Fremantle Tramways

1905 - 1952

The port of Fremantle, founded in 1829, is situated at the mouth of the Swan River. Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, is 15 kilometres upstream. After many years of slow growth in Western Australia, the gold discoveries of the 1890s produced a sudden increase in population, many of the new migrants arriving through Fremantle. As the population growth stabilised by around 1900, state and local authorities realised that public utilities and infrastructure were required for further growth. Provision of an electricity supply and public transport were two of the important areas, and after many proposals which did not come to fruition, the Fremantle and East Fremantle Councils eventually decided jointly to form the Fremantle Municipal Tramways and Electric Lighting Board (FMT&ELB) to fulfill both of these needs. The system opened in October, 1905, and by April 1906 the initial routes, centred on the Fremantle Railway Station, were city loop via Phillimore St East via Adelaide St and Canning Rd [to Allen St] Marmion, via High St and Marmion St [to Duke St] Beaconsfield School via Hampton St South Beach [to Douro Rd] Initially there were 14 single-truck trams in operation, of the California combination type.

Crowds returning to Fremantle from South Beach on the then new Fremantle trams, c. 1906.

The North Fremantle Council soon joined the scheme, buying two trams and extending the track across the Swan River along Perth-Fremantle Road [now Stirling Highway] to Leighton St. This became the "North" route, opened in September 1908. Further route extensions were Marmion St line via High St to the Fremantle cemetery Canning Rd [now Canning Highway] line to Petra St Beaconsfield line to Central Avenue, subsequently to Carrington St Marmion St line to McKimmie Rd

The original Carbarn was constructed at the end of High St, just opposite the Roundhouse. Car number 20 is seen outside the Carbarn.		The facade of the Carbarn, now forming part of a residential development.

The Melville Roads Board joined the undertaking, resulting in the Canning Highway line being extended to the Board's Offices at Stock Road, with a branch to the popular Swan River picnic and entertainment area at Point Walter. By 1923 there were 28 trams in service, and a new Carbarn had been built in Queen Victoria St to supplement the original one in High St. The Fremantle tramways were a visible expression of civic pride - they were highly successful and became an integral part of Fremantle life. Not only for work and shopping in the city, the tramways also provided access to leisure activities at South Beach and Point Walter, sporting and racing venues, and later to the movies. The excellent standard of maintenance and presentation of the trams was no doubt linked to the Board's policy that all operational staff should live locally, which led to a high degree of rapport with the passengers.

FMT 11 as converted to saloon form from the original California combination.

The number of passengers carried in 1930 was 6.27 million, a remarkable number considering that the population of the area was about 30 000. From 1931 the passenger numbers decreased as the effects of the depression were felt, but the tramways remained profitable. Passenger numbers did not recover until the war, reaching 9 million in 1943. New tramcars continued to be built, the latest being 1935 tramcar #36 - this was the last tram ever built for Western Australia. As was also the case elsewhere, the war effort took its toll on the tramway, in terms of lack of maintenance coupled with greatly increased demand, but in the case of Fremantle this was not the main factor in its subsequent closure. The FMT&ELB's tramway and electricity operations were always profitable overall. However, from 1936 onwards the tramways alone did not produce a profit. When, in 1952, the State Electricity Commission took over the electricity supply in Fremantle the tramway was unable to survive on its own, and the last tram ran on November 8 of that year.

Fremantle Tramcars This table gives some information about the tramcars in the Fremantle fleet.

Tramcar numbers	In service	Capacity	Description
1 - 14	1905-6	40 seats	Single truck, drop-end, open California combination. Body: JG Brill, USA
15-16	1908	40 seats	Single truck, drop-end, open California combination. Body:Westralia Ironworks, Fremantle
17-19	1910	40 seats	Single truck, drop-end, open California combination. Body: JG Brill, USA
20-21	1912	40 seats	Single truck, drop-end, closed combination. Body: Bolton's, WA
22	1915	38 seats	Single truck, drop-end, closed combination. Body: Bolton's, WA
23	1915	75 seats	Bogie, open cross-bench Body: Bolton's
24-25	1913	40 seats	Single truck, drop-end, open California combination. Body: Bolton's
7, 4, 11	1920-21	40seats	Single truck saloon Body: Fremantle Municipal Tramways, WA Converted from earlier form
26-29	1921	64 seats	Bogie saloon Body: WA Government Railways Workshops, Midland Junction
30-32	1925	64 seats	Bogie saloon Body: Bolton's
33	1927	64 seats	Bogie saloon Body: FMT
34	1930	64 seats	Bogie saloon Body: FMT
35	1932-33	64 seats	Bogie saloon Body: FMT
23	1933-34	52 seats	Bogie saloon Body: FMT Converted from earlier form
36	1935	64 seats	Bogie saloon Body: FMT