Bendigo Trams

The State Electricity Commission of Victoria, the former State-owned electricity generator and distributor acquired the tramway systems at Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong as part of the acquisition of privately-owned electricity companies in a number of centres. The State Electricity Commission operated the small tramway system at Bendigo until February 1972, when the trams were replaced by privately operated buses.

Bendigo was founded on gold mining and the city has many fine examples of extravagant Victorian era architecture.

The Bendigo tramway system comprised four routes, which were through-routed through central Bendigo. They were Golden Square to North Bendigo and Quarry Hill to Eaglehawk. A section of the Golden Square to North Bendigo line has been preserved by the Bendigo Trust. The Trust operates a tourist service along this line.

The Bendigo tramways had some of the last remaining examples of the United States designed "Birney" one-man operated trams in regular service in the world. Here is a small selection of pictures of the Bendigo system as I remember it.

Bendigo 19 was photographed at the Golden Square terminus in about 1967. The crewman is reversing the trolleypole prior to the tram departing for North Bendigo. The line to Golden Square was on the Calder Highway which connected Melbourne to Bendigo. Bendigo 19 was a single truck California combination tram. It was purchased second hand by the State Electricity Commission from the the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board. It was subsequently modified for one man operation in the "Geelong style" rather than the "Ballarat style".

Bendigo 17 was photographed on the long route to Eaglehawk. Bendigo 17 was a bogie maximun traction tramcar purchased fro the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board. It was originally built for the Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust in Melbourne.

Bendigo 28 is one of the Birney trams which is now operated by the Bendigo Trust on the the preserved tourist line that operates from the Central Deborah Mine to the Joss House (formerly North Bendigo). It was photographed bound for the Joss House. Bendigo 28 was one of the Birney trams originally built for service on the Port Adelaide tramway system before being bought by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria originally for service on the Geelong tramways and later in Bendigo

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