Melbourne Tram Museum news

Celebrating the centenary of women’s vote (19 February 2008)

The cable tram set housed at Hawthorn Depot left its familiar surrounds for a journey into Federation Square on Tuesday 19 February 2008, as part of the formal launch of the celebrations to mark 100 years of the Victorian women’s right to vote.

Melbourne tram SW6 957, painted in the suffrage colours of purple, green and white and featuring images of Vida Goldstein and Annette Bear-Crawford – two of the leaders in the campaign for women's suffrage – carried Parliamentarians and their guests to the celebration. The cable tram set featured as a backdrop to the event and was transported to and from Hawthorn depot on the day. The cable tram set consists of dummy number 28 and trailer number 256, and is on loan from the Tramway Museum Society of Victoria.

Cable car set positioned in Federation Square, 19 February 2008. Photograph courtesy Mike Ryan. Cable car set positioned in Federation Square, 19 February 2008.
Photograph courtesy Mike Ryan.