Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company

Images thanks to Simon Clegg Photography.

The Melbourne Tram Museum in Hawthorn informs me that the logo was used on uniform buttons from 1885 until 1916. Stokes were located at Post Office Place from 1888 until 1935, but the name was “Stokes & Martin” until 1892-3. Therefore, this button dates between 1893-1916.

Museums Victoria Collections https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/773982

The Melbourne Tramways & Omnibus Company was formed in July 1877 from the existing Melbourne Omnibus Company, started in 1868. These trams were of the cable variety, not electric.

Weekly Times (Melbourne), 14th July 1877 p.14

They merged with the rival Victorian tramways Company in 1882. A Tramways Trust, composed of members from the councils through which the trams ran, was legislated to construct the tramways and lease them to the Company.

Illustrated Sydney News, 4th June 1892 p.7

The final cost of the tramway system was quoted in 1892 as about £1.650,000 , including construction, legal, etc. In 1916 the M.T.& O. and the Trust were taken over buy the Tramway s Board, which became the  Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (M.M.T.B.) in 1918.

Francis Boardman Clapp (1833-1920) was the original driving force for bus and tram services in Melbourne, and  the Chairman of the M.T.& O. A son, Harold Winthrop Clapp, became Chief Commissioner for railways in 1920. He has a diesel locomotive named in his honour.

PIC P805 LOC Q28-Bruce Howard collection [picture]/Romance of Australian trams photograph collection

1875 – 1952.

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