| Adelaide's earliest public transport |
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| During Adelaide’s first forty years, travel between the city and its outlying villages was by way of irregular trips on local merchants’ drays and spring carts. One of the first regular services was run by Thomas Haynes; from Adelaide to Glenelg carrying five passengers a trip for one shilling and sixpence each. A steam train commenced regular service to Port Adelaide in 1856 and, in 1873, to Glenelg from Victoria Square (along the present tram route). A rival Glenelg railway started from North Terrace in 1880, but the two lines amalgamated in 1882. |
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Rundle Street. Horse trams passing John Martin’s store on way back to Eastern suburbs, c. 1880s.
JC Radcliffe collection |
| Steam trains commenced regular service to Port Adelaide in 1856 and, in 1873, to Glenelg from Victoria Square (along the present tram route). |
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A steam train arrives in King William Street, just south of Angas Street, c. 1880.
JC Radcliffe collection |
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Picnic horse trams in line, Grenfell Street, late 1800s. JC Radcliffe collection |
Hurrying aboard the ‘lunch hour express’, Wakefield Street - race trams on left, c. 1900.
JC Radcliffe collection |
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| The horse trams |
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During the 1870s two leading citizens, Sir Edwin Smith and Mr. WC Buik promoted the idea of a public transport system using horse trams, which they had seen in a recent overseas visit. The idea was enthusiastically embraced.
By 1900, there were eight privately owned horse tram companies with 162 cars and 1,062 horses providing a public transport system running on 74 miles (120 Km) of track serving Adelaide’s population of 162,000. The need for public transport was well established. The horse trams were generally profitable but clumsy. By the early 1900s state politicians and the local councils wanted something more modern and reliable.
Entrepreneur Mr. Mark Bullimore about to drive the experimental battery powered tram to Henley Beach, January 1889. SA Archives |
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King William Street, looking north towards Government House. The horse trams ran either side of the cab rank, c. 1882.
JC Radcliffe collection |
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| Early experiments |
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Early proposals |
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| Experiments were made powering tram cars with steam and batteries. Steam cars were tried on the Mitcham and Albert Park lines, but machines belching smoke and squirting steam at passing horses did not take on.
In 1889, using a modified horse car fitted with batteries, ‘Julien’s
Patent Electric Traction’ was trialed on the Henley Beach
line. This tram showed some promise covering the trip to Henley Beach in 35 minutes. (Over hundred years later, the
bus trip today takes 29 minutes.) But the battery car was too heavy. Worse; the promoters were killed in a level crossing accident at Dry Creek soon afterwards. |
Notwithstanding the extent of the horse tram services, their slow speed and low capacity were not equal to the demands of a population of 162,000.
Community pressures rose and commercial opportunities were seen for the establishment of an electric tram system. A scheme promoted by Mr. Francis H Snow ‘on behalf of certain capitalists’ was supported by the state government and enabling legislation passed. The rules of the day required a referendum. The Advertiser report on the outcome was headed, ‘Snow scheme sanctioned - Celebrating the Victory - Work to be started at once - Votes for 11,436, Against 5,539’. But the scheme failed due to difficulties with capital. The Adelaide City Council had proposed its own scheme backed by different companies, but after much wrangling set it aside in favour of support for the ‘Snow Scheme’. Mr. J.H. Packard also promoted various plans of his own devising but they lacked support from the municipalities. |
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O’Connell Street looking towards city from Caledonian Hotel. December 1878.
JC Radcliffe collection |
