Agency
Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust
VA 2977
1907 - 1920
Agency names
Officially known as: Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust
Constitution of the Trust
Under the provisions of the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust Act 1907 (No.2130), a body corporate known as the Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust was created for the purpose of constructing and operating certain electric tramways in the municipalities of Prahran and Malvern.
Following the passing of the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust Act, 1910 (No.2294), the Trust was reconstituted to include representatives of the Councils of St Kilda and Caulfield. The Trust consisted of five members, one each from the four constituent councils and the Chairman.
The Chairman was elected by a conference of the municipal councils for a period of four years. In the event of a vacancy, the Minister Public Works could appoint some person to that position.
The time and place of the first meeting of the Trust was to be appointed by the Minister of Public Works by notice in the Government Gazette. The Trust was considered to be duly and legally constituted as a corporation from the appointed day.
For the purposes of the Act, the Trust was to exercise the rights, powers and privileges of the municipal Council. (conferred on the Councils under the provisions of the Tramways Act, 1890 and 1915.)
Functions
The Trust was to construct, manage and operate certain electric tramways in the municipal districts of the constituent councils.
The Trust could purchase, produce, supply and use electric energy for the purpose of any tramway undertaking.
The Trust was to keep part of the roadway in repair where tramways were laid.
The Trust could enter into contract with any person or any corporation, invest money in government or municipal debentures, and establish funds to provide for any of its employees in the event of sickness or an accident and to pay gratuities or retiring allowances to any of its employees.
The Trust had the power to lease tramways with the consent of the local councils and the approval of the Governor-in-Council. The rent received was to be distributed between the municipalities (after payment of interest, repayment of money borrowed by the Trust and payment of the other expenses of the Trust).
The Trust was empowered to borrow money on overdraft from the bank up to ten thousand pounds. It could also borrow on debentures secured upon the security of the undertaking and upon the credit of the municipalities.
The Trust was to submit an annual balance sheet, showing its assets and liabilities and its revenue and expenditure to the local councils. The balance (if any) was to be divided between the municipalities. Deficiency of revenue was to be made not by the municipalities.
In the event of dissolution of the Trust (other then a dissolution owing to the undertaking being acquired by a general tramway authority) the surplus assets were to be divided among the municipal councils in proportion to their respective capital interests in the undertaking of the Trust.
The municipalities were required to indemnify the Trust against capital loss in the undertaking.
In the event of any dispute between the municipalities and the Trust. The matter was to be settled by the Minister of Public Works.
An Order-in-Council, dated 11 July 1911, authorised the Councils of the Cities of Prahran, St Kilda, Malvern and Caulfield to construct jointly a tramway along Dandenong Road from Glenferrie Road to Chapel Street. The Trust was to control, manage and operate the lines on completion.
Enlargement of the Trust
On 11 July 1913, the Trust submitted to its constituent councils a scheme for further enlargement of the Trust. Following an agreement made with the constituent councils on 31 July 1914, the lines operated by the Trust on behalf of the councils were taken over as Trust lines with retrospective effect from 1 October 1913. The agreement also admitted to the Trust representatives from the Councils of Kew and Hawthorn.
An agreement was entered into between the Kew and Hawthorn Councils and the Trust by which the Trust agreed to reconstruct the Kew horse tramway as an electric tramway and to construct an extension from its terminus at the Booroondara Cemetery to Strathalbyn Street and to operate and manage the same as Trust lines on its completion.
The Council of the City of Camberwell became a constituent member of the Trust in 1915.
Dissolution of the Trust
In accordance with the provisions of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Act 1918 (No.2995), the Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust was dissolved. The control of the undertaking passed on to the M. & M.T.B. on 20 February 1920.
Tramway lines opened
The construction of electric tramways by the Trust started on 20 October 1909. Lines constructed by the Trust and opened for traffic included:
The Wattle Tree Road line, from Glenferrie Road to Burke Road was duplicated.
The High Street line was extended from Charles Street to Punt Road during the early months of 1911.
The line from High Street was extended to St Kilda Road and opened on 14 September 1912.
Dandenong Road line: the work commenced on 7 July 1911 and the line was opened for traffic on 30 November 1911 from Malvern to Prahran on 16 December 1911 and from Railway Bridge to Chapel Street on 31 March 1912.
Balaclava Road Extension: opened for traffic on 12 April 1913 from Dandenong Road to Esplanade, St Kilda.
Extension to Kew, opened on 30 May 1913
. Burke Road to High Street via Cotham Road
. From Cotham Road, Kew to High Street, Malvern via Glenferrie Road.
Caulfield Extension from Balaclava Road to Glen Huntly Road via Hawthorn Road.
From Grange Road to Brighton Road, Caulfield via Glen Huntly Road. 13 November 1913
Balaclava Road Extension from Hawthorn Road, Caulfield to Darling Road, Malvern via Balaclava Road and Waverley Road.
The whole of this line with the exception of a loop line at Caulfield Railway Station was opened for traffic on 13 November 1913.
The Caulfield Loop was brought into operation on 20 June 1914.
High Street Tramway - The duplication of the High Street Tramway from Glenferrie Road, Malvern, to Tooronga Road, Malvern and its extension to Burke Road, Malvern, opened on 28 March 1914.
Malvern Road Tramway - from St Kilda Road, Melbourne to Burke Road, Malvern : opened on 8 April 1915.
Duplication of Caulfield Extension and Extension to Point Ormond -
Tramway from the intersection of Hawthorn and Balaclava Road to Brighton Road via Hawthorn and Glen Huntly Roads was duplicated and the tramway was extended to Point Ormond, St Kilda. This extension was opened on 4 June 1915.
High Street Kew Tramway
. The section from Victoria Street Bridge to Cotham Road via Barkers Road and High Street opened on 24 February 1915.
. The section from the junction of Cotham Road and High Street to the Boroondara Cemetery via High Street was opened on 8 May 1915.
Extension of the High Street Kew Tramway from the Boroondara Cemetery to Strathalbyn Street, Kew, was opened on 22 November 1915. A further extension westward to Victoria Bridge Terminus was opened on 10 June 1916.
Extension of the Whitehorse Road Line from Burke Road, Kew to Union Road, Camberwell was opened on 30 September 1916.
Loop at St Kilda Esplanade. A terminal loop at St Kilda Esplanade with a Cafe within the loop was completed in December 1916.
Burke Road Extension - from Malvern Road to the southside of the railway at the Camberwell Station was opened on 6 December 1917. The remaining portion from Camberwell Station to the Deepdene terminus was opened on 7 March 1918.
Location of Records
See list below.
Under the provisions of the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust Act 1907 (No.2130), a body corporate known as the Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust was created for the purpose of constructing and operating certain electric tramways in the municipalities of Prahran and Malvern.
Following the passing of the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust Act, 1910 (No.2294), the Trust was reconstituted to include representatives of the Councils of St Kilda and Caulfield. The Trust consisted of five members, one each from the four constituent councils and the Chairman.
The Chairman was elected by a conference of the municipal councils for a period of four years. In the event of a vacancy, the Minister Public Works could appoint some person to that position.
The time and place of the first meeting of the Trust was to be appointed by the Minister of Public Works by notice in the Government Gazette. The Trust was considered to be duly and legally constituted as a corporation from the appointed day.
For the purposes of the Act, the Trust was to exercise the rights, powers and privileges of the municipal Council. (conferred on the Councils under the provisions of the Tramways Act, 1890 and 1915.)
Functions
The Trust was to construct, manage and operate certain electric tramways in the municipal districts of the constituent councils.
The Trust could purchase, produce, supply and use electric energy for the purpose of any tramway undertaking.
The Trust was to keep part of the roadway in repair where tramways were laid.
The Trust could enter into contract with any person or any corporation, invest money in government or municipal debentures, and establish funds to provide for any of its employees in the event of sickness or an accident and to pay gratuities or retiring allowances to any of its employees.
The Trust had the power to lease tramways with the consent of the local councils and the approval of the Governor-in-Council. The rent received was to be distributed between the municipalities (after payment of interest, repayment of money borrowed by the Trust and payment of the other expenses of the Trust).
The Trust was empowered to borrow money on overdraft from the bank up to ten thousand pounds. It could also borrow on debentures secured upon the security of the undertaking and upon the credit of the municipalities.
The Trust was to submit an annual balance sheet, showing its assets and liabilities and its revenue and expenditure to the local councils. The balance (if any) was to be divided between the municipalities. Deficiency of revenue was to be made not by the municipalities.
In the event of dissolution of the Trust (other then a dissolution owing to the undertaking being acquired by a general tramway authority) the surplus assets were to be divided among the municipal councils in proportion to their respective capital interests in the undertaking of the Trust.
The municipalities were required to indemnify the Trust against capital loss in the undertaking.
In the event of any dispute between the municipalities and the Trust. The matter was to be settled by the Minister of Public Works.
An Order-in-Council, dated 11 July 1911, authorised the Councils of the Cities of Prahran, St Kilda, Malvern and Caulfield to construct jointly a tramway along Dandenong Road from Glenferrie Road to Chapel Street. The Trust was to control, manage and operate the lines on completion.
Enlargement of the Trust
On 11 July 1913, the Trust submitted to its constituent councils a scheme for further enlargement of the Trust. Following an agreement made with the constituent councils on 31 July 1914, the lines operated by the Trust on behalf of the councils were taken over as Trust lines with retrospective effect from 1 October 1913. The agreement also admitted to the Trust representatives from the Councils of Kew and Hawthorn.
An agreement was entered into between the Kew and Hawthorn Councils and the Trust by which the Trust agreed to reconstruct the Kew horse tramway as an electric tramway and to construct an extension from its terminus at the Booroondara Cemetery to Strathalbyn Street and to operate and manage the same as Trust lines on its completion.
The Council of the City of Camberwell became a constituent member of the Trust in 1915.
Dissolution of the Trust
In accordance with the provisions of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Act 1918 (No.2995), the Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust was dissolved. The control of the undertaking passed on to the M. & M.T.B. on 20 February 1920.
Tramway lines opened
The construction of electric tramways by the Trust started on 20 October 1909. Lines constructed by the Trust and opened for traffic included:
The Wattle Tree Road line, from Glenferrie Road to Burke Road was duplicated.
The High Street line was extended from Charles Street to Punt Road during the early months of 1911.
The line from High Street was extended to St Kilda Road and opened on 14 September 1912.
Dandenong Road line: the work commenced on 7 July 1911 and the line was opened for traffic on 30 November 1911 from Malvern to Prahran on 16 December 1911 and from Railway Bridge to Chapel Street on 31 March 1912.
Balaclava Road Extension: opened for traffic on 12 April 1913 from Dandenong Road to Esplanade, St Kilda.
Extension to Kew, opened on 30 May 1913
. Burke Road to High Street via Cotham Road
. From Cotham Road, Kew to High Street, Malvern via Glenferrie Road.
Caulfield Extension from Balaclava Road to Glen Huntly Road via Hawthorn Road.
From Grange Road to Brighton Road, Caulfield via Glen Huntly Road. 13 November 1913
Balaclava Road Extension from Hawthorn Road, Caulfield to Darling Road, Malvern via Balaclava Road and Waverley Road.
The whole of this line with the exception of a loop line at Caulfield Railway Station was opened for traffic on 13 November 1913.
The Caulfield Loop was brought into operation on 20 June 1914.
High Street Tramway - The duplication of the High Street Tramway from Glenferrie Road, Malvern, to Tooronga Road, Malvern and its extension to Burke Road, Malvern, opened on 28 March 1914.
Malvern Road Tramway - from St Kilda Road, Melbourne to Burke Road, Malvern : opened on 8 April 1915.
Duplication of Caulfield Extension and Extension to Point Ormond -
Tramway from the intersection of Hawthorn and Balaclava Road to Brighton Road via Hawthorn and Glen Huntly Roads was duplicated and the tramway was extended to Point Ormond, St Kilda. This extension was opened on 4 June 1915.
High Street Kew Tramway
. The section from Victoria Street Bridge to Cotham Road via Barkers Road and High Street opened on 24 February 1915.
. The section from the junction of Cotham Road and High Street to the Boroondara Cemetery via High Street was opened on 8 May 1915.
Extension of the High Street Kew Tramway from the Boroondara Cemetery to Strathalbyn Street, Kew, was opened on 22 November 1915. A further extension westward to Victoria Bridge Terminus was opened on 10 June 1916.
Extension of the Whitehorse Road Line from Burke Road, Kew to Union Road, Camberwell was opened on 30 September 1916.
Loop at St Kilda Esplanade. A terminal loop at St Kilda Esplanade with a Cafe within the loop was completed in December 1916.
Burke Road Extension - from Malvern Road to the southside of the railway at the Camberwell Station was opened on 6 December 1917. The remaining portion from Camberwell Station to the Deepdene terminus was opened on 7 March 1918.
Location of Records
See list below.
Jurisdiction: Victoria
