Adelaide Tram Museum at St. Kilda South Australia

Today’s Adelaide Tram System

Horse trams in Adelaide>

The change to electric trams

During the early 1900s there were a number of private sector proposals to build an electric tram system for Adelaide, but they all came to nothing. The government finally purchased the horse tramway companies and the Municipal Tramways Trust took them over from 5 February 1907.

The assets acquired* by the Municipal Tramways Trust were: -

Company Owner Adelaide and Suburban Tramway Company Adelaide, Unley and Mitcham Tramway Company Adelaide and Parkside Tramway Company Adelaide & Hindmarsh Tramway Company Adelaide and Hyde Park Tramway Company Mr Charles Wilcox – owner of the Payneham Tramway Company and the Goodwood Tramway Company TOTAL as at 7 February 1907 Mr G.L.Gardiner, owner of the Port Adelaide Tramways (acquired 22 August 1913)	Compensation £ s d 157,146-11-10 37,617-11- 9 24,218-12 - 2 19,266 - 0 - 8 17,068 - 2 - 5 25,055 - 2 - 5 280,372 - 9 - 3 4,000 - 0 - 0	Cars 92 16 14 16 9 9 6 162	Other Vehicles 18 2 1 1 22	Horses 648 156 88 116 56 56 36 1056
* The other companies were not acquired; they just went out of business.
Country mail coaches starting from outside the General Post Office, 1880s

Hurrying aboard the ‘Lunch hour express’, Race tram at left – Wakefield Street.

John Hill and Co coach in King William St just north of original 1849 Post Office

Before the trams – Cabs and horse buses in King William Street near North Terrace, about 1868.

Summer crowd leaving for home, outside Ramsgate Hotel, Henley Beach.

Adelaide completely depended upon horsedrawn vehicles about 1900.

A picnic party boards special cars in Grenfell Street. 1896.

Before the trams – Cabs and horse buses in King William Street near North Terrace, about 1868.

Rundle Street from King William Street. 1896.

Horse trams in Adelaide>