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Trams in Ballarat have operated since 1887 and continue to operate today as a tourist attraction. At its peak in 1937, Ballarat's tramway network was the largest in Australia operating outside one of the capital cities,〔pg. 7. Examiner. Tuesday 10 August 1937〕 with 7 principle routes and more than 20 kilometres of track. The majority of the network was closed and replaced with buses on 19 September 1971 after which the Ballarat Tramway Museum preserved a single electrified track along Wendouree Parade at Lake Wendouree to operate a tourist service. From its depot adjacent to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, the museum operates its historic collection of electric trams from around Australia, including some that were operated on the original Ballarat system.〔 == 1880s: Origins and the Horse Drawn Tramway == In an 1884 council meeting, the City of Ballaarat decided on the establishment of a tramway to meet the growing city's transport needs and a Tramway Committee was formed. Tenders were called in 1886 to operate a tramway in the city. The successful tenderer was Mr. Thompson, of Adelaide who proposed a horse drawn system.〔pg. 4. Camperdown Chronicle. Saturday 22 May 1886〕 He was granted a 30-year licence for the sum of £1575 per annum, after which the system would be handed to the council. Provision was to be made in future for the rolling stock being powered by other means.〔 Thompson and business partner Moore created the Ballarat Tramway Company which built and promoted the tramway. The first line was opened at a banquet in the Botanical Gardens on 26 December 1887. The six mile (9.7 km) standard gauge line ran from Sturt Street to the gardens and around Lake Wendouree. The rolling stock consisted of double-decker trams built in Adelaide, each drawn by multiple horses.〔pg. 9. The Argus. Thursday 22 December 1887〕 The company constructed and operated a maintenance facility north of the gardens.〔 The tramway was immediately popular and it was not long before work began on the first proposed extensions which were a long southern branch line to the town of Sebastopol via Skipton Street Redan and Albert Street, and two northern branch lines to service the city's suburbs along Drummond Street North and Soldiers Hill.〔 At its peak, this horse drawn system had 19 trams, servicing 5 principle routes: Drummond Street; Gardens; Lydiard Street; Sebastopol; Sturt Street West. All were double decker, with the exception of the Drummond Street tram. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Trams in Ballarat」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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