brisbanetrams

City life was busy, on the run and between trams.

Frequent media reports regarding conductresses underlined both their efficiency and decorative appearance, especially the smartness of their uniforms, emphasizing their femininity. This approach defused accusations of masculinization of women, which was thought to be a characteristic of Communist ideology. This was particularly important, as influential conservative elements had an extreme fear of a Communist uprising. As a result, they were intensely suspicious of any initiative that was not aligned with their conceptions of civil society. One of the best examples of the media coverage was the photographic essay published in The Australasian of 26 September 1942 entitled “Tram girls are doing a vital war job”, covering the transition of Miss Charl Round from her previous occupation as a nurse in a mental hospital to becoming a full-fledged M&MTB conductress working from Hawthorn Depot. The physical attractiveness of Miss Round added to the strength of the message. This strategy was so successful that the role women played as tram conductresses were held up as an example to society, showing that women had a true and valid right to participate in the general workforce, in occupations that had previously been forbidden to them – and that the total war effort was dependent on their participation, across industries as varied as abattoirs and the post office, munitions and aircraft factories, and as skilled technicians in laboratories. In the services, women were even trained in the combat role of manning anti-aircraft guns, as well as in the intelligence services as radio intercept operators and code breakers. Source: www.trammuseum.org.au/papers/conductressww2.htm

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...