Trams in Geelong

The city of Geelong in Victoria, Australia, operated an extensive tramway system from 1912 until 1956, when the service was replaced by buses.

[1]: 140  After lengthy discussions, and the need to get State Government approval, a plan was finally accepted by the Geelong Town Council in 1890.

[1]: 144  Further agitation for a tramway started again in 1906, but it took until July 1910 before agreement was reached with the Melbourne Electric Supply Company for the construction and operation of a tram system.

This was part of the SEC taking over the supply of electricity for Victoria, and it included the tramways in Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat.

[6] During World War II, passenger traffic increased as a result of petrol rationing and people employed in munitions factories around Geelong.

The Liberal state government of Henry Bolte, elected in June 1955, decided in July that the trams should be replaced by privately-owned buses as soon as possible.

[12] Tramway union members argued that the SEC had let the system run down, and that it was losing business by not extending the network into new suburban areas.

[13] The Geelong Chamber of Commerce supported the closure of the system, with the president saying they would be glad to have the trams off the streets.

[18] Immediately following World War II, the following services were through-routed: After a timetable reorganisation in December 1952, the pattern was altered to: The original fleet of Geelong trams was made up of seven single-truck cars, with bodies made by Duncan & Fraser of Adelaide using Brush trucks.