The First Electric Road : A History of the Box Hill and Doncaster Tramway by Robert Green - 1989

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: John Mason Press, 1989. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Soft cover. New/No Jacket. 245mm x 175mm x 8mm. 84 Pages with Black/White Photos. From October 1889 until January 1896, an electric tram ran between the Box Hill Post Office, on the corner of Whitehorse Road and Station Street, and a terminus near the intersection of Elgar and Doncaster Roads, Doncaster. It was the first electric tram in Australia, and the southern hemisphere, to operate as a regular service. The history of this pioneer electric tramway is a story of technical innovation, initiative and perseverance by the early settlers at a time when Box Hill was a small but growing township. The origin of the Box Hill-Doncaster electric tramway dates from the Centennial International Exhibition, held at the Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne, in 1888-89. Among the unusual attractions at this elaborate event was a working electric tramway exhibited by the electrical importer W.H. Masters and Company. The people of… Read More