Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board

Last updated

Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board
Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board Logo.jpg
Emblem of Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board
statutory authority overview
Formed1 November 1919
Preceding statutory authority
Dissolved30 June 1983
Superseding agency
Jurisdiction Victoria
Headquarters Melbourne
Parent statutory authority Department of Transport

The Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) was a government-owned authority that was responsible for the tram network in Melbourne, Australia between 1919 and 1983, when it was merged into the Metropolitan Transit Authority. It had been formed by the merger of a number of smaller tramway trusts and companies that operated throughout the city.

Contents

History

In 1869 Francis Boardman Clapp set up the Melbourne Omnibus Company (MOC) which ran horse-drawn trams in the inner suburbs of Melbourne. The company carried five million passengers. [1] By 1882 the company had over 1,600 horses and 178 omnibuses. [2] In 1885 the company carried 11.7 million passengers. [1]

In 1885 Clapp's MOC was granted a 30-year exclusive franchise for a cable tram network in Melbourne, with no competing lines being permitted. Clapp reorganised the company as the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company (MTOC). A total of 15 lines were built, opening progressively between 1885 and 1919.

The first serious electric trams in Melbourne began in 1906, when the North Melbourne Electric Tramway & Lighting Company [3] commenced operating an electric tram line from the terminus of the cable tram to Essendon, the motivation being the selling of electricity to customers along the route. [4]

In the 1900s and 1910s, the government legislated for the formation of suburban electric tramway trusts to build and operate electric trams outside MTOC's exclusive licence area. These were:

When the MTOC franchise expired on 30 June 1916, the entire operation of the Melbourne cable tramway system passed to the State Government. [5] The MMTB was formed in November 1919 to take over the street tramways systems in Melbourne. It had the responsibility of operating all tramways within a ten mile (sixteen kilometre) radius of the Melbourne GPO, the only exceptions being the lines operated by Victorian Railways. [6]

In January 1925, the M&MTB began operating buses.

The MMTB ceased on 30 June 1983 with its function taken over by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. [7]

Takeover of tramways network

The MMTB commenced operations on 1 November 1919, taking over the cable tram network with 44 route miles of track, 539 grips cars, 485 four wheel trailer cars, 58 double bogie trailers, 11 engine sheds and 15 carriage sheds. On 2 February 1920, it took over the six suburban electric tramway trusts, which were dissolved later that month. [6] The MMTB also succeeded the Cable Tramway Board and the Royal Park Horse Tramway. [8]

The MMTB took over the North Melbourne Electric Tramway & Lighting Company's tramways operation on 1 August 1922, and its lighting undertakings on 21 December 1922. [6]

Conversion of cable system

One of the MMTB's original purposes was to decide whether or whether not to keep the cable trams. The MMTB progressively converted cable tram lines to either electric trams or motor buses, commencing in 1924, with the last Melbourne cable tram ceasing operation on 26 October 1940. [9] [10]

While most of the cable tram system was converted to electric tramways (such as the tram lines along Swanston St and Elizabeth St), but the routes to West Melbourne (along spencer street to the current route 57), Port Melbourne (the original line on-street, not the current light rail line), Collingwood (along Johnston Street from Lygon Street to Johnston St Bridge) and North Carlton (a branch off the johnston st line along rathdowne st to the end of it near the inner circle line), along with the Lonsdale Street line in the city and other short sections were converted to motor buses. Trams would only ever return to the Bourke St lines and La Trobe st lines in the 1950s.

Organisation

The MMTB was established under the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Act 1918 (No.2995). The seven members of the Board, including a chairman and a Deputy chairman, were appointed by an order of the Governor-in-Council dated 22 July 1919. The inaugural chairman was Alexander Cameron who had been chairman of the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust. [11] [12]

The MMTB was an independent statutory body which reported to the Minister of Public Works until 1952 and subsequently to the Minister of Transport.

Chairmen

Five people held the role of MMTB chairman from 1919 when the MMTB was established to 1983 when it was absorbed by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. [13]

Depots

The MMTB's main maintenance facility was Preston Workshops, with depots at Brunswick, Camberwell, Coburg, East Preston, Essendon, Footscray, Glenhuntly, Hawthorn, Kew, Malvern, North Fitzroy, South Melbourne and Thornbury.

Related Research Articles

Trams in Melbourne Public transport network in Victoria, Australia

Trams are a major form of public transport in Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, Australia. As of May 2017, the Melbourne tramway network consists of 250 kilometres of double track, 493 trams, 24 routes, and 1,763 tram stops. The system is the largest operational urban tram network in the world. Trams are the second most used form of public transport in overall boardings in Melbourne after the commuter railway network, with a total of 206 million passenger trips in 2017–18.

Melbourne tram route 6

Melbourne tram route 6 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from Moreland to Glen Iris. The route is operated by Z, B and D class trams from Brunswick and Malvern depots.

Melbourne tram route 5

Melbourne tram route 5 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from Melbourne University to Malvern. The 12.6 kilometre route is operated by Z and D1 class trams from Malvern depot.

Melbourne tram route 75

Melbourne tram route 75 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from Vermont South to Central Pier, Docklands, serviced by A and B class trams from Camberwell depot. At 22.8 kilometres, it is currently the longest line in the network.

Melbourne tram route 109 Tram route in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria

Melbourne tram route 109 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from Box Hill to Port Melbourne. The 19 kilometres (12 mi) route is operated by A and C class trams from Kew depot.

Melbourne tram route 16

Melbourne tram route 16 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from Melbourne University to Kew. The 20.2 kilometre route is operated by Z and D class trams from Malvern depot.

Melbourne cable tramway system Cable car public transport system in Melbourne, Australia

The Melbourne cable tramway system was a cable car public transport system, which operated between 1885 and 1940 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Melbourne tram route 64

Melbourne tram route 64 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from Melbourne University to Brighton East via Windsor and Caulfield. The 18.1 kilometre route is operated by Z, A and B class trams from Glenhuntly depot.

Melbourne tram route 86 Tram route in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Melbourne tram route 86 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from Bundoora RMIT to Waterfront City Docklands. The route is operated by E class trams from Preston depot.

The Hawthorn Tramways Trust was a tram operator in Melbourne, Australia. Its assets and liabilities were transferred to the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board on 2 February 1920.

Ballarat Tramway Museum Tram museum in Ballarat, Victoria

The Ballarat Tramway Museum is an operating tramway museum, located in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The museum is run by volunteers and has a fleet of trams which operate on part of the original horse tramway around Lake Wendouree and the Botanical Gardens. It has a large research collection, archive of information and more than 3,500 items about the Ballarat tramways. The trams in Ballarat operated on a large network through the city from 1887 until 1971.

Hawthorn tram depot

Hawthorn tram depot was built in April 1916 by the Hawthorn Tramways Trust (HTT). It was built on the corner of Power Street and Wallen Road, Hawthorn, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The depot was close to the junction of the HTT's two main lines. It was taken over by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) in 1920. In 1925 the depot was used as a school to teach tram drivers and tram conductors. In 1940, the building was also used to make uniforms for MMTB staff.

Preston Workshops

Preston Workshops is the heavy maintenance facility for the Melbourne tram network. The workshop is located on a block surrounded by Miller Street, St George's Road, Oakover Road and the Mernda railway line in Preston, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Following a major redevelopment in April 2016, it also became an operational depot under the name New Preston Depot, taking over from East Preston.

Alexander Cameron (tramways administrator)

Alexander Cameron was a lawyer, local councillor, and tramways administrator. Following university education he established a legal practice, and later ran for, and won, election on Town of Malvern council. In this position he advocated for the establishment of a local tramway system, and became the inaugural chairman of the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust. In 1919 he was appointed as the inaugural chairman of the newly established Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board and presided in that capacity until 1935, creating a unified tram network from the disparate systems that were hitherto operating in Melbourne. He was recognised as a transport expert from his years of experience managing and expanding tramways of Melbourne.

Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company

The Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company (MTOC) was the company which established and operated Melbourne's cable tram system from 1885 to 1916.

Hector Hercules Bell

Hector Hercules Bell CBE was an Australian contractor, municipal councillor, and tramway administrator. Following an initially itinerant working life, Bell married and became a successful businessman, later being elected as a councillor to Richmond City Council. Bell was appointed to the board of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) in 1919, and became the MMTB's second chairman in 1936, a position he held until 1949. Under Bell, the MMTB converted the remaining cable trams to electric trams or buses, increased the MMTB's usage of buses, and work towards modernising the tram system, while returning strong surpluses. Bell was primarily a supporter of electric trams advocating their advantages over buses. During his career he ran for a seat on the Victorian Legislative Council, and was occasionally accused of unethical behaviour.

Francis "Frank" Richard Kirby (1911–1982) was an Australian electrical engineer and tramway administrator. After working at the State Electricity Commission of Victoria as an engineer, Kirby started working for the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB). He became the MMTB's fourth Chairman in 1970, taking over from Robert Risson, and was succeeded by Dudley Snell, the last Chairman of the MMTB, in 1976.

The L-class was a class of six trams ordered from James Moore & Sons by the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust (PMTT). However by the time they were delivered in 1921, the PMTT had been taken over by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB).

The X-class was a class of two Birney trams imported from United States manufacturers JG Brill Company and St Louis Car Company by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board. In June 1924 both entered service from Hawthorn depot on the Power Street to Hawthorn Bridge service. In 1928 both were transferred to Glenhuntly depot to operate the Point Ormond route.

The Melbourne tram network began in 1884 with the construction of the Fairfield Horse Tramway. However, the purpose of the line was to increase land prices in the area, and it soon closed during the depression in 1890. The first genuine attempt to construct a tramway network was the construction of the Richmond cable tram line by the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company in 1885. Over the next few years, 16 more cable tram lines were constructed, as well as numerous other horse tramways. The depression of the early 1890s slowed further expansion of the cable network. The first electric tram line was the Box Hill and Doncaster tramway which opened in 1889. This was a pioneering line in what was then the countryside and thus didn't receive much patronage. It closed in 1896. The next attempt at an electric tramway was Victorian Railways' St Kilda to Brighton line, which opened in 1906. Later that year, the North Melbourne Electric Tramway and Lighting Company opened lines to Essendon and Maribyrnong. Many local councils formed their own tramway trusts and built tramways within their own constituency. The most successful of these was the Prahran and Malvern Tramway Trust.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company". Alexandra and Yea Standard, Gobur, Thornton and Acheron Express]. Vic: National Library of Australia. 14 December 1888. p. 5. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "Francis Boardman Clapp – transport entrepreneur". Friends of Hawthorn Tram Depot. 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  3. ↑ "The North Melbourne Electric Tramways and Lighting Company Limited". Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter. Moonee Ponds: National Library of Australia. 6 August 1914. p. 5 Edition: Morning. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  4. ↑ "Railpage.org.au Melbourne's Tram History". Archived from the original on 9 November 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  5. ↑ Hoadley, David (1995). "Melbourne's cable trams". Trams of Australia. Archived from the original on 21 November 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
  6. 1 2 3 "Victoria's Tramway Heritage" Trolley Wire issue 159 August 1975 pages 11–14
  7. ↑ "Changes in Victoria" Trolley Wire issue 202 October 1983 page 19
  8. ↑ "60 Years of the M&MTB" Trolley Wire issue 185 December 1979 pages 12–21
  9. ↑ "Trams in Melbourne". Yarra Trams. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  10. ↑ "60 Years of the M&MTB" Trolley Wire issue 186 February 1980 pages 14–21
  11. 1 2 Jones, Russell (2009). "Alex Cameron: father of Melbourne's electric trams". Friends of Hawthorn Tram Depot. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  12. 1 2 "PERSONAL: Alexander Cameron obituary". The Advertiser . Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 24 February 1940. p. 16. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  13. 1 2 3 Jones, Russell (2004). "Fares please! An economic history of the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board: Assessment of leadership". Friends of Hawthorn Tram Depot. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  14. ↑ Jones, Russell (2008). "Hector Hercules Bell – ringing in the new". Friends of Hawthorn Tram Depot. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  15. ↑ Turnbull, Graeme (2001). "The Sir Robert Risson era: an enduring legacy". Friends of Hawthorn Tram Depot. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
Preceded by
Various operators
 Trams in Melbourne
1919–1983		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.