1984

Bondi Road’s tram tunnel is a hidden remnant of Sydney’s first major transport network, which at its peak was the world’s second largest tram system. The tunnel is one of the few remaining pieces of the line.

It illustrates an historic period of tramline expansion, as it gradually extended from Denham Street and Fletcher Street to service early beach tourism.

Though hidden, the tunnel remains of significance to the Bondi and Waverley community as a key feature in the expansion of the Bondi line to the beachfront and, later, North Bondi. The Bondi line was one of Sydney’s most used tram routes, helping Waverley grow as a recreation, commercial and residential district.

Bondi’s earliest tram service was the 1881 Waverley line which diverted from the Randwick line at Taylor Square, along Oxford Street. The line was later extended to terminate near Waverley Cemetery. In its first year, the Waverley line was Sydney’s busiest, carrying 52,965 passengers a week.

In October 1882, a petition began for a tram to Bondi Beach. By 24 May 1884, a line to Bondi had been extended from Bondi Junction, east along Bondi Road, terminating at Denham Street. By December, express trams began running between Sydney and Bondi. The service worked its way into Australian vernacular with the expression: “Shoot through like a Bondi Tram!” - meaning to leave quickly.

The Bondi line was extended again, along Fletcher Street, to coincide with the Bondi Aquarium opening at Tamarama Beach in 1887.

Extending the line to the beach was contentious, with Railway Commissioners forced to justify the expenditure. Despite objections, the line was completed in February 1894. It included extension of a double track that ran under Bondi Road, though a cutting terminating in a loop at Bondi’s southern end.

The service soon expanded in response to the area’s residential development and rising popularity of sea bathing. The Bondi line was electrified in 1902 and extended along the beach to Hastings Parade in North Bondi in 1929.

Courtesy Waverley Library Local Studies Collection.