Leonora's Lonesome Tram
Most likely the most remote and shortest public tramway in Western Australia (if not the whole country) Leonora once had a tram service to the sister town of Gwalia. It started off using a steam locomotive, upgraded to electric and was finally a converted petrol-powered truck when the powerhouse burnt down. All in all, it ran for about 20 years from 1903 to 1921 when the Sons of Gwalia Mine shut down for several years after a fire. The service did not return, being replaced with a bus service in 1923 when the mine reopened. These days, you can view the restored electric tram (which was imported from Philadelphia) in the Gwalia Museum.
Sources:
https://www.leonora.wa.gov.au/mapping/trails/heritage-trail
https://www.leonora.wa.gov.au/visitors/gwalia-museum/brief-history-gwalia-mine.aspx
https://www.petswa.org.au/wa-tramways/leonora-tramways
http://www.railpage.org.au/tram/leonora.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonora,_Western_Australia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Australia
https://www.leonora.wa.gov.au/visitors/about-leonora/history.aspx
https://www.sydneytramwaymuseum.com.au/tramway/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/112-Trolley-Wire-Oct-1967.pdf (includes map and photos)
https://www.sydneytramwaymuseum.com.au/tramway/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/182-Trolley-Wire-Jun-1979.pdf Photo on page 12
https://www.leonora.wa.gov.au/mapping/trails/heritage-trail
https://tramways.blogspot.com/2011/02/
https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/6493f269441d47e60979228b
Images Used:
Low-res album, but includes photos of the tram barn and power station. Used to find higher resolution images on Trove.
https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Trams_in_Leonora,_Western_Australia
In backyard
https://www.flickr.com/photos/intervene/2248483914/in/photostream/
Tram line through Gwalia?
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2213406_1
Steam Tram
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b6578173_2
Electric tram
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b6578174_2
Tower Street 1909. Show tracks and tram stop
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2013267_1
1916 plan – shows “tramway” near the intersection of Rochester Street
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b1933067_1
Outside Federal Theatre
https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/49892/photos/431031
Leonora Train Station 1930
The “Leonora” at work in the southwest
Coaches in town c1900
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b2961980_001
Leonora c1900
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b4542977_1
Library Sources:
Newspaper Sources:
March 30th, 1901
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/233199707?searchTerm=%22leonora%22%20%22tram%22
Initial talks about building a tram line
6th April, 1901
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/233199761?searchTerm=%22leonora%22%20%22tram%22
Town meeting discussing if it should be privately built or not. A coach service currently ran between the two towns and was successful
June 22nd, 1901
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/233200075?searchTerm=%22leonora%22%20%22tram%22
Proposals for the line. Announcement of a town meeting
July 27th, 1901
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/233200201?searchTerm=%22leonora%22%20%22tram%22
the council approves the construction of the tramway
February 18th, 1902
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32608513
A “lively” town meeting about installing the tram between the mayor and ratepayers. Apparently there was such a war of words that people stood up and left. Obviously, the mayor got his way
September 20th, 1902
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/233201870?searchTerm=%22leonora%22%20%22tram%22
There was lots of back and forth and red tape, mostly to do with municipality boundaries… but finally “the Attorney- General advised the Council to proceed under the Tramways Act at once “
February 7th/21st 1903
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/233202377?searchTerm=%22leonora%22%20%22tram%22
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/233202423?searchTerm=%22leonora%22%20%22tram%22
Mr Snell, the mayor, had taken two trips to Perth by this point at personal expensive to secure a 4,000 pound loan from the government to secure the loan. Instead, he managed to get a loan from “a Fremantle man” at 7%. This was after failing to get a loan from the National Bank
August 1st, 1903
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/233202988?searchTerm=%22leonora%22%20%22tram%22
The engine was used in Bunbury for shunting purposes and recently had a new boiler installed
October 10th, 1903
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/259870982?searchTerm=%22leonora%22%20%22tram%22
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/233203267?searchTerm=%22leonora%22%20%22tram%22
Mention of a Gwalia tram shed too
October 14th, 1903
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/255718251?searchTerm=%22leonora%22%20%22tram%22
On opening, there was a banquet, various speakers, and the carted a delegation to Gwalia for a picnic. After the picnic, the tram was formally hander over to the municipality
“Messrs. Barre Johnston and Co”
May 30th, 1905
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/89207234?searchTerm=%22leonora%22%20%22tram%22
Fatal tram accident newspaper article
Thomas Hines, 50 years old. Night watchmen at the mine
March 26th, 1906
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204549907?searchTerm=%22leonora%22%20%22tram%22
Another fatality, this time a woodcutter named William Simonsen. It doesn’t state if he was drunk too, but it did happen on a Saturday night.
September 3rd, 1908
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/90482369
Electric tram was being built in Fremantle but was two months behind schedule
November 7th, 1908
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/37816185/3846505 (photo)
Leonora was known for its progressiveness. They installed the power station for the tram, but this could also be used for street lighting and private customers. 70 customers were noted as if this news article
They used the same Melbourne company that built the tramways and lighting for Fremantle
February 16th, 1909
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/33284134?searchTerm=%22leonora%22%20%22tram%22
Power station and associated infrastructure cost over 8,000 pounds to built
January, 30th, 1912
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/33402984?searchTerm=%22Richard%20Priest%22%20%22gwalia%22
Another accident. This time Richard Priest. Same story, he had been drinking and passed out on the track in Gwalia. Although on this occasion, he had alighted from the very tram that would kill him on its return trip 40 minutes later
July 25th, 1916
newspaper article about power house fire
the complex was only insured for about 1,200 pounds, not covering the costs to replace it all
Arrangements were being made with the Sons of Gwalia Co to supply power for the town
Cause of the fire was unknown
July 29th, 1916
Loan from the government to install a petrol car
September 16th, 1916
A representative from the Fremantle Municipal Tramways and Electric Lighting Board visited Leonora and inspected materials for sale
November, 16th, 1916
Only a sporadic tram service with high fares. Doesn’t mention how the tram is powered. Maybe from the mine?
The loan was cancelled because of a change of government
At this point, the businesses of Leonora were expected to do something about it
December 16th, 1916
Contributions from the community led to the acquisition of a petrol vehicle. At first it would run on the road, before being converted to run on the rails
June 1st, 1918
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/210179470
talks about the tram being out of commission 16 months after the fire.
The fire at the power station put the Leonora Municipal Council in a very bad financial position. As such, they could not finance another tram. Members of the public instead stepped in to fund it. This released the council from liability, but gave them a chance to financially recover. Two years later, the electric plant was indeed producing a substantial profit. At this point, the residents wanted to return the tram to the Leonora Malcom Road Board and started a petition. While they lost money, it’s hinted that they were local business owners, and thus, benefited from the tram continuing to run between the two towns.
There were taxis now running at 1 shilling each way. But they ran with no fixed timetable, usually only when the vehicles were full. This didn’t suit most and it was worried that everything would move to Gwalia instead since that’s where most worked
January 22nd, 1921
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/210175355?searchTerm=%22tram%22
The Sons of Gwalia Mine shut down, and it was decided to cease the tram service on the 29th of January, 1921
