What happened to Fremantle’s trams?

5 Mar

I've made videos about the tram networks of Perth, Kalgoorlie and Leonora - but now it's Fremantle's turn! Operating from 1905, Fremantle's trams were incredibly successful. They ran from the Freo town centre to North Fremantle, South Fremantle, East Fremantle, Point Walter, Bicton, Palmyra, White Gum Valley and Beaconsfield.

While it peaked during World War 2, it was the State Government's 1952 decision to nationalise the power grid that killed off the Fremantle network. The Fremantle Municipal Tramways and Electric Lighting Board were reselling power and profiting well - which was in turn funding the tramway. Once that revenue was lost, the trams were sold off and the tracks pulled up.

In this video, I'll delve deep into the history of the network, and we'll explore what remains of it today.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Fremantle

https://www.petswa.org.au/wa-tramways/fremantle-tramways

https://freotopia.org/tramways/index.html

https://www.streetsoffreo.com.au/streets-of-freo/fremantle-municipal-tramways-car-barn-fmr

https://www.pets.org.au/pets05_29.html

https://www.pets.org.au/pets07.html

https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/6a9522e2-6544-4413-8d6d-43f6d4384991

https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/373d6e50-0da2-4dc9-b6cf-9963babd2f7c

https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/84c9e678-6be1-4cf7-80ff-4816d358bf15

https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/09225716-30c1-4418-9f3e-7865d1c2b3bf

https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/0e9a8006-509e-473c-9071-01163dcc292a

https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/02c65db9-4e34-4571-9354-2c3122d26c45

https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/7e95526d-9bb7-4fed-9204-2efb9e785b0a

https://freotopia.org/buildings/coldstores.html

https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/0ef12fbd-3139-4ee1-aea2-c4ebdbd08553

https://www.sydneytramwaymuseum.com.au/tramway/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/251-Trolley-Wire-Nov-1992.pdf

https://fremantlepress.com.au/donate/a-home-for-wa-stories/

Library:

https://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2154100__Sfremantle%20trams__P0%2C5__Orightresult__U__X2?lang=eng&suite=def (index entry) The Westland, No.93, (Oct. 1992), p.13, 385.09941 WES, .b11457478.

https://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1145747__SThe%20Westland__Ff%3Afacetmediatype%3As%3As%3AJournal%3A%3A__Orightresult__U__X8?lang=eng&suite=def

https://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2150888__Sfremantle%20trams__P0%2C6__Orightresult__U__X2?lang=eng&suite=def (index entry) Travel West, Vol.2, no.2 (Nov. 1991), p.16, 380.145 TRA, .b1434046x.

https://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1434046__S%09%20Travel%20West__Orightresult__U__X8?lang=eng&suite=def

https://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2785392__Sfremantle%20trams__P1%2C46__Orightresult__U__X1?lang=eng&suite=def (index entry)

Mandurah coastal times, July 29, 2009, p. 5, 994.12/MAN, .b21270715.

Newspapers:

4th November 1905

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/37809960?searchTerm=fremantle%20tram

Massive photo of Mrs M Samson “mayoress”

1st November 1907

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77887260?searchTerm=%22Frank%20Fallon%22

Fatality

30th October 1925

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/257754377?searchTerm=fremantle%20boots%20Pearse#

Images of second carbarn < mention you can see townhouses next door

Image of powerhouse

Refers to it as the Fremantle Municipal Tramsways and Electric Lighting System

Freo and east freo jointly raised loans of 100,000 pounds

Additional photo of opening day

North freo used only two small cars

18th April 1934

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/33009159?searchTerm=fremantle%20tram

“Fremantle Tram Smash” (photo)

24th July 1950

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84473931?searchTerm=fremantle%20tram%20no.%2023

“Last start today for Tram 23”

20th February 1952

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/49016440?searchTerm=fremantle%20tram

News of power grid purchase from state government. Already questions raised about how they would pay for the tram network without also selling power.

17th of May 1952

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/49032206?searchTerm=fremantle%20tram

Earlier mention of tram closure and bus replacements. I think the earliest. Say from at least May 1952

10 July 1952

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/490 40752?searchTerm=fremantle%20tram

High Street carbarn sold for 21,000 pounds, subject to the trams being discontinued entirely

Good headline to use “carbarn sold for 21,000 pounds”

15th September 1952

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/49052563?searchTerm=tram%20used%20as%20classroom%20for%20a%20sunday%20school

“Tram used as classroom for a Sunday school”

24 September 1952

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/49054416?searchTerm=fremantle%20tram

only two trams running by September 1952. One to Bicton and the other to south beach.

Good headline to use “Port soon to see last of its trams”

9th November 1952

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60101260

Mayor drives last Tram into the carbarn at midnight. His mother drove the first tram through Freo in 1905

10th November 1952

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/49062687?searchTerm=fremantle%20tram

Tram #32 driven by mayor, having only had five minutes of practice earlier in the day. Other passengers included councillors and their wives, past and current members of the tramways board and six actual passengers, who might have been a bit bemused if they had no idea what was going on.

Shows image

Images:

Collection from the city of Freo

https://history.fremantle.wa.gov.au/nodes/view/6814

Photo album – including colour

https://perthbus.info/prequery.php?q_id=927649&cid=4350

Opening of the tramway 1905 (album)

https://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2103096__Sfremantle%20trams__Orightresult__U__X2?lang=eng&suite=def

https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2540635_1

1905

https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2132061_4

1905 Market Street