Remembering Geelong’s tram history

GET a taste of the old Geelong tram network in Ballarat this weekend.

On Saturday, 25 and Sunday, 26 March, the Ballarat Tramway Museum will lead a Geelong Tramway Weekend to acknowledge the 67th anniversary of the closure of Geelong’s Tramway system.

The Geelong Tramway Weekend festivities will include presentations from Warrington Cameron, and photographer Mal Rowe, alongside lots of tram rides.

“A highlight will be the operation of Tram no 2, the only original Geelong butterbox tram to survive into preservation,” said BTM’s John Whiting.

Geelong tram 2 was acquired by BTM in 2022, gifted by its former custodian and Canberra-based restorer Mr Cameron who, over 28 years, saved it from being lost.

He decided to donate the tram to the Ballarat Tramway Museum, knowing it would be looked after, displayed year-round in the institution’s new state-of-the-art showroom, and head out on the tracks on special occasions like the Geelong Tramways Weekend.

It was built in 1911 by Adelaide’s Duncan & Fraser for the Geelong system and travelled one million miles until it was decommissioned in 1956 when the city’s tramway network was closed.

Before it went home with the Camerons in the early 90s, Geelong tram 2 had been sitting on a family farm on the Bellarine Peninsula for 35 years and was a feed holder for animals.

The event will be based at the South Gardens Reserve where the museum is, and run 11am to 4pm both days. Visit trybooking.com/cgphn and btm.org.au for more information.

Fares will include an all-day ticket for rides on all trams, and entry to the museum.