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TRAMWAY SIGNAL CABIN, WAITING SHELTER AND CONVENIENCES
SWANSTON STREET AND VICTORIA STREET MELBOURNE, MELBOURNE CITY

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Victorian Heritage Register
TRAMWAY SIGNAL CABIN, WAITING SHELTER AND CONVENIENCES SOHE 2008
TRAMWAY SIGNAL CABIN, WAITING SHELTER AND CONVENIENCES SOHE 2008
TRAMWAY SIGNAL CABIN, WAITING SHELTER AND CONVENIENCES SOHE 2008
1 tramway signal cabin waiting shelter & cenveniences swanston street malbourne stair view jan1998
tramway signal cabin waiting shelter plan
Swanston Street Tramway Signal Cabin February 2002
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Statement of Significance

What is significant?
The Tramway Signal Cabin, Waiting Shelter and Conveniences were built in 1928 to the design of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board architect Alan G Monsbourgh. . It was built soon after the electrification of the Swanston Street and St Kilda Road cable tramways and controlled the shunting and dispatch of the increasing volume of electric trams arriving from the southern suburbs. The complex originally comprised female public toilets at the north end, a roofed passenger waiting area, a small store and toilet for staff at the south end, and a first storey enclosed signal cabin with balconies, reached by rung ladder. Construction is of concrete, rendered brick and a hipped roof of terra cotta tiles. The side awning roofs and the steel staircase are later additions. The interlocking signal system was supplied by the General Railway Signal Company of Rochester, New York. The signal cabin became redundant in 1991.

How is it significant?
The Tramway Signal Cabin, Waiting Shelter and Conveniences complex is of historical significance to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?
The Tramway Signal Cabin, Waiting Shelter and Conveniences complex is historically significant as the only surviving elevated signal cabin associated with an operating tramway system in Australia. It is significant for its ability to demonstrate the development of Melbourne's electric tramway system.
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    • History

      TRAMWAY SIGNAL CABIN, WAITING SHELTER AND CONVENIENCES - History

      History of Place:

      The tramway track outside the City Baths was first used by the South Carlton horse trams operated by the Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company, c.1888. Tne Swanston Street line was intended for cable trams, but an uncompleted section was opened for horse trams in order to transport people to the 1888 Centennial Exhibition. The line was later converted to cable trams, then in May 1926 to electric trams. The company operating the trams was called the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board. In February 1929 the electric tramway was opened in Victoria Street west of Swanston Street, to create a link to the north west suburbs and to the M&MTB's central tramway workshops at Preston.
      The M&MTB decided to erect a signal cabin and shelter at the junction. Tenders closed in July 1928. The successful tender was for 1.274 pounds by B F Vorwerg. Vorwerg was the builder of extensions to tram sheds at Coburg, Kew and Preston.(from notes on file, no author or date given)

      Plaque Citation

      TRAMWAY SIGNAL CABIN, WAITING SHELTER AND CONVENIENCES - Plaque Citation

      This complex was built in 1928, soon after the electrification of existing cable tram lines in Swanston Street. The signal cabin controlled the shunting and dispatch of increasing volumes of trams arriving from the southern suburbs.

      Permit Exemptions

      TRAMWAY SIGNAL CABIN, WAITING SHELTER AND CONVENIENCES - Permit Exemptions

      General Exemptions:

      General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

      Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

      Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

      Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

      Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

      Specific Exemptions:

      Nil

Public contributions

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