The Goodman legacy

“Citizens were compelled to apologise to visitors for their smelly and uncomfortable trams…”

Cyclopedia of Adelaide 1909

It was 1902 and the good citizens of Adelaide had had enough. Even Kalgoorlie had an electric tram system! Adelaide had been the first Australian city to establish a comprehensive street tramway, but it had not kept up with the times. There was enormous pride about the horse drawn trams when they appeared in the 1870s, but everyone else now seemed to have an electric system. Chief SA Engineer of Transport, GT Goodman ran into the infamous Adelaide City Council as he attempted to electrify our trams. The ACC blocked his plans to encroach on the parklands, remove trees build the infrastructure for the MTT and it’s electric trams. Goodman prevailed. In 1909, the the MTT administration building that now bears his name, and the Tram Barn A were ready to open. Both are now part of the Botanic Gardens and are wondeful examples of high Edwardian utilitrian design. They are also a challenge to sketch. #adelaideurbansketchers #letsmakelemonade