Ballarat Tramway Museum in Wendouree, Victoria, Australia | History Museum

Ballarat Tramway Museum

Locality: Wendouree, Victoria, Australia

Phone: +61 3 5334 1580

Address: Botanic Gardens Wendouree Pde, Ballarat, Vic 0, Victoria 3355 Wendouree, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.btm.org.au/

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• Community organisation
• Arts and entertainment
• History Museum
• Museum

25.01.2022 Everyone wants to know what is behind the door...

24.01.2022 While restrictions are gradually being eased, we are still not able to operate or open the museum. So here is a photo from 2018, with Tram 28 in the gardens.

24.01.2022 View from the Tram Depot after last Friday's snowfall. Photo: Richard Gilbert

24.01.2022 A old Melbourne tram flag for advertising "The Show", another cancelled event this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

24.01.2022 The 1930's colours on Tram 28 look great with the autumn colours of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens

23.01.2022 Another surviving piece of Ballarat's tramway heritage, cnr. Skipton and Drummond Street, 49 years since a tram went past. Great find, thanks Jeremy.

23.01.2022 Great old postcard, showing the trams of the Ballaarat Tramway Company.

23.01.2022 After the closure of the tramway in 1971, Tram 13 was donated to the Lake Goldsmith Steam Preservation Society. This photo from 1983 shows the tram being prepared for return to Ballarat, where is was restored and reentered service in 1988. Photo: Andrew Mitchell

22.01.2022 One year ago we were able to replace 300 metres of track, with community support through the State Government's Pick My Project, and a large contribution from the City of Ballarat. However we still have 900 metres needing replacement so that we will be able to keep this part of Ballarat's history. The man on the right is Richard Gilbert, one of the founders of the Museum, who back in 1971 was able to convince both the Council and the State Government to retain a small section of the original tramway. Forty-nine years later, we need your help to convince them to restore the remaining track.

22.01.2022 Tram 671, a W4, built in 1934, will be in service this Sunday from 11.00am, tickets from the Museum.

21.01.2022 The only surviving tram from the original Ballaarat Tramway Company fleet of 18 horse trams, which operated from 1887 to 1905 in Ballarat, and to 1913 on the track out to Sebastopol.

20.01.2022 An etching from 1933, with a tram. Follow the links to find out the fascinating story of the artist.

20.01.2022 Sturt Street, Ballarat, late 1950s, the old Commonwealth Bank is still standing behind the trams. This photo is from the Ian Saxon Collection, photographer unidentified.

20.01.2022 A T-shirt from 1971, next year will be our 50th anniversary.

20.01.2022 Visitors to the Botanical Gardens still won't be able to ride a tram, or visit the Museum (museums are still closed in Victoria), but they might catch a glimpse of our scrubber tram as we prepare the tracks for an eventual reopening. Built in the 1930s out of various bits and pieces, including cabins from a 1910 tram.

19.01.2022 Back in 2005, Bendigo tram 17, made a brief visit to Ballarat. This tram was built in 1913 for the Electric Supply Company of Victoria. Ballarat had a summer car like this in 1905, it would be great to be able to have one back on our tracks through the gardens. This photo taken by Earl Ewers. The Museum (like all museums) is still closed because of the COVID restrictions.

18.01.2022 Tram 671, a W4, travelling along Wendouree Parade for the first time since March, under the guidance of the Masked Motorman...aka John Whiting. Trams operating again this Sunday, from 11.00am. Photo: Tony Tan

18.01.2022 Virtual Tour 25: Again we venture out to find Ballarat trams in other collections, this time No.17, which is in the Tramway Museum Society of Victoria Collection at Bylands. This is a single trucker, made in 1915 by Meadowbank Engineering in Sydney. It was one of 20 made for the Prahran and Malvern Tramway Trust. Originally given the number 73, it was renumbered 29 when sold to Ballarat in 1931. It was renumbered as 17 in a fleet reorganization in 1935. This tram was featured in a short film made by the Commonwealth Film Unit on the last day of tram operations in 1971. Called "Autumn of a Mining Town" it is available for viewing on YouTube.

15.01.2022 The Sebastopol line, Albert Street, as the tram passes the old South Star Gold Mine Office, September 1971. Photo: Mark Plummer

15.01.2022 W4 class tram, No. 671, back in service on Wendouree Parade on Sunday.

13.01.2022 Great idea, come to Ballarat this weekend! This photo from 1971 from the Weston Langford Collection shows one of our trams in Melbourne promoting regional travel.

12.01.2022 We were on the news tonight

12.01.2022 Back on track - read about us in the Courier

12.01.2022 Trams in Sturt Street, and no traffic lights either. Photo from the Ian Saxon Collection.

11.01.2022 Flashback: 27 October 2014, a large tree came down on Wendouree Parade, bringing down our overhead wires, and crushing a parked car. Council, power, and tramway crews were on the scene within minutes. Fortunately no one was hurt, and essential repairs were quickly carried out.

10.01.2022 Trams operating on Sundays, starting from November 15, from 11.00am till 3.30pm. Tram rides will start and finish at the Museum, there will be NO street pick ups or drop offs.

09.01.2022 Sturt Street, Ballarat. Exact date unknown, but the old Commonwealth Bank, and the newspaper kiosk can be seen through the trees, so this is pre 1967. Photo from the Ian Saxon collection.

07.01.2022 How to be a smart volunteer - when there is hard work to do, always be the photographer...

07.01.2022 Remembrance Day - Michael Thomas Glynn, conductor for the Ballarat Tramway, killed in France during World War One.

05.01.2022 A look in the photo archive today with No. 43 on display in Queens Park, Geelong. Built in 1914 for service in Melbourne, it moved to Geelong in 1951, and then Ballarat in 1956. It was returned to Geelong in 1971 for display, and finally recovered for preservation by the Tramway Museum Society of Victoria. Photo: Andrew Mitchell

05.01.2022 Great photo from Tony Tan, showing the trams out for the first time since March.

05.01.2022 As we approach the festive season, we again expect to be targeted by elves, who appear without warning around the tramway precinct.

05.01.2022 Last year we were able to run multiple trams, but with COVID restrictions still in place, at the moment we are not able to run any. Hopefully things will improve soon. Photo: Christopher Boehle-Mitchell