Melbourne Tram Museum news

Museum moves into electronic age

The Melbourne Tram Museum today (27 October 2008) launched its website located at http://www.hawthorntramdepot.org.au.

The website contains a wealth of information on the history of Melbourne’s trams, with particular focus on their social impact and importance in developing our city, as well as numerous historic photographs of our tramway heritage.

The museum is located at the heritage-listed tram depot in Wallen Road, Hawthorn, which was built in 1916. It contains twenty-one historic Melbourne cable and electric tramcars, dating from 1885 to 1973.

The building and collection is owned by VicTrack, the State’s owner of railway land, infrastructure and rolling stock. The museum is managed on VicTrack’s behalf by a voluntary non-profit support group, and is open to visitors on the second Saturday of every month (11am-5pm October-March, 1pm-5pm April-September).

Secretary of the Melbourne Tram Museum, Warren Doubleday, said, “The website is a major step forward for raising the profile of the Melbourne Tram Museum, and will lead to a visitor increase to one of Melbourne’s little known heritage jewels.

“The museum provides a fascinating glimpse into Melbourne’s transport history and appeals to families and people of all ages.”

New members are always welcome at the museum. Membership application forms are available at the museum, or on the website.

Media enquiries should be directed to Warren Doubleday at info@trammuseum.org.au.

Hawthorn Tramway Trust tramcar No 8, January 2003. Photograph Mal Rowe Hawthorn Tramway Trust tramcar No 8, January 2003.
Photograph courtesy Mal Rowe.