brisbanetrams

The legacy of Brisbane’s Tram The now-defunct tram network is considered a lost part of Brisbane’s identity. 18 different tram routes were established throughout the network’s lifetime, connecting most corners of Brisbane and proving popular among residents. Between 1944–45 alone, almost 160 million passengers were carried across Brisbane. Everywhere from Stafford and Toowong to Coorparoo and Mt Gravatt were covered by the more than 199km of tram track. It’s been more than 50 years since the closure of the Tramway but even today, Brisbane is full of reminders of our trams. You can find old tracks poking through bitumen, tram stops along the roads, and rosettes still adorning buildings in the Brisbane CBD. Source: blogs.archives.qld.gov.au/2021/11/19/rise-of-the-phoenix-...

The official opening of the first electric tramway took place on June 21, 1897, a car being run from Logan Road to the southern end of Victoria Bridge by Mr. Badger, with Mr. Clapp on the platform with him. The car stopped at the Council Chambers and picked up Alderman A. F. Luya (Mayor) and other aldermen of the South Brisbane Council. Others accepted a gene-ral invitation to board the car, including the band of the Queensland Volunteer Rifles, which played for a few trips to and fro. The electric service in Queen Street commenced on July 3, 1897, about a year before electric trams were used in Glasgow, which has one of the best tramway systems in the world. Steady progress was made for several years and many new lines and extensions were constructed, as under: 1897 Logan Road Ithaca George Street Red Hill Part of the Paddington line 1899 Ipswich Road Paddington extension Ascot 1901 Gladstone Road Kelvin Grove Clayfield 1902 Wharf Street Edward Street 1903 Lower Edward Street East Brisbane (to Norman Bridge) Newmarket 1904 Toowong Rosalie 1905 Enoggera Terrace 1908 Dutton Park 1914 Greenslopes Windsor Kedron Park Mer-thyr Road 1915 Coorparoo Cracknell Road 1917 Grey Street (single track in place of in-bound track in Stanley Street) When the electrification took place in 1897 there were only 20 trams running on 15 miles of track, but when the Brisbane Tramways Co. ceased operations on December 31, 1922, they left 181 cars providing services on 42½ miles of tram routes, or (counting double lines as two) 70½ track miles. The older sections had been laid with rails weighing 55 and 77 lbs. to the yard. but the Brisbane Tramways Company had these replaced by 83 lb. rails, and towards the end of its tenure, the Company laid new rails on some sections of track. Source: www.qocs.org.au/brisbane-tramways-their-history-and-devel...

Three and half years after the collapse of the first Victoria Bridge the council built the second Victoria Bridge. This bridge was designed by Alfred Barton Brady and constructed of steel, wrought iron, stone, and cement. It was built in two halves, with the first half opening in 1896 and consisting of a single lane of traffic and a walkway for pedestrians. The second half was built over the following year and joined to the first half. The completed bridge was opened on 22 June 1897 by Lord Charles Lamington, Governor of Queensland. The completed bridge now had two traffic lanes with a footpath on each side. This city of Brisbane rapidly grew in the early twentieth century and by 1943 the bridge started to show signs of bucking from the weight of traffic and trams. The number of trams crossing the bridge was reduced and the footpath closed. The second Victoria Bridge stayed in service for 73 years until 1969 when it was replaced with the current, third Victoria Bridge, built to meet growing traffic demands. There was a short period of time when both bridges stood next to each other when the third bridge opened and the second bridge was being demolished, see photograph below. One of the stone entrance arches from the second Victoria Bridge still stands today on the South Brisbane side of the river. The entrance arch is heritage listed and serves as a memorial to 11-year-old Hector Vasyli who in 1918, during the celebrations marking the end of the First World War was struck and killed by one of the vehicles in the parade. Source: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/history-brisbanes-victoria-bridge