Rattling along city rails
AS early as the 1880s there were calls to introduce a tram service to Geelong, but such a service first required an electricity supply.
In 1901, the Electric Lighting and Traction Company brought power to Geelong, and by 1908 the company had changed its name to the Melbourne Electric Supply Company with a power station at the corner of Yarra and Brougham streets.
It was this company that built Geelong’s tramways and controlled them until 1930 when the State Electricity Commission took over.
Geelong’s tramway service was launched in March 1912, and the last tram made way for buses in 1956.
Initially the tram service operated along four routes. The Newtown service termi- nated at the corner of Aphrasia St and Shannon Ave, while the Geelong West service terminated outside the Telegraph Hotel at the corner of Pakington and Church streets.
There were also tram services to the Geelong railway station and the Moorabool St Pier, terminating outside the Sailors’ Rest. At first there were only seven trams running the service.
The trams’ cars had been built by Adelaide firm Duncan and Fraser and had been transported to Geelong by train for their final assembly.
More trams were added as the tramway was extended. The first extension came just a year after the opening, with a South Geelong route running down Moorabool St as far as Fyans St.
An East Geelong route was added in 1923, with the trams travelling along Ormond Rd as far as Boundary Rd. After the completion of a wider Moorabool St Bridge in 1926, the tram service was extended to Belmont, terminating at the corner of High St and Roslyn Rd.
In 1930 another east Geelong route was built along Ryrie St to Eastern Park to cater for the football crowds at the then home of the Cats at Corio Oval.
A North Geelong route to Separation St was added in 1929, and an Eastern Beach extension was added in 1940. Contact: peterjohnbegg@gmail.com