The relocation of Tram 361 from Wigley Reserve at Glenelg will take place this week with its new home to be in the Adelaide Hills.
The new owners, Mist on Bridgewater, plan to fully restore the tram and make it accessible for people to visit and enjoy at open days and events.
The kiosk next to Wigley Reserve, which had been using the tram for additional seating, will remain on site and will continue operating, with future plans to include new undercover seating.
Tram 361 was gifted to the City of Holdfast Bay after the H-Type trams were decommissioned in 2006.
The Tramway Museum, St Kilda stored Tram 361 for several years before it was relocated to Wigley Reserve in Glenelg in 2012, where it stood as a static display.
However, the location has seen the tram exposed to harsh coastal conditions which has created an unviable upkeep and maintenance program for Council.
Other factors such as vandalism, safety and accessibility issues also resulted in the decision to remove and relocate the tram.
In 2022, an Expression of Interest process was held to invite applications to relocate the tram that would preserve the heritage value of the tram and optimise its tourism potential.
Mist on Bridgewater was the successful applicant and now plans to restore Tram 361 to its original condition and will open the tram up for viewing and community use on open days and events.
It will be co-located with Tram 376, which the business acquired from Glossop High School in late 2022.
The proposal also included the construction of a base with tracks for the tram to rest on with a long-term vision to lay 200 meters of new tracks and have Clydesdale horses pull the trams.
Several Type H trams have been repurposed and are available to the public to see at The Tramway Museum, St Kilda in Adelaide's north.
Glenelg's Bay Discovery Centre also has a permanent and interactive display of H Type Tram 351, which can be found on the first floor of the Glenelg Town Hall.
In related news, Council is working through designs to rectify the foundations located on the edge of Wigley Reserve, in the Patawalonga Lake, left by the former Buffalo ship replica.
Funding has been included in the Draft Annual Business Plan 2023-24 to commence improvements to the site.
The Draft Annual Business Plan will be available for the community to review in May 2023.
