Old Invercargill Feature: Invercargill's Time with Trams

The Invercargill tram system, a once pivotal component of the city’s public transport, presents a fascinating tale of technological evolution, community engagement, and eventual obsolescence.

Horse drawn tram in front of Invercargill’s post office in Dee street, would have been taken before 1912 when electric trams were introduced. Photo/scan: Old Invercargill

Otatara steam tram stopped for a photograph in 1907 on its way across Invercargill’s estuary. Photo: Old Invercargill

Beginning with horse-drawn trams in 1881, Invercargill’s transit landscape underwent a significant transformation with the introduction of electric trams in 1912.

Dee St. Installing tracks for electric trams. 1909. Photo: Old Invercargill

This transition marked a leap forward in urban transportation, with electric trams replacing the slower, less efficient horse-drawn carriages.

The electric tram era began with a fleet of 10 trams manufactured by Boon and Co of Christchurch, servicing routes to Waikiwi, North Invercargill, Georgetown, and South Invercargill. A tram shed established on Leven Street, still a standing testament to this era, functioned as the heart of tram operations.

In 1922, the tram network expanded with the acquisition of six trams from the United States, further bolstering the system’s capacity. This expansion was a reflection of the city’s increasing reliance on tram-based public transportation and its commitment to improving urban mobility.

Looking south along Dee Street, Circa 1900. Photo: Frederick George Radcliffe

Looking down Tay street towards the crescent with one of Invercargills old trams in play. An eclectic range of mainly Victorian and Edwardian architecture lining the street, a postcard worthy view indeed. Photo: Old Invercargill

Dee Street 19? Old Post Office (now Menzies building). Photo: Old Invercargill

However, the rise of diesel buses in the 1940s signaled a shift in public transportation preferences. The Invercargill Ratepayers’ decision in 1945 to raise a loan for purchasing diesel buses marked the beginning of the end for the tram system. As buses were introduced, tram lines were gradually phased out, with the last lines closing by 1952.

Tram tracks being removed 1952. photo: Old Invercargill

The final ride of the Invercargill trams on September 10, 1952, was both celebratory and marred by vandalism. Schoolboys and young individuals partook in the destructive farewell of the trams, with significant damage inflicted, particularly to the windows.

Invercrgill was once home to the worlds southernmost tram system, which provided the city with brilliant public transport via electric tram lines. Opened in 1912, the tram system was an ordinary part of every day life for many Invercargill locals until closing for good in 1952. photo: Old Invercargill

This postcard view looks north east over Dee street from Post Office Square. A lot of history is jammed into this picture, from Minerva on top of the Athenaeum( far left), to electric trams moving down the streets center. The grand old Hallensteins building has since been replaced with an upgrade on the same site, such is the story for almost every building in this image. Photo: Old Invercargill

This bittersweet event was a poignant farewell to a long-standing mode of transport and an end to a significant chapter in the city’s history. The quiet transition to buses marked the move towards a more modern transportation system.

Souvenir hunters ripped the trams apart as they rode for the last time. Photo- E H Buckley.

Throughout its years of operation, the tram system was more than just a mode of transport; it was a symbol of Invercargill’s growth, progress, and community spirit. Its closure marked the end of an era in the city’s transportation history, leaving behind memories of innovation and a once integral part of daily life for the residents of Invercargill.

The trams, though now a part of history, remain a cherished memory and symbol of a bygone era in the city’s urban landscape.