Randwick Tramway Workshops

King Street, Randwick

Established 1881. Employed up to 1400 persons in construction and maintenance of trams and Sydney Tram network. Tramway workshop closed 1961.

The Randwick Tramway workshops provided the area with one of its earliest industries with the commencement of a steam tram service between the City and Randwick Racecourse in September 1880. During World War One workshop employees were involved in the production of 18-pounder shells for the heavy artillery at the front. Voluntary recruitment incentive schemes were instituted to supply the manpower needs of the armed forces. Incentives included automatic grants of leave of absence and payment of an allowance covering the difference between military and civilian wages.

Employees of the workshop were among the first to join the General Strike in 1917.

During World War Two a heavy programme of munitions manufacture was undertaken with over 400 employees being diverted to this work.

With the final trams run in 1961 the workshop yards became the last resting place of many obsolete hulks.

The site was later converted to a bus depot and workshops with the bus workshops closing on Friday October 28th, 1988.

Last Updated: 24 October 2022
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