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What do I need to know?

Any locations or subjects of interest, and approximate dates relating to what you are researching. PROV holds photographs, drawings, maps and plans relating to trams and buses. Use relevant keywords to narrow your search by subject or location and use date ranges to narrow down your search (optional).

How do I search?

Enter a date range and / or a keyword into the search below.

For a more exact search use inverted commas on your search term, for example, "Z class" OR "Z class tram".

About these records

Various Victorian government departments and agencies have been responsible for transport. The records they created as a result of this work documents a rich variety of details about Victoria's built environment, including the neighbourhoods and structures surrounding transport facilities and infrastructure.

Who created these records?

While most of the records that you will find with this search were created by government agencies associated with rail transport and infrastructure, you may also find records that were created by other agencies using this search.

The main agencies that have been associated with trams and buses that may have created these kinds of records are listed below. Click on the VA number to read more about a particular agency and see a complete list of series that the agency created:

  • Public Works Department, 1855-1987 (VA 669)
  • Department of Railways and Roads, 1871-1877 (VA 2875)
  • Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company Limited, 1877-1919 (VA 2976)
  • Melbourne Tramways Trust, 1884-1916 (VA 2692)
  • Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust, 1907-1920 (VA 2977)
  • Royal Commission on Tramway Fares Revision, 1911-1911 (VA 5173)
  • Royal Commission into the Railways and Tramways Systems of Melbourne and Suburbs, 1911-1912 (VA 5164)
  • Hawthorn Tramways Trust, 1914-1920 (VA 2978)
  • Melbourne, Brunswick and Coburg Tramways Trust, 1914-1920 (VA 2971)
  • Footscray Tramways Trust, 1916-1920 (VA 2973)
  • Tramway Board, 1916-1919 (VA 2693)
  • Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board, 1919-1983 (VA 2984)
  • Department of Transport (known as Ministry of Transport 1951 to 1992), 1951-1996 (VA 673)
  • State Transport Authority, 1983-1989 (VA 1038)
  • Public Transport Corporation, 1989-2003 (VA 2984)
  • Department of Infrastructure, 1996-2008 (VA 3971)
  • Department of Transport II, 2008-2013 (VA 4853)
  • Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure, 2013-2014 (VA 5003)

Next Steps

Order the records of interest and view in our Reading Room. Some records are digital records and can be accessed directly online. 

What are in these records?

Because this search covers a number of agencies relating to trams and buses in Victoria, the records you will be exploring are of diverse types and purposes. You can expect to find records that are:

  • photographs, negatives, slides and transparencies
  • plans, diagrams and drawings
  • maps and surveys
  • indexes to some of the above

There may be some digitised images relating to trams and buses in your results, to see these at the top of your search results select the Digital option in the View Record filter toggle arrows on the left of the screen. You can also use these to explore only results from particular series or created by particular agencies.

 

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