Believe it or not, but Sydney once had the largest tram system in Australia.
In fact it was the second largest in the Commonwealth after London and was one of the largest in the world.
It was extremely intensively 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).
Sydney's first tram was horse-drawn,
running from the old Sydney Railway station to Circular Quay along Pitt Street.
Built in 1861, the design was compromised by the desire to haul railway freight wagons along the line to supply city businesses, in addition to passenger traffic. This resulted in a track that protruded from the road surface and damaged the wheels of wagons trying to cross it. Hard campaigning by competing omnibus owners - as well as the fatal accident involving the leading Australian musician Isaac Nathan in 1864 - led to closure in 1866.
In 1879 a steam tramway was established and the network expanded rapidly through the city and inner suburbs. There were also two cable tram routes, to Ocean Street (Edgecliff) and in North Sydney, later extended to Crows Nest, because of the steep terrain involved.
Electrification started in 1898, and most of the system was converted by 1910. The privately owned Parramatta to Redbank Wharf (Duck River) steam tram remained until 1943.
By the 1920s, the system had reached its maximum extent. The overcrowded and heaving trams running at a high frequency, in competition with growing private motor car and bus use, created congestion. Competition from the private car, private bus operators and the perception of traffic congestion led to the gradual closure of lines from the 1940s.
Overseas transport experts were called upon to advise the city on its post-war transport issues and recommended closure of the system, but generally went against public opinion. Nevertheless, closure became Labor government policy and the system was wound down in stages, with withdrawal of the last service, to La Perouse, in 1961.
Today there has been a resurgence in the establishment of Tram services and the Sydney Light Rail was built from Central Station to Star City Casino in 1997 and extended to Lilyfield in 2000. Recent legislation has been passed to expand the light rail to Summer Hill and a direct service to Moore Park has been suggested to run completely underground.
Take a ride!
J G S
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