Re: Official launch in Bendigo of restored Sydney tram R 1808

["Paul Nicholson" <pn1@rocketmail.com>]

There is Risson Lane beside the Camberwell Depot (Melway 45 H12) and two
other "Risson" streets at Blackburn North and Melton South.
Sir Robert used to travel on the Burwood route in the 1970s after his
retirement. I remember seeing him many times when I was working on the trams
at Camberwell from 1974 to 1976.
I am advised that a student in Melbourne is at present doing a PhD thesis on
Sir Robert Risson.
"David McLoughlin" <davemcl@NO***damned***SPAMiprolink.co.nz> wrote in
message 3a4e9fb4@news.iprolink.co.nz">news:3a4e9fb4@news.iprolink.co.nz...
> Paul Nicholson wrote:
>
> > "Ian Jelf" <ian@bluebadge.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
>
> >>  Does S8ir Robert Risson have anything named in *his* honour?
>
>
> > Not that I am aware of.
> > His contribution to Melbourne trams in the 1960s should be recognised.
> > However, there are some people who believe it was an earlier Chairman of
the
> > MMTB, H H Bell, who "saved" Melbourne from the anti-tram epidemic that
> > covered the English-speaking world in the 1950s.
>
> Paul, Sir Robert Risson was chairman or deputy chairman of the MMTB from
> 1949 until 1970. He was the one who fought the anti-tram factions, he
> got the Footscray lines connected to the main system, had the Latrobe St
> line built, had the Bourke Street bus routes converted in a major
> project to electric trams despite hysteria in the media about it, and
> had a couple of hundred new trams built.
>
> Despite those amazing achievements, carried out when the press was full
> of anti-tram hysteria and while tramway systems elsewhere in Australia
> and in the UK and North American were falling like Autumn leaves, I
> think his greatest achievement was leaving a major tramway system in
> good physical condition and ready for expansion when the anti-tram tide
> turned in the early 1970s.
>
> Melbourne's tramway system is the greatest possible monument to Sir
> Robert Risson.
>
> David McLoughlin
> Auckland New Zealand