- Tram Lines around Mitcham – Chronology

Mitcham tram terminus Albert Street c1910's 1878 1911 The Mitcham horse-tram track was laid along Mitcham tram route converted to electricity and Unley Road and Victoria Terrace, east into proceeded to Angas Road, Hawthorn from Princes Road, then diagonally across the Victoria Square, Adelaide. The tram then Company’s property into Welbourne Street and returned to Victoria Square and proceeded to east into Albert Street where the terminus was Prospect. situated. Length of tramway was 4 ¾ miles. 1914 Sheds and stables of stone were built on a block Electric trams ran along Fullarton to Highgate, of land on the corner of Princes Road and with the terminus at Cross Road. Welbourne Street. 1915 1879 Goodwood trams first travelled along Goodwood Mitcham horse-tram line opened for traffic. Road as far as Cross Road. 1882 1917 Adelaide and Goodwood Tramway Company was Kingswood tram line opened, terminating in opened. A galvanised iron shed and stables Harrow Road at Kyre Avenue, Kingswood. were built at the terminus at Clarence Park.

The Adelaide, Unley and Mitcham Tramway Co Electric tram in Welbourne Street, Mitcham Opening Day 1879 1923 The Goodwood tram was extended to Angas Road, Westbourne Park. 1929 Colonel Light Gardens tram, formerly the Goodwood tram, was extended from Angas Road to Springbank Road, Colonel Light Gardens.

Municipal Tramways Trust, Weekly Ticket 1932 1938 Highgate tram route was extended along Fullarton Road from Cross Road to Hill Street, Mitcham serving Springfield. 1958 Mitcham line was closed and became a bus route along Belair and Princes Roads then into Welbourne and Albert Streets, where the bus Albert Street Terminus, Sutton Gardens c1950s service still terminates at Sutton Gardens, Mitcham.

Municipal Tramways Trust Inter-Route Monthly Ticket 1934

Horse-tram rounding the corner of Albert and Welbourne Streets c1880s Track Sweepings

Some of the oldest One of the most intriguing Mitcham Council records entries from 1914-17 was to survive are 11 Cash £9/15 paid by the Journals from the period Municipal Tramways Trust 1867-1935. to Mitcham District Council for the “Removal of Track Sweepings”, prompting These are basic working volunteer Charles Cornwall documents recording to recall and share financial transactions, but childhood memories of this during a Local History long forgotten activity. Clerical Working Bee volunteers decided to take a careful look at their contents.

A Tram Track Cleaner, pictured in Victoria Square, Adelaide, c1940s. Mitcham Council was paid a twice yearly fee by the Municipal Tramways Trust to keep our local tracks clean. Photographer, Krischock - from the Ron Blum collection. Memories of Trams and Tramline Cleaners

Before 1958, metropolitan Then there were the steel tram The tram track cleaner always Adelaide’s public transport, was tracks in the road. These were wore a white dustcoat with the mainly serviced by electric trams. particularly hazardous for motorbike letters MTT (Municiple Tramways riders (as I remember from Trust) emblazoned on the lapels. The Mitcham tram ran on a double experience!). track down Unley Road and Victoria For equipment he had a long Terrace (now Belair Road). The The tram tracks required handled, narrow mouthed shovel Unley terminus of this route was at considerable maintenance. Welding with a downward protruding groove Angas Road. repairs were frequently needed. in the middle of the mouth. This groove fitted into the tram track and Tram tracks also frequently The tram to Mitcham then as the cleaner pushed the shovel needed cleaning and oiling and I proceeded on a single track up along the track the 'gunk', which have vivid recollections of the man Princes Road to the terminus in had accumulated since the previous who was often seen carrying out his Albert Street next to Sutton cleaning, was forced into the shovel duty. I lived in East Parade, just a Gardens. mouth. When he had a shovelful, few doors from the tram track in the cleaner emptied it out at the Like many others of my Princes Road. Indeed, because I roadside. generation, I have a clear always went home for lunch, I recollection of these trams. There crossed these tracks four times As well as the shovel, the cleaner were the older, quaint, small ones every school day on my way to and had a grease pot and an applicator which were invariably linked in pairs from Mitcham Primary School. with which to oil the points. and which we called 'Bib and Bub'. I had plenty of opportunity to Many years have passed since Then there were the newer, observe, with a schoolboy’s keenly the days of Adelaide’s street trams angular ones known as 'Drop interested eyes, the duties of the and I have now retired, not I might Centres'. These, as their name track cleaning man. Indeed, I seem add from being a tram track implies, had a section which was to recall that at one stage of my cleaner! slightly lower than the two end boyhood, this was one of those sections. 'when I grow up' jobs which I thought Trams posed something of a I would like to do! Charles Cornwall, hazard to other road users. For a Local History volunteer. start, there were the poles down the middle of the road. Prepared by Mitcham Local History Service and Heritage Research Centre, 103b Princes Rd, Mitcham, SA 5062. Ph 8372 8261

Last edit: 02/03/2010