Ø  Indicating colours, Paddington (Queen Street), red with white centre. Waverley, red. Bondi, white with red centre.

Ø  Fares, Paddington and Bondi Junction, 2d. Waverley, 3d. Bondi 3d.

Ø  Trams, Paddington and Bondi Junction, about every 5 to 10 minutes. Waverley, about every 25 minutes. Bondi Beach, about every half-hour.

Ø  Last trams from Bent Street, Paddington and Waverley 11.20 p.m; Bondi, 11.10 p.m.

Ø  Time of journey, Paddington, 23 minutes; Bondi Junction, 29 minutes; Waverley, 39 minutes; Bondi Beach, 42 minutes.

This route is the same as that for Randwick as far as Darlinghurst, where the latter line branches to the right. The line to Paddington keeps straight on past the front of the Darlinghurst Court house, seen on the left, and soon after the foot of Barrack Hill is reached. This is so called from the Victoria Barracks, which line its ascent on the right, until at the summit of the hill the tram stops in front of the Paddington Town Hall, a fine structure, which, from its elevated position, is visible for miles from many parts of the city and Harbour. Continuing, the line still ascends, passing always through a double line of business premises of a thriving character, several fine places of worship of various denominations being passed on the right until Queen Street is reached. At this spot is the main entrance to the Centennial Park, on the right, a fine view of which is seen from the tram immediately Queen Street, the terminus of the Paddington trams, is left behind. This magnificent pleasure ground covers just over one square mile, and is beautifully laid out, the skill of the landscape gardener being greatly assisted by the large lakes formed by draining swamps at one time part of the source of Sydney’s water supply. Considering that the park was only dedicated on Anniversary Day, 1888, by Governor Carrington, the transformation from the scrubby waste it then was to its present attractive appearance is wonderful. The dedication of this Park was due to the efforts of the late Sir Henry Parkes, to whose memory it will be an everlasting and eloquent monument.

The tram line skirts the northern boundary of the Park, and the view from the tram to the right is a particularly fine one. The elevation is very high, and one looks forth across the beautiful Park over the Randwick Racecourse, Kensington, and the long stretch of undulating scrub-covered sandhills to Botany Bay. Beyond this are wooded hills rising to the skyline, and more to the right the populous Illawarra suburbs. On a clear day, certainly, a lovely prospect. Before leaving the outskirts of the Park a large reservoir is passed, whence issues the greater part of the elevated water supply of the city, the water having first been forced up to this elevation. To the left one obtains vistas down the well-kept villa-lined streets of the fashionable suburb of Woollahra. The tram again enters a busy thoroughfare, Waverley Road, and passes between business premises to the end of the second section at the Bondi Junction; or, as it is otherwise known, the Tea Gardens.

From Bondi Junction the line to Waverley turns sharply to the right along Cowper Street and proceeds to the terminus at the Waverley Cemetery. The Cemetery at Waverley is well worth a visit, being undoubtedly the most pleasantly situated God’s acre of the city and suburbs. It falls gradually from the entrance down towards the seashore, and the rising sun which it faces, the broad Pacific stretching out to the horizon beyond.

If, instead of turning off to Waverley, the journey be continued past Bondi Junction by means of the Bondi tram, the line will shortly turn sharply to the right, and, after rising a slight hill, proceed down a straight road towards the ocean, which appears stretched away in blue immensity at the foot of the hill. The line passes many very fine and comfortable residences, until, after making a sudden turn to the right, the ocean appears close underneath, and the Aquarium is reached. Down through a steep, rocky cutting, and the tram emerges alongside the Little Bondi Beach reserve, close to the water’s edge, and in full view of the beautiful Bondi Beach, which stretches away to the north, where its sweep is checked by a line of cliffs, marked on the outer edge by the rugged headland known as Ben Buckler. At the southern end of the bay, at the tram terminus, is a picturesque rocky nook, where one may sit in shade, while the whole stretch of the bay affords unlimited opportunities for paddling, fully availed of, by juveniles particularly, on a holiday. A very large swimming bath is also situated right of the terminus. The Bay is, at the same time, a great place for sharks during the season, and some exciting sport in the way of shark fishing can be witnessed almost any night during the hot months, when the sharks come inshore after the migratory salmon.

This article is courtesy of the great book called  ‘Juggernaut’, by David Burke’ and is brought to you by Tram Scrolls Australia, specialists in premium quality replica tram and bus scrolls, tram banners and bus destination blinds.

http://www.tramscrolls.com.au/ 1300 632 332 or info@tramscrolls.com.au