Elwood Tram Routes

Up until 1959, Elwood had two tram routes running through it. The first was a route opened in 1906 between St Kilda Station and Brighton Beach Station, initially only running to the Brighton Baths at Park Street. Operated by the Victorian Railways and built as broad 1600mm guage, it effectively acted as an extension of the St Kilda railway line, which terminated on the northern boundary of the suburb at Fitzroy Street. Interestingly, it was possible for these 'electric street railway' trams to run on the main broad guage line to Jolimont Yard, where they would be serviced and repaired. The second route was opened in 1915, and was an extension of the Glen Huntly Road tramway through Elwood to Point Ormond, where it terminated. The first service was route 11, which ran from Point Ormond to East Malvern via Hawthorn Road and Balaclava Junction, the southern hemisphere's only Grand Union tramway junction. This service was later renumbered to 66, and it was renumbered to 67 when the service began mostly operating as a shuttle between Point Ormond and Elsternwick Station in 1934 as a cost-cutting measure. The 67 stopped operating in 1956, and the St Kilda to Brighton route followed a few years later in 1959. Today, the 246, 600, 606, 922, and 923 bus routes follow part of the paths of these old tram routes