Bridge Street redevelopment

There has been great excitement in Ballarat this week as parts of the old tram network has been rediscovered in Bridge Street. This narrow street was Ballarat’s main shopping precinct from the gold rush days of the 1850s.

Trams ran along the street from 1905 until 1971, on their way to Victoria Street and Mount Pleasant. In the 1980s the street was turned into a pedestrian mall, but this was never as successful as it was hoped. The City of Ballarat are redeveloping the shopping precinct, and again opening it up to limited traffic. During the first stage of constructions works, the old tram tracks were found buried under the mall’s brick paving.

The rediscovery has renewed interest in the trams, with many people lamenting what was lost back in 1971, and calling for the reintroduction of trams to Ballarat’s streets.

Bridge Street c. 1905