About
Some cablecar
history:
The Roslyn Line
Opened 1906 Closed 26.10. 1951
Route: Princes St/Rattray St (Shamrock
Hotel)/Ross St/James St (now Falcon St)/Frasers Rd(Kaikorai
Valley). First work on this line began in Feb1881-the first cable
system in NZ and the first in the southern hemisphere. Cableways
Tavern is the proud owner of the No 93, a restored original Roslyn
car, first registered on 14 August 1906-well over a century ago.
The No 93 was purchased from the Dunedin City Council in 2006 for
$1.50, then faithfully restored to its pride of place at the
entrance to Cableways.
The Kaikorai Line
Opened 9.10.1900 Closed: 31.7.1947
Route: Octagon/Stuart St/Kaikorai
(site of Cableways Tavern)
The final run to the Kaikorai Cablecar sheds saw more than 150
adults and children cram the one cablecar. The car stalled at the
Junction. It was thought this was because of the huge load. In fact
the engine driver at Kaikorai Valley thought the last car was in
and turned off the steam. Once back on, the car made it over the
hill. Many souvenirs were acquired from the cablecars by those
final travellers in 1947. Picture: Kaikorai No 4 shown travelling
up Stuart St at intersection with Kaikorai Valley Road.
The Roslyn/Maori Hill
Electric Trams
The electric trams were the first in
NZ and began operating on October 23 1900, running from the
Junction at the corner of Ross and Scarba Streets. Passengers could
use the Roslyn cable car to travel to the Junction, then travel by
electric tram along Scarba St, onto City Road and then down
Highgate to Drivers Road. The electric tram sheds were in Spylaw
Street. The tram service closed on July 1 1936 to be replaced by
trolley buses.
So if you are interested in cablecar
and electric tram transport in early Dunedin, visit Cableways. Ask
staff to put the cablecar DVD on for 20 minutes reminiscing of
Roslyn and Kaikorai transport history.
Memorabilia available for purchase at
Cableways:
Cablecar DVD-footage of cablecar travel around Dunedin Streets from
the 1900s - $25 (Ask staff to play the DVD on the big
screens)
Cablecar Art cards: fabulous cards with cablecar paintings by Don
McAra-$5