Tram history - Chapter 6 - Part 1

Melbourne Metropolitan Tramway Heritage Study, Gary Vines
of the more likely to reveal archaeological evidence in the form of engine flywheel and cable
tensioner pits and sheave or wheel pits in the roadway. 209
Figure 95: Cable tram slot and track at western end of Bourke Street c 1988 210
6.1.1.2 Electric Tramway System
There were 15 electric tram depots on the system at one time or another but not all in operation
at the same time. Most of these survive in some form. Some of the earliest large depots from the
Tramway Trust period, Essendon, Malvern, Hawthorn Camberwell, are intact. Some smaller
depots such as Hannah Street South Melbourne, East Coburg, Footscray and Thornbury (also
known as Preston or West Preston) have been demolished. The later depots, Glenhuntly, East
Preston, Brunswick, Kew, are substantial and in some cases architecturally elaborate and
demonstrate the period of expansion of the system in the mid 20 th century under the MMTB.
There is very little remaining from the Victorian Railways trams, with a shed at Sandringham
possibly the only substantial structure.
different names for this depot, the one opposite Preston workshops, I have seen Preston and West
Preston and Thornbury, we need to be consistent - Thornbury is the better one I think.
There are potentially archaeological remains of various components of the system including the
site of the Doncaster tram engine house, former cable tram engine house subfloor areas
(Brunswick, South Melbourne) and sections of track where later electric tram conversions did
not require them to be lifted (such as Rathdowne Street). These sites could add to understanding
and interpretation, but these are mainly unrealised, apart from the section of cable track and
tunnel in Abbotsford Street.
209 Lancelloti, Lucia, & Green, Robert, n.d. “The Fitzroy Cable Tram engine House (And part of the road reserve),
81-89 and part of 93-103 Victoria Parade Fitzroy: the identification of potential Archaeological Remains.”
Unpublished report Heritage Victoria; Ellis, A, 2007, Archaeological recording: Cable Tram Tracks Abbotsford
Street, North Melbourne. report prepared for Heritage Victoria June 2007.
210 http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/#large_image_carousel:64418:0
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