Re: Newport tram museum

IS Edit
Thursday, May 9, 2002 2:45 AM

Most of the proposals I have heard for a tram museum lately centre around the old depot buildings across St George's Road from the Tramways Workshops.

Those buildings are vacant, fenced off, but still connected to the network.

There would be plenty of room there if someone would fund some restoration of the buildings.

Bob Murphy

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From: southernhealth2001

To: [email protected]

Sent: Thursday, May 09, 2002 10:32 AM

Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Newport tram museum

Below is an article from today's Herald-Sun. Brian Weedon Fight to derail tram museum By JOHN MASANAUSKAS, transport reporter 09may02 THE tram union will fight moves to set up a tram museum at the former Newport railway workshops. Rail, Tram and Bus Union tram division secretary Lou Di Gregorio said the Newport site was inappropriate. "It won't be easy to attract tourists out there," he said. "It will be a waste of money". A heritage study commissioned by the State Government has recommended a transport museum for the site, including a tram section. However, Melbourne's official heritage tram fleet will be housed at the old Hawthorn tram depot, which is part of an apartment complex due to open next month. The site is still connected to the tram network and heritage trams will be brought out for special occasions. Calls for a museum intensified last November when the Herald Sun revealed hundreds of historic trams were rotting in a shed at Newport. Melbourne businesswoman and tram enthusiast Sandra Makris called for a transport museum at the historic No. 2 goods shed at Docklands and for W-class tram routes to be integrated with river boat trips. Ms Makris said a museum at Newport would be too isolated and wouldn't get corporate support. Mr Di Gregorio said the union supported a museum at the Preston tram workshops, with a vintage tram service from the city. But Department of Infrastructure heritage coordinator Mike Ryan said Preston would be required for tram maintenance in the foreseeable future. "Our people found that as a museum option it didn't really stack up," he said. The heritage study has been reviewed by stakeholders and will soon enter a public consultation phase before the Government makes a final decision. Opposition transport spokesman Geoff Leigh said the Government had already spent two years on consultation without a result. "This can only be described as incompetence and mismanagement," he said.

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