View source for Victor Harbor Horse Drawn Tram

{{Short description|Horse drawn tram in South Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date= July 2015}}
[[File:20040610 Victor Harbor Tramway.jpg|thumb|A tramcar on the causeway]]
[[File:Granite island as seen from the tram station.jpg|thumb|The tramway on leaving the Granite Island terminus]]
{{routemap|title = Tram Route
|title-bg = #000000
|map =
v-CONTg~~ ~~ ~~''[[Victor Harbor railway line]]''
vKDSTa-STR~~ ~~ ~~''Tram Depot''
uSPLe
uBUE~~ ~~ ~~''Esplanade''
uBHF~~[[Victor Harbor, South Australia|Victor Harbor Tram Station]]
uhKRZWae~~ ~~ ~~''Granite Island causeway''
uPSL~~ ~~ ~~''Granite Island Passing Loop''
uKHSTe~~[[Granite Island (South Australia)|Granite Island]]

|}}

The '''Victor Harbor Horse Drawn Tram''' is located on the shores of the city of [[Victor Harbor, South Australia|Victor Harbor]], [[South Australia]], [[Australia]]. A {{cvt|3.1|km|mi}} [[tram]]way links the city's visitor information centre with the nearby [[Granite Island (South Australia)|Granite Island]]. Much of its route is over a {{convert|630|m|abbr=off|adj=on}} [[causeway]].

The tramway is one of the very few [[Horsecar|horse-drawn tram]] routes remaining in public transit service anywhere in the world. It operates every day throughout the year except [[Christmas Day]]. Up to three [[double-decker tram]]cars are each hauled by a [[Clydesdale (breed)|Clydesdale]] horse. The line is built to {{RailGauge|5ft3in|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]], as were many of the early railways of South Australia.

In October 2018, the Victor Harbor Horse Tram Authority was established as a [[subsidiary]] of the [[City of Victor Harbor]] to oversee the operations, business development and marketing of the service.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://horsedrawntram.com.au/about/victor-harbor-horse-tram-authority/ | title=Victor Harbor Horse Tram Authority | publisher=Victor Harbor Horse Drawn Tram | access-date=29 January 2019 | archive-date=29 January 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129182030/http://horsedrawntram.com.au/about/victor-harbor-horse-tram-authority/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

==History==
The [[South Australian Railways]] (SAR) reached Victor Harbor in 1864, when a pier adjacent to the railway station was constructed. In 1867 the pier was extended to reach Granite Island, the resulting link becoming known as a causeway, and a railway track was laid on it. The track continued on to and around the northern edge of the island to where a jetty was constructed. Although railway goods vehicles were routinely horse-hauled on this line, no passenger service operated until 1894. By then, increasing numbers of visitors and holiday makers were turning the causeway into a local attraction. The SAR decided to utilise a surplus double-deck horse-drawn tram to offer a passenger service. Subsequently, others followed.<ref name=arh72>{{cite journal | last1 = Harris | first1 = G.G. |date=May 1972 | title = The Victor Harbour Horse Tram | journal = [[Australian Railway History|Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin]] | pages = 97–101}}</ref><ref name=TW352>{{cite journal |last= Seymour |first= Colin |title= The horse tramways of Moonta, Gawler and Victor Harbor |journal= Trolley Wire |date= February 2018|issue= 352 |pages= 9–16}}</ref>

From the beginning of the 1900s George Honeyman contracted with the SAR to operate the passenger service. From 1940 his younger brother, Frank, took over until the line was closed in 1955 when the old working jetty and remnants of the Victoria Pier were being demolished by the Harbours Board. To strengthen the causeway for operation of the tram would have cost £3,000 but funds were not forthcoming and in 1954 the causeway was reconstructed without rails. The service continued to operate on Granite Island itself until 1956, when the cars were disposed of. Between 1956 and 1986 two [[Trackless train|rubber-tyred trailers]] towed by a small [[Ferguson TE20|Ferguson tractor]], later by a [[Land Rover series|Land Rover]] with cladding to imitate the outline of a steam locomotive, provided a service with half the 32-person seating capacity of the tram cars.<ref name=TW352/>

The 150th jubilee of South Australia was celebrated in 1986, and a fund was established for special projects to mark it. Reinstatement of the horse tramway was one such project. Four replica tram cars, each to carry 52 passengers, were built with tubular steel, timber cladding and roller bearings. Tracks were relaid and the service recommenced on 14 June 1986.<ref name=arh86>{{cite journal | last1 = Bird | first1 = Kim |date=September 1986 |title = Victor Harbour Horse Tram Return | journal = [[Australian Railway History|Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin]] | pages = 207–211}}</ref><ref name=TW352/> In the 1990s rubber matting was installed on the causeway to assist the horses, of which there are 14 that each rotate on two three-hour shifts (of 3–4 trips) per week. One tram normally operates; two at busy times and at [[Easter]], and three over the Christmas/[[New Year's Day|New Year]] holiday period.<ref name=TW352/>

In 2019, operations of the tram were suspended on New Year's Day after a pylon broke off the causeway and fell into the sea.<ref>{{cite news|title=Victor Harbor horse-drawn trams cancelled after pylon collapses on pier|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-02/granite-island-causeway-closed-to-trams-after-pylon-collapse/10678616|work=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=23 January 2019|archive-date=23 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123150352/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-02/granite-island-causeway-closed-to-trams-after-pylon-collapse/10678616|url-status=live}}</ref> After an urgent engineering assessment, major concerns were raised over the ageing causeway's ability to support the weight of the tramcars, and tram operations were again suspended on 23 January. The Horse Tram recommenced operation on 23 June 2019.<ref>{{cite news
|title=Victor Harbor trams cancelled again because of safety concerns on causeway
|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-23/granite-island-causeway-closed-to-trams-amid-safety-concerns/10738770
|work=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]
|access-date=23 January 2019
|archive-date=23 January 2019
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123110649/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-23/granite-island-causeway-closed-to-trams-amid-safety-concerns/10738770
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

==Gallery==
{|style="background:#EBEAED; border:1px solid dimgray; font-size: 86%;color:black" border="0" height="230" align="center" vertical-align="bottom" cellpadding=10px cellspacing=0px
|-align="center"
|
|[[Image:Tramway Horse Victor Harbor BF 003.JPG |border|400x130px|none]]
|
|[[Image:Granite Island.jpg |border|400x130px|none]]
|
|[[Image: VictorHarborFromGranite Island.jpg |border|400x130px|none]]
|
|-align="left" vertical-align="top"
|width="5"|
|width="100"|[[Double-decker tram|Tramcar]] at the Victor Harbor mainland terminus
|width="5"|
|width="100"|Tram track on Granite Island
|width="5"|
|width="100"|The causeway in the distance, seen from Granite Island
|-align="center"
|
|[[Image: Ticket prices and Time Table.jpg |border|400x130px|none]]
|
|[[Image: Tram Station.jpg|border|400x130px|none]]
|
|[[Image: Ferry from Victor Harbor to Granite Island 1961.jpg|border|400x100px|none]]
|-align="left" vertical-align="top"
|width="5"|
|width="100" |Ticket prices and timetable on Granite Island
|width="5"|
|width="100"| Granite Island tram station
|width="5"|
|width="100"| The tractor-hauled "train" that replaced the horse tram between 1956 and 1986
|}

==See also==

*[[Douglas Bay Horse Tramway]], another horse-drawn tramway on the [[Isle of Man]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Victor Harbor Horse Drawn Tram}}
*[http://www.horsedrawntram.com.au/ Official website]

{{TramsAustralia}}

{{coord|-35.5606|138.6277|type:landmark_region:AU|display=title}}

[[Category:1894 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:5 ft 3 in gauge railways in Australia]]
[[Category:Fleurieu Peninsula]]
[[Category:Heritage streetcar systems]]
[[Category:Horse-drawn trams in operation]]
[[Category:Pier railways]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in South Australia]]
[[Category:Tram transport in South Australia]]
[[Category:Tramways with double-decker trams]]