Bondi History | Bondi Trams (Repost)
Bondi History | Bondi Trams (Repost)
There was an electric tram service from the City to Bondi Beach that ran from 1902 to 1960. Trams were frequent and fast. There’s even a saying to prove it: to “Shoot through like a Bondi tram.” It seems a pity that the service doesn’t exist today. Bus-plus-train to the city is a bit slow. UberX, although 40% less than the cost of a taxi, is still too expensive for most. What we need is something in the middle … like trams. Everything old is new again.
But, we digress. Back to today’s post.
Some of the utility boxes on the streets around the beach have been painted with an image of a Bondi Tram … just like this one snapped last night on the corner of Hall Street and Campbell Parade, across the road from Ravesi’s.
The red circle at the centre of the graphic is not a reference to the Japanese flag. It is rather a reference to the symbol that was used to represent the Bondi Line and a related graphic, reproduced above.
The graphic is actually quite old. The 1930 Bondi Publicity League was formed by a group of Bondi Beach Real Estate Agents. The Great Depression hit the area hard; and each Saturday, members of the Bondi Publicity League would decorate their cars, trucks and bikes and tour the western suburbs of Sydney handing out leaflets, car stickers and posters and talking up the value of living in Bondi “where life is better”. They sponsored surf carnivals, free theatre in the Pavilion … and Saturdays and Sundays were devoted to rental bargains to be had in the area. Those days are long gone.
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PS: This design is available on REMO T Shirts and Tote Bags. See HERE.
