Yarra Trams - The early days

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1889

14 October
Private electric trams begin between Box Hill Station and Doncaster. This service was closed in January 1896.

1906

5 May
The Victorian Railways St Kilda - Brighton 'electric street railway' was officially opened on 5 May and services commenced on 7 May. It ran from St Kilda Railway Station via Grey Street, Barkly Street, Mitford Street, Broadway, Ormond Road, St Kilda Street and Esplanade to Park Street, Middle Brighton. The Elwood Depot was built at the corner of St Kilda Street and Head Street.

11 October
The North Melbourne Electric Tramway and Lighting Company opened two lines from the Flemington Bridge cable car terminus to Keilor Road and to Saltwater River (now known as Maribyrnong River).

Essendon Depot was built in Mount Alexander Road. The name has been retained to the present day, although the depot is actually located in Ascot Vale.

22 December
Victorian Railways opened an extension from Middle Brighton via the Esplanade to Brighton Beach Station.

1907

7 March
Elwood Depot was destroyed by fire (including all the trams). The tram service was discontinued, and an emergency bus service was implemented.

17 March
Victoria Railways recommenced the St Kilda - Brighton Beach tram service.

20 June
Construction completed on the rebuilt Elwood Depot.

22 December
Victorian Railways opened an extension from Middle Brighton via the Esplanade to Brighton Beach Station.

1910

30 May
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust opened two lines. One from Charles Street Prahran to Tooronga Road via High Street and the other from High Street to Burke Road via Glenferrie and Wattletree Roads.

The Malvern Tram Depot was constructed at the corner of Glenferrie Road and Coldblo Road.

1911

14 March
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust extended the High Street line west from Charles Street to Punt Road.

16 December
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust opened a new line from Wattletree Road to the railway bridge at Windsor, travelling via Glenferrie and Dandenong Roads.

1912

31 March
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust extended the Dandenong Road line a short distance from the railway bridge to Chapel Street, providing a connection with the Windsor and Prahran cable cars.

14 September
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust extended the High Street line west from Punt Road to St Kilda Road, connecting with cable cars to the City.

The Cheltenham - Beaumaris section of the Beaumaris horse tramway was closed.

1913

12 April
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust opened a line from Dandenong Road to St Kilda Beach via Hawthorn Road, Balaclava Road and Carlisle Street.

30 May
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust opened new lines from Malvern Town Hall (High Street) to Cotham Road, Kew, via Glenferrie Road. At Cotham Road the line branched into two. One line turned left into Cotham Road to terminate at the Kew Post Office (High Street), the other turned right along Cotham Road to terminate at Burke Road, Deepdene.

13 November
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust opened three new lines.

Balaclava Junction to Darling Road, via Balaclava and Waverley Roads.
Balaclava Junction to Brighton Road, Elsternwick, via Hawthorn and Glenhuntly Roads.
Hawthorn Road to Grange Road via Glenhuntly Road.

A 'grand union' junction was installed at Balaclava Junction. (A 'grand union' junction features two tracks that cross at right angles and includes connecting curves on all four corners).

1914

17 February
The Brunswick and Coburg Tramways Trust was established to construct and operate an electric tramway from the North Carlton cable car terminus in Rathdowne Street to Brunswick and Coburg.

25 March
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust opened the High Street line, an extension to Glen Iris that terminated at Malvern Road.

14 June
The Hawthorn Tramways Trust was established to construct an electric tramway from Melbourne to Burwood.

June
The remaining section of the Beaumaris horse tramway to Sandringham was closed.

26 October
The Brunswick and Coburg Tramways Trust was re-established as the Melbourne, Brunswick and Coburg Tramways Trust.

1 November
The Kew horse tram was closed to permit construction of an electric line by the Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust.

1915

24 February
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust opened an extension the Kew Post Office to Victoria Bridge via High Street and Barkers Road (along the former horse tram route).

8 April
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust opened a new line from St Kilda Road to Burke Road, Gardiner, via Commercial and Malvern Roads.

8 May
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust opened the Kew Depot. This depot was built on the corner of Barkers Road and High Street, Kew.
A new line was opened from Kew Post Office via High Street to Kew Cemetery (Park Hill Road), built over the former horse tram route.

4 June
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust extended the Elsternwick line to Point Ormond via Glenhuntly Road.

3 August
The Fitzroy, Northcote and Preston Tramways Trust was established.

26 November
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust extended the Kew Cemetery line along High Street to Strathalbyn Street, Kew.

5 December
The Coburg horse tramway was closed to permit construction of an electric line in Sydney Road by the Melbourne, Brunswick and Coburg Tramways Trust.

30 December
The Footscray Tramways Trust was established

1916

31 January
The Hawthorn horse tramway was closed in preparation for construction of an electric line by the Hawthorn Tramways Trust.

6 April
The Hawthorn Tramways Trust opened a line from Princes Bridge to Hawthorn Depot, at the corner of Wallen Road and Power Street, via Batman Avenue and Swan Street. The opening of Hawthorn Depot had been delayed considerably due to wartime conditions.

27 April
The Melbourne, Brunswick and Coburg Tramways Trust opened a line from Coburg Depot to Bell Street, via Moreland and Sydney Roads.

7 May
The Hawthorn Tramways Trust extended the Hawthorn line along Riversdale Road to Auburn Road (over part of the former horse tram route).

14 May
The Melbourne, Brunswick and Coburg Tramways Trust extended the Sydney Road line from Bell Street to Bakers Road, North Coburg.

31 May
The Hawthorn Tramways Trust extended the Hawthorn line from Auburn Road to Bowen Street, via Riversdale Road and Camberwell Road.

10 June
The Hawthorn Tramways Trust opened an extension to the Hawthorn line from Bowen Street to Boundary Road (now Warrigal Road), Burwood, via Camberwell Road and Norwood Road (now Toorak Road).

21 June
The Hawthorn Tramways Trust opened a new line from Hawthorn Depot to the Richmond cable car terminus at Hawthorn Bridge, via Power Street and Burwood Road.

14 August
The Melbourne, Brunswick and Coburg Tramways Trust extended the Coburg line from Moreland Road to Park Street, via Lygon Street.

30 September
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust extended the Deepdene line from Burke Road to Union Road, Mont Albert, via Whitehorse Road.

2 October
The Footscray Tramways Trust was granted authority to construct five tram routes, from Footscray Railway Station to Ballarat Road, Russell Street, Williamstown Road, Hyde Street and northwards to the Maribyrnong River bridge via Nicholson Street. Plans for the latter two routes were deferred in 1917.

25 October
The Hawthorn Tramways Trust opened a new line to Riversdale from Camberwell Junction, via Riversdale Road to Wattle Valley Road.

31 October
The Melbourne, Brunswick and Coburg Tramways Trust extended the Coburg line from Park Street to Queensberry Street, via Lygon Street, Elgin Street and Madeline Street (now Swanston Street).

9 November
The Hawthorn Tramways Trust extended the Riversdale Road line from Wattle Valley Road to Highfield Road.

23 December
The Hawthorn Tramways Trust extended the Riversdale Road line from Highfield Road to Wattle Park.