About the Perth Electric Tramway Society

What We Do

The Society restores and operates heritage electric tramcars at Whiteman Park, where visitors can experience for themselves the delights of this form of transport from an earlier era. The trams run from the Mussel Pool picnic area to Whiteman Village, and connect to the Park's narrow gauge railway at Whiteman Village Junction.

Our workshops and Carbarn contain the fleet of operating tramcars, and also the maintenance areas. Trams currently in service include W-class cars from Melbourne, Australia, and a restored tram from Fremantle. Fares for the tram rides are our main source of funds for the restoration of further trams from Western Australia, and for fulfilling our wider aims as detailed below.

Our members are enthusiasts for this form of transport. The Society members you see, and those you do not see - the conductor and motorman on the tram, the track maintenance team, the overhead line team, the tramcar maintenance workers, the tram restoration team, the administrators - are all volunteers.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Perth Electric Tramway Society is to operate and develop Western Australia's Heritage Tramway and associated collections of equipment, artefacts, memorabilia and archival materials as a recreational and officially-recognised educational resource for present and future generations.

Objectives

Heritage Tramway

To provide a unique attraction for the public – operating historic electric trams – as a major component of Whiteman Park's heritage transport theme.

Trams

To assemble a collection of fully restored, operating examples of the various types of electric trams and trolleybuses which saw service in Western Australia; and, where appropriate, to include other Australian and overseas examples.

Collections

To conserve and develop the Society's collection of tramway equipment, artefacts, memorabilia and archival materials and make these accessible to the public, where appropriate, through comprehensive interpretive displays.

Knowledge

To achieve widespread official recognition as the main authority on electric tramways in Western Australia.

Status

To attain national and international recognition for our achievements in tramway heritage preservation, operation and display.