Tram Line

Statement of Significance

• The site of the former Tram Line has historic value for its association with a peak period of commercial activity in Broome in the first half of the 20th century. • The site of the former Tram Line has historic value for its association with the pearling and livestock industries which helped to establish and develop Broome and the surrounding region. • The heritage trail established in 2016 which follows the path of the former tram line has social value for visitors and members of the local community for demonstrating links between places within the town site. • The former tram line has social value for members of the Broome community for its association with past activities and practices which were widely known and experienced until 1966.

Physical Description

There is no evidence of the former tram line in the majority of its former route linking the two jetties. There are remnants of tram tracks and siding within the Broome Heritage Precinct which is the location of the former Customs House and Sailmakers Shed. The remnants are located to the east of the former Sailmakers Shed and consist of two stone and concrete tram/rail sidings, the slab of the former Fisheries Inspector’s Office and the slab of a former Good’s Shed.

History

The Broome Tramway ran from the old Broome Jetty to Chinatown (1.6 kms) to the location of Streeter’s Jetty. Originally it was a 2ft (600mm) gauge and was completed in 1896. The rail was converted to 3ft 6inches (1050mm) in 1908 and the original horse drawn carriage was replaced with a small steam engine. The tram tracks were damaged during WWII, consequently in 1948 the line to Chinatown was removed but the spur line around the jetty and the meatworks was retained. A diesel engine replaced steam in 1949 and it remained operational until the closure of the old jetty in 1966. The tram lines were gradually removed from the streets of Broome after this period. The tram was an essential service for delivering goods to and from the port. Pearl shell and animal carcasses were all loaded on to the tram for shipment and in return, the goods brought by ship were unloaded onto the tram for delivery into town. The tramway that ran between the jetties traversed the edge of the foreshore along Hamersley Street, south of Anne Street, where the remains of a siding, goods shed and the Fisheries Inspector’s Office still remain near the Old Customs House, now the Broome Museum. In 2016, a self-guided walking trail was launched in the Broome town site from Streeter’s Jetty in Chinatown to the site of the Old Jetty at Town Beach. The trail includes 13 historic locations roughly along the route of the former train line.

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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