Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company
Commenced operation | 1885 |
---|---|
Ceased operation | 30 June 1916 |
Service area | Melbourne |
Service type | Cable system |
The Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company (MTOC) was the company that established and operated Melbourne's cable tram system from 1885 to 1916.[1]: 11
History
The MTOC was started by Francis Boardman Clapp, who had come to Australia from the United States in 1853 to search for gold.[1]: 11 In 1869 he set up the Melbourne Omnibus Company which ran horse-drawn omnibuses in the inner suburbs of Melbourne. The company carried five million passengers.[2] Clapp reorganised the company into the Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company. By 1882 the company had over 1,600 horses and 178 omnibuses.[3] In 1885 the company carried 11.7 million passengers.[2]
In 1885, the
The extant building at 673 Bourke Street, Melbourne bears the company logo, and may have been built to house the company's offices. The building was completed in 1891.[4]
The MOTC's franchise expired on 30 June 1916, and the cable network was taken over by the
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-909459-23-9.
- ^ a b c "The Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company". Alexandra and Yea Standard, Gobur, Thornton and Acheron Express. Vic.: National Library of Australia. 14 December 1888. p. 5. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
- ^ "Francis Boardman Clapp - transport entrepreneur". Friends of Hawthorn Tram Depot. 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
- ^ "673 Bourke Street Melbourne CBD Building Database".