Rozelle Tram Depot

Last updated

Rozelle Tram Depot
Main Sydney Tram System
Glebe abandoned tram depot1.jpg
Rozelle Tram Depot before redevelopment
Operation
Locale Glebe, New South Wales
Open17 April 1904
Close22 November 1958
StatusConverted to shopping centre
Operator(s)New South Wales Tramways
Infrastructure
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Depot(s)Rozelle Tram Depot

Rozelle Tram Depot is a former tram storage and operations centre that was part of the Sydney tram network. It is the largest remaining former tram depot in Sydney. In 2016, the tram depot was redeveloped into a retail complex known as Tramsheds.

Contents

History

Interior of the vacant tram depot Glebe tram depot2.jpg
Interior of the vacant tram depot
Depot gardens, 1919 Rozelle Tram Depot (5515644489).jpg
Depot gardens, 1919
Another view of the depot gardens Rozelle Tram Depot Gardens.jpg
Another view of the depot gardens

Rozelle Tram Depot opened on 17 April 1904, working in conjunction with Newtown and Ultimo depots operating trams on the western, south-western and Ryde tram routes. The depot was originally accessed by a reserved track from Glebe which ran along what is now known as Minogue Crescent. [1] [2] [3] Access to the depot was controlled by a signal box situated near the staff waiting room which also served as a changeover point for drivers.

Constructed in stages from 1904 the depot was a 25 road car shed accommodating 96 carriages, this was gradually increased to 125 by 1907. Construction of the second half of the depot in that same year saw the depot cater for an additional 70 trams. [4] From 1918 depot capacity was increased to 200 tram cars.

In 1926 and 1928 the Rozelle Depot gardens won the Garden Competition which was held annually between tram depots. [5]

A Returned Soldiers branch was established by Tramways employees and a Soldiers Memorial was erected on-site at the front of the Traffic Offices on 26 November 1916. [6] This was to commemorate the various depot staff who served in both World War I and World War II. Of the 1,157 Tramway men enlisted during World War I, 139 were either killed or went missing. [7]

Upon closure of Ultimo depot on 27 June 1953, Rozelle depot received additional trams to run the Darling Street Wharf to Canterbury route.

The depot ceased operations on 22 November 1958 upon closure of the Glebe line. On the following day the depot was cleared of all cars and the lines connecting the system were removed. [8]

Soon after its closure the depot was leased out to several different parties, including CHEP, the Sydney City Council and the City Tram Association. [2]

The depot at one stage contained six historic Sydney trams, some of which date back to the 1930s, as well as a Leyland Royal Tiger Worldmaster bus that has been heavily vandalised. The trams that were in near mint condition prior to 2000 were vandalised, stripped and painted with graffiti. [9] Five of the trams belonging to the Sydney Tramway Society were originally acquired and stored in the shed as part of a now defunct plan by the City of Sydney council to introduce a heritage tramway to The Rocks. One of the trams was R1 class 1995, the last tram to operate on Sydney's original tram network, entering Randwick Tramway Workshops in February 1961 on the last day of operations. [10] [11]

In 1995 and 1996, the adjacent Harold Park Paceway was reconstructed and expanded over Johnstons Creek and the original tram depot access road. A new access road (now Dalgal Way) to the tram depot was constructed to the west of the tram sheds. [12] [13] All other freestanding buildings within the depot site were also demolished.

Summary phases of the former Rozelle Tram Depot site until the 2000s:

Redevelopment

Tram 1995 sydneys last tram.JPG
Before refurbishment at the vacant Rozelle Tram Depot, heavily vandalised
Tramsheds interior with number 1995 tram car.jpg
After refurbishment in Tramsheds
R1-class 1995, the last tram to have operated on Sydney's original tram network
The Tramsheds retail complex in Glebe, 2023 Tramsheds retail complex in Glebe.jpg
The Tramsheds retail complex in Glebe, 2023

A development proposal submitted in 2005 that included multi-storey apartments, underground car parking and commercial offices ran into opposition from residents. [14] The site has been considered for a variety of uses, including a market, artists' studios, performance spaces. [9]

On 10 December 2010 it was announced the entire Harold Park Paceway site had been purchased by Mirvac to be redeveloped for medium-density housing. [15]

The last tram (number 1995) was removed in January 2015. [16] The depot was then turned into the Tramsheds retail complex that opened in September 2016. [17] Tram number 1995 was restored in Bendigo and returned for inclusion in the Tramsheds shopping centre. [18] [19] [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glebe, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Glebe is an inner-western suburb of Sydney in New South Wales. Glebe is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) southwest of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney, in the Inner West region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Tramway Museum</span> Tramway museum in New South Wales, Australia

The Sydney Tramway Museum is Australia's oldest tramway museum and the largest in the southern hemisphere. It is located at Loftus in the southern suburbs of Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Macquarie Tram Depot</span>

Fort Macquarie Tram Depot was part of the Sydney tram network. It opened in 1902 on the site of the old Fort Macquarie and was demolished in 1958 to make way for the construction of the Sydney Opera House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trams in Sydney</span> History of the tramway system closed in Sydney NSW Australia

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, 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 . Patronage peaked in 1945 at 405 million passenger journeys. Its maximum street trackage totalled 291 km in 1923.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mirvac</span>

Mirvac is an Australian property group with operations across property investment, development, and retail services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Freight Network</span> Railway line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The Sydney Freight Network is a network of dedicated railway lines for freight in Sydney, Australia, linking the state's rural and interstate rail network with the city's main yard at Enfield and Port Botany. Its primary components are the Southern Sydney Freight Line (SSFL) and a line from Sefton to Enfield and Port Botany. The Network has been managed by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) since 2012. Prior to the completion of the SSFL, it was managed by RailCorp as the Metropolitan Freight Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malvern tram depot</span>

Malvern tram depot is located on Coldblo Road, Armadale, Victoria, a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Operated by Yarra Trams, it is one of eight tram depots on the Melbourne tram network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Park Paceway</span> Former trotting venue in Sydney, Australia

Harold Park Paceway was a harness racing track in Forest Lodge, New South Wales, in use from 1890 to 2010. It was a half-mile track but was just 739 metres in circumference until some changes in its later years. Races at the track were run over distances of 1,760 m, 2,160 m, 2,565 m and occasionally 2,965 m. Before its configuration, events were run over one mile, 9 furlongs and 170 yards, 11+34 furlongs, 13 furlongs and 98 yards and 15 furlongs and 92 yards – these distances were all for standing starts. For mobile racing, the distances were one mile, 9+12 furlongs and 11+12 furlongs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnstons Creek (New South Wales)</span> River in New South Wales, Australia

Johnstons Creek, formerly Johnston's Creek, is an urban gully, located in Sydney, Australia and situated in the Inner West and Sydney local government areas. The creek flows from Petersham, past Annandale, Camperdown, Forest Lodge and Harold Park, before spilling into Rozelle Bay, within Sydney Harbour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inner West Light Rail</span> Light rail line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The Inner West Light Rail is a 12.8-kilometre (8.0 mi) light rail line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, running from Central railway station through the Inner West to Dulwich Hill and serving 23 stops. It is the original line of the Sydney light rail network, and was originally known as Sydney Light Rail. Light rail services on the line are now branded as the L1 Dulwich Hill Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney R1-Class Tram</span>

The R1-class trams were a class of trams operated on the Sydney tram network. Their design was a development of the R class.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney R-Class Tram</span>

The R-class trams were a class of drop-centre saloon car type trams operated on the Sydney tram network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newtown Tram Depot</span> Tramway depot in Australia

Newtown Tram Depot is a heritage-listed former tram depot in King Street, Newtown, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was part of the Sydney tram network. The tram depot and Newtown railway station were jointly added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leichhardt Bus Depot</span>

Leichhardt Bus Depot is a bus depot in the Sydney, Australia, suburb of Leichhardt operated by Transit Systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tempe Bus Depot</span> Bus garage in Sydney, Australia

Tempe Bus Depot is a bus depot in the Sydney suburb of Tempe. It is currently operated by Transit Systems. The depot survived the closure of Sydney's former tram network and provided storage for the buses that replaced the trams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waverley Bus Depot</span> Bus depot in the Sydney suburb of Bondi Junction

Waverley Bus Depot is a bus depot in the Sydney suburb of Bondi Junction operated by Transdev John Holland.

Rushcutters Bay Tram Depot was part of the Sydney tram and trolleybus networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dowling Street Tram Depot</span> Part of Sydney tram network

Dowling Street Tram Depot was part of the Sydney tram network. It was the largest tram depot in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manly Tram Depot</span> Section of Sydney tram network in Australia

Manly Tram Depot was part of the Sydney tram network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rozelle Yard</span> Former railway yard in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Rozelle Yard was a goods railway yard in Rozelle, New South Wales, Australia. It was one of two major yards on the Metropolitan Goods line, the other being in Darling Harbour. Since heavy rail traffic ceased, part of the site has been redeveloped into a light rail depot and maintenance facility. The site of the former yard was redeveloped into Rozelle Interchange.

References

  1. Keenan, David (1979). Tramways of Sydney. Sans Souci: Transit Press. p. 18. ISBN   0 909338 02 7.
  2. 1 2 Keenan, David (1982). The Western Lines of the Sydney Tramway System. Petersham: Transit Press. pp. 54/55. ISBN   0 909338 12 4.
  3. Harold Park Tramsheds Glebe Society
  4. page 9, Godden Mackay Logan "Former Rozelle Tram Depot - Conservation Management Plan", September 2004
  5. Page 11, Godden Mackay Logan "Former Rozelle Tram Depot - Conservation Management Plan", September 2004
  6. War Memorial Rozelle Tramway Depot Sydney Morning Herald 27 November 1916
  7. Page 12 , Godden Mackay Logan "Former Rozelle Tram Depot - Conservation Management Plan, September 2004
  8. Page 12, Godden Mackay Logan, "Former Rozelle Tram Depot - Conservation Management Plan" September 2004
  9. 1 2 Rozelle Tram Depot Sydney Architecture
  10. Unpimp my tram: buffs want vandalised relics restored to former glory Brisbane Times 4 May 2009
  11. Tramway heritage: Will it be Clover Moore or David Campbell who rises to the challenge? The Southern Thunderer 14 October 2009
  12. Paul Davies & Associates (February 2010). "Harold Park Heritage Study, Incl: Harold Park Paceway and Rozelle Tram Depot – Stage 1" (PDF). City of Sydney. pp. 1–24. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  13. Paul Davies & Associates (February 2010). "Harold Park Heritage Study, Incl: Harold Park Paceway and Rozelle Tram Depot – Stage 1" (PDF). City of Sydney. pp. 25–85. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  14. Off like a Bondi tram: heritage left rotting in a shed Sydney Morning Herald 11 April 2009
  15. Mirvac wins race for Harold Park Paceway Sydney Morning Herald 10 October 2010
  16. As Sydney builds its light rail, its last tram leaves for Victoria Sydney Morning Herald 30 January 2015
  17. Cormack, Lucy (22 September 2016). "Harold Park Tramsheds open to reveal European-inspired food hall". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  18. Bought for a bargain $50, Sydney’s last tram on track for a makeover Inner West Courier 5 February 2015
  19. Tramshed Revival Harold Park by Mirvac
  20. Tramsheds Harold Park

Further reading

33°52′35″S151°10′41″E / 33.87644°S 151.17819°E / -33.87644; 151.17819