strip in south of Kingsford once accommodated tram line to La Perouse and Maroubra Beach.

Anzac Parade

Between Beach Road and Ramsgate Ave on Campbell Parade Bondi Beach, the area between the lanes that is now car parking space was once the line from Bondi to North Bondi.

The open space at North Bondi that is the bus terminal was once a three track terminal for all lines to Bondi. The terminal was cut into the hill and was filled in for bus operations.

When walking up the steps to at Watsons Bay, there is flat ground in between two sets of steps. This continues for a fair way in both directions, and is the old tram right of way.

The Gap

The round cut rock wall opposite Mosman Bay ferry wharf was cut back to allow a balloon loop for the trams.

Some depot buildings still exist (see Depots above).

Tunnel Portals to from the Sydney Harbour Bridge still exist and can be seen from the pedestrian walkway.

Wynyard

Former location of Wynyard tram platforms is now part of the Wynyard Lane Car Park at the station. The

tram tracks were buried by bitumen when the lines were closed, as the line which comprised the stop at Millers Point, was dug up around 1979–80 and the tram lines were removed and a new road surface laid.

Millers Point

During construction of the CBD and South East light rail at many points workers found many of the original tracks under the road surface. Rail that was salvageable was donated to the Sydney Tramway Museum.

A map of these and other surviving physical remnants has been created. See "Sydney Tramway Remnants Map" in "External Links" below.

Legislation[edit]

The following Acts of the NSW Parliament applied to tramways. This section will be expanded as more acts are added to the online legislation database of the New South Wales Government. In quoting the long title, the names of streets and roads have been left in the form given in the legislation, but modern forms are used in the notes.


Pitt-street Tramway Act of 1861 No 12a: "An Act for the construction of a Tramroad from the Redfern Railway Terminus to the Semi-Circular Quay. [30th April, 1861.]" – only allowed the use of "horses or other animals of draft".


Pitt-street Tramway Act of 1861 Repeal Act 1866 No 28a: "An Act to repeal the Pitt-street Tramway Act of 1861. [6th December, 1866.]"


Redfern to Hunter-street Tramway Act of 1879 No 14a: "An Act for the construction of a Tramroad from the Redfern Railway Terminus to Hunter-street Sydney. [7th May, 1879.]" Authorised the first line of what was to become one of the largest tramways in the world.


Consolidated Revenue Fund (No 6) Act 1879 No 20a: Allocated 11 000 pounds for the construction the Redfern to Hunter Street line, including rolling stock.


Tramways Extension Act 1880 No 11a: "An Act to authorise the construction and maintenance of Tramways along certain Streets and Highways in the City and Suburbs of Sydney and elsewhere. [28th April, 1880.]" – authorised the first parts of what was to become the Bondi Line, as far as Bondi Junction, a branch via Crown and Cleveland Streets to Anzac Parade, the first part of the Coogee line as far as Randwick, the first part of the Bronte line from Bondi Junction to Charing Cross, the line in George Street from Town Hall to Railway Square, the first part of the Botany line, the first part of the Canterbury line, the Glebe Point line and some other sections that were not built.


Jeanneret's Tramway Act: "An Act to authorize the construction and maintenance of a Tramway along George-street Parramatta, [9th August, 1881.]" Authorized the Parramatta Park – Redbank Wharf private steam tramway, the last steam tramway in Sydney.


Appropriation Act of 1883 No 14a: Granted a gratuity of 300 pounds to the widow and five children of a tram conductor accidentally killed while on duty.


Tramways Declaratory Act 1883 No 18a: "An Act to declare legal the employment of Steam Motors on Tramways constructed worked or maintained in pursuance of the 'Tramways Extension Act 1880'. [2 June 1883.]" – legalised the use of steam motors on the tramways, such use having been previously declared illegal by the Supreme Court.


Saywell's Tramway Act of 1884: "An Act to authorize the construction and maintenance of a Tramway from the proposed Bay-street Station on the Illawarra Railway to and along Lady Robinson's Beach. [6th March, 1881]"


Balmain Tramway Act of 1886: "An Act to authorize the Borough of Balmain to contract for the construction and maintenance of Tramways within the said Borough. [30th July, 1886.]"


West Wallsend and Monk-Wearmouth Railway Act of 1886: "An Act to enable the West Wallsend Coal Company (Limited) and the Monk-Wearmouth Colliery Estate Company of Australia (Limited) to construct a Railway from the West Wallsend Coal-fields to the Sydney and Waratah Railway. [27th August, 1880.]"


Saywell's Tramway Act Amendment Act (1887): "An Act to amend 'Saywell's Tramway Act of 1884'. [28 April 1887.]" Confirmed the existing loop at Rockdale Station and allowed up to two further loops to be built.


Willoughby and Gordon Tramway Act of 1887:"An Act to authorize the construction and maintenance of a Tramway from the terminal point of the Saint Leonards Cable Tramway Saint Leonards to Forest Reserve No. 97 parish of Gordon. [13th July, 1887.]" Authorized a private tramway via Miller Street, Palmer Street and Bellevue Street, Cammeray then through private land and across Long Gully, i,e, what became the Northbridge line. The Schedule to the Act describes the route proposed to take the line from Long Gully to East Willoughby.


Government Railways Act of 1888 No 9a: "An Act to make better provision for the management of the Government Railways and Tramways of New South Wales and for other purposes connected therewith. [17th May, 1888.]" – replaced the Commissioner for Railways (who also controlled tramways) by three Commissioners, and allowed for a separate railway and tramway construction authority.


Public Works Act of 1888 No 11a: "An Act to provide for the constitution of an Authority to investigate and report upon proposals for Public Works and the carrying out thereof when authorized by Parliament, to make better provision for the acquisition of land for carrying out such Works, and for other purposes in connection therewith. [6th June, 1888.]" – established the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, to consider and report upon all non-military public works the estimated cost of completing which exceeds twenty thousand pounds. If approved by the committee, an Act of Parliament had to be passed to authorise the work. Works costing up to 20,000 pounds could be approved by the Governor, i.e. effectively by the Minister.


North Shore, Manly, and Pittwater Tramway and Railway Act of 1888: "An Act to authorize the construction of a Tramway from the northern terminus of the North Shore Cable Tramway to the Spit at Middle Harbour, and from the Spit aforesaid to Manly Village, and a Light Rail way thence to Pittwater, Broken Bay. [10th January, 1889.]" – authorised a private tramway from the end of the Milsons Point to Ridge Street cable tramway to Manly, and a light railway from Manly to Pittwater.


Appropriation Act of 1889 No 33a: Allocated funds (777 pounds 16 shillings) for the expenses of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the charge made against Members of Parliament and others in connection with the proposed leasing of the Government Tramways


Willoughby and Gordon Tramway Act Amending Act (1890): "An Act to amend the "Willoughby and Gordon Tramway Act of 1887." [17 September 1890.]" – altered the route of the Northbridge line between Cammeray and the Long Gully Bridge, and authorized its extension to East Willoughby and branches to what was later the Northbridge terminus, to Middle Cove and an extension of the main line from East Willoughby to Castle Cove. The actual routes and termini are difficult to identify, because most of the roads named in the Schedules to the Act do not exist on modern maps, and may only ever have existed on plans of the various estates.


Loan Act of 1890 No 33a: "An Act to authorize the raising of a Loan for the Public Service of the Colony and for other purposes. [20th December, 1890.]" – Allocated 75 000 to be spent on additional rolling stock and to meet expenses of experiments in connection with electric trams


King to Ocean Street Cable Tramway Act of 1892 No 10a: "An Act to sanction the construction of a Cable Tramway from King-street via William-street, in the City of Sydney, to Ocean-street, in the Borough of Woollahra. [16th March, 1892.]"


Willoughby and Gordon Tramway Acts Amending Act of 1893:: "An Act to amend the 'Willoughby and Gordon Tramway Act of 1887', and 'Willoughby and Gordon Tramway Act Amending Act.' [14 February 1893.]" – increased the amount of private land to be taken from a width of 22 feet to 132 feet, again amended the route approaching the south end of Long Gully Bridge, and amended the route of the main line to East Willoughby.


George-street and Harris-street Electric Tramway Act 1896 No 11a: "An Act to sanction the construction of an Electric Tramway from Circular Quay, in the City of Sydney, to the Redfern Railway Station, and along Harris-street from its intersection with George-street to its intersection with John-street in the said city. [14th September, 1896.]" Authorized the first permanent electric line forming part of the main system.


Loan Act of 1896 No 33a: "An Act to authorise the raising of a Loan for the Public Service of the Colony, and for other purposes. [16th November, 1896.]" – allocated 150,000 pounds for electrification of existing tramways and for electric rolling stock, and 130 500 pounds for construction of the George Street and Pyrmont electric lines.


Loan Act of 1897 No 43: "An Act to authorise the raising of a Loan for the Public Service of the Colony, and for other purposes. [10th December, 1897.]" – allocated 20,000 pounds for additions to workshops and buildings, additions to tramway lines and rolling Stock, and for other purposes.


Public Works Act 1900 No 26: "An Act to consolidate the Acts relating to Public Works." [22 September 1900.] – clarified and consolidated existing legislation.


Electric Tramway (Belmore Park to Fort Macquarie) Act 1900 No 63: "An Act to sanction the construction of an electric tramway from Belmore Park through Castlereagh, Bligh, and Loftus Streets to Fort Macquarie, returning through Pitt-street, and certain works in connection therewith ; and for other purposes." [5 December 1900.]


Sutherland to Cronulla Tramway Act 1908 No 16: "An Act to sanction the construction of a tramway from Sutherland to Cronulla; and for other purposes. [15th December, 1908.]" – authorised the original steam tramway to Cronulla, on a different alignment to the present railway.


Harris-street to Evans-street, Balmain, Electric Tramway Act 1908 No 25: "An Act to sanction the construction of an electric tramway from Harris-street, via Miller-street, Abattoir-road, Glebe Island Bridge, and Weston-street to Evans-street, Balmain; and for other purposes. [21 at December, 1908.]" – authorised the connecting line from Pyrmont to Rozelle, via Glebe Island Bridge.


The Spit to Manly Electric Tramway Act 1908 No 26: "An Act to sanction the construction of an electric tramway from The Spit to Manly ; and for other purposes. [21st December, 1908.]"


Cremorne Tramway Act 1909 No 12: "An Act to sanction the construction of an Electric Tramway from the Military-road, North Sydney, to Cremorne Point; and for other purposes consequent thereon or incidental thereto. [7th December, 1909.]"


Darley-road, Randwick, to Little Coogee Tramway Act 1910 No 32: "An Act to sanction the construction of an Electric Tramway from Darley-road, Randwick, to Little Coogee ; and for other purposes. [28th December, 1910.]" – Authorized what was later known as the Clovelly Line.


Tramways (Carriage of Goods) Act 1911 No 22: "An Act to authorise the carriage of goods upon tramways ; to amend the Government Railways Act, 1901; and for purposes incidental thereto. [21st December, 1911.]" – authorised the carriage of goods on tramways, except on the George Street and Pitt/Castlereagh Streets lines in the city.


Transport Administration Act 1988 No 109 [repealed]: "An Act .... to provide for the administration of public transport in New South Wales; and for other purposes." – allows the Director-General of Transport to develop or operate light rail systems, or facilitate their development or operation by other persons – was the legislative basis for the first part of current line from Central Station to Lilyfield, and provides governing law for that line.


Transport Administration Amendment (Light Rail) Act 1996 No 128: – established the Transport Administration Corporation to set regulations applying to the current line from Central Station to Lilyfield, including extensions.


Transport Administration (General) Regulation 2000 – Reg 14 [repealed]: Declared the route of the extension of the current line from Wentworth Park to Lilyfield.


Transport Administration Amendment (Rail Agencies) Act 2003 No 96: Established the Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation

Much of the former bus network generally reflect the area and routes covered by the tram network.

State Transit

Suburbs with "Junction" in their name reflect their tramway heritage, such as and Maroubra Junction, as do localities within other suburbs, such as Randwick Junction, Spit Junction, and Cremorne Junction. The names of other former tramway junctions in Sydney have fallen into disuse, but some still are heard infrequently, such as City Road Junction.

Bondi Junction

The easternmost southbound traffic lanes on the were originally constructed to carry the City and Suburban Railway but were used for trams, and are still separated from and clearly distinguishable from the other six road lanes, with the remnants of the eastern Milsons Point station (tram) located at the site of the former northern toll plaza of the Cahill Expressway.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

platforms are still numbered from 3 to 6. Platforms 1 and 2 were tram platforms and the railway platforms were never renumbered when the tram platforms were removed.

Wynyard railway station

On many buildings within the CBD of Sydney, Rosettes are still attached to walls on streets that trams ran on. These are the points of attachment for the overhead wires used to provide power to the trams.

(derelict) and Ultimo (now the Powerhouse Museum) power stations were constructed by the New South Wales government to provide power to both the railways and the tramways survive.

White Bay

(Now Tramsheds), Newtown (derelict), Ultimo (owned by Powerhouse Museum as storage), Tempe (Now Transit System Bus Depot), Waverley (Now Sydney Buses Depot) and Leichhardt (Now as the Sydney Bus Museum and Transit Systems bus depot) tram depots all still exist.

Rozelle

is a phrase still used in Sydney, meaning to depart in haste.

Shoot through like a Bondi tram

Preserved Steam Motor Tram Motor 1A, owned by the , Motor 100A (operational) at the Museum of Transport & Technology, Auckland New Zealand, Motor 103A (operational) at Valley Heights Rail Museum with trailers 93B (operational) and 72B (Awaiting restoration) and replica Double Deck trailer built by Randwick Workshops on the frame of K class car 746.

Powerhouse Museum

Light rail in Sydney

List of light-rail transit systems

Public transport in Sydney

Trams in Australia

Transportation in Australia

Sydney Tramway Museum

List of former tramway junctions in Sydney

D Budd et al.: Wait Here for Trams: Sydney's Trams, the Last Decade. Nostalgia Press March 1974

D Keenan: Tramways of Sydney. Transit Press 1979

Railpage- Sydney Trams

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Action for Public Transport – Sydney tramways

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Articles on and tram deaths in the Dictionary of Sydney (both released under CC BY-SA)

trams

Sydney's Tram History

Sydney Tramway Museum

The current Sydney light-rail line

link dead 27 December 2015, transferred to Google Maps

Sydney Tramway Remnants Map

Tram pictures in Randwick Council Library – enter 'tram' as the keyword

Photographs from NSW State Records on flickr