It was great to see so many members, quite a few partners as well, come along on a glorious spring day to our vocational visit to Bendigo Tramways main depot. The depot has just completed a $3.5 million refit and expansion covering everything from the loos to the sprinklers to the library.

Tramways Manager Jos Duivenvoorden and Bendigo Trust board member Michael McGowan led members and guests through the 109 year old depot - the oldest working depot in the Southern Hemisphere - and explained the 122 year history of trams in Bendigo.

It seems that Bendigo, fearing to be seen to copy Ballarat and its new horse-drawn tramway, opted instead for an ambitious but unproven German system of battery powered trams. As most of you may already know, what regularly worked in test runs on the flat in Germany routinely failed here, usually at Lightning Ridge, and after 14 weeks Bendigo’s

first tramway folded.

Batteries had originally been chosen over steam out of deference to local washing drying on the line, which would be dirtied by soot from the steam engines. Nevertheless, several small steam engines were purchased to tow the battery trams around, and they quickly proved reliable and very popular.

Electric overhead wire only arrived in 1903 (still, that was three years earlier than it did in Melbourne) and a new depot was built alongside the new power station in Hargreaves Street by the British Insulated Wire Company.

In 1930, the British electricity franchise expired in Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong and the power stations were taken over by the State Electricity Commission. The Tramways in all three cities went along too although the SEC had no interest in running tramways.

FossickerThe

PRESIDENT ELECT’S REPORT

Weekly bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bendigo Inc. - Chartered 30th July 1925 - District 9800

Editor: Noel Hobley noelhobley@bigpond.com - Distribution: The Terrace theterrace@phs.org.auCorrespondence: PO Box 131, Bendigo, 3552

PRESIDENT SECRETARY TREASURER PASTPRESIDENT Brian Figg Kaye Graves Wayne Smith Wayne Smith

BOARDMEMBERS:President Elect - Tom SeddonClub Service - Garry GunnellCommunity Service - Libby HughesInternational Service - Valerie Barker

Vocational Service - John KrakowiakNew Generations - Phil WestRotary Foundation - Hugh Wheeler

No. 42566 - Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - A002977L

By 1972, the SEC succeeded in ridding itself of Bendigo Tramways (Geelong had closed in 1954 and Ballarat in 1970), but something unique happened:

the depot, the fleet and a large part of the tramway were saved and handed to Council and The Bendigo Trust.

The Trust will celebrate 40 years of operating the tramway in December this year. As the SEC moved off site over time, the Trust opened more and more of the tram depot, and in 1999 the first parts of the workshop

opened. Extensions in 2002 and 2011 have created a large, multi-station workshop with coachbuilding, engineering, electrical, and paint/finishing areas as well as several pits for regular tram servicing.

We looked at work underway now for two trams for

Yarra Trams: complete ground-up rebuilds that we hope are the first of many in coming years, and also at Melbourne No.Y611, here for works from the Sydney Tramway Museum. And, Bendigo No.8, which is one of Bendigo’s original electric tramway fleet dating from 1903.

No.8 is now in the paintshop for final finishing. Mick explained that this tram had spent several decades as a house extension before coming to the depot for a rebuild and return to service. Jos also pointed out several restored trams that run regularly here in Bendigo, including No.84 which was restored to run in Melbourne during the 100 anniversary of the Malvern Tram Depot; also our “toastrack” No.17, and restaurant car Bendigo 976.

After the workshop walk-through, many of us had

COMING UP

11-Sep Jeff Rigby, CEO ColibanColiban Water, and reflections from a former GSE team participant

18-Sep Robing de CrespignyVillian or Hero” - a true story presentation by novelist Robin DeCrespiney

Joint meeting with the RC of Bendigo South at All Seasons. 6.45 pm start.

25-Sep Karen Quinlan Bendigo Art GalleryFashion as Art, Exhibitions, and the new Gallery Extension

2-Oct Wayne Smith TreasurerSilverpot to Samoa: RCBs finances, explained

9-Oct Zsofia Szabo Hungary Incoming Exchange Student

16-Oct David Lloyd, Manager The Capital Our new theatre and what it means for cultural programming in Bendigo

lunch in Bendigo No.44, an early “bogie” tram (motors and wheels at each end of the tram rather than a single set at the middle) built for the Prahran & Malvern Tramway Trust but which spent most of its years in Bendigo after Melbourne adopted the “W” as a standard design for the city-wide fleet in the 1920s.

The proceeds on the day were donated to Bendigo Tramways (thank you!) and will be used in the final works on the restoration of Bendigo No.8,.

RC Bendigo is joining the Abbott Foundation and other donors to this important restoration, and No.8 will be finished in time to make its public debut in December this year as part of the Talking Trams’ 40th anniversary celebrations.

President Elect, Tom Seddon.

WEBSITE: Click to visit District 9800 newsletters and videos

GOLDFIELDS CLUSTER MEETINGS

BendigoSandhurstWednesday 7.30 am

BRIT Restaurant.

BendigoSouthThursday 6.30 pm

Foundry Hotel

BendigoStrathdaleTuesday 6.30 pm

All Seasons Quality Resort

EaglehawkWednesday, 6.30 pm

California Gully

Mechanics Institute

KangarooFlatMonday 6.30 pm

Rotary Gateway Park

Echuca-MoamaWednesday 6.30 pm

Rich River Golf Club

RochesterThursday 6.30 pm

Criterion Hotel.

THE FOUR WAY TEST

of the things we think, say or do...

1.IsittheTRUTH?

2.IsitFAIRtoallconcerned?

3.WillitbuildGOODWILLandBETTERFRIENDSHIPS?

4.WillitbeBENEFICIALtoallconerned?

ROTARY LINKS

Link to District Governors Blog

Link to District 9800 Conference 2012

Link to Rotary International Home page

Link to Rotary International 2012 Convention

ROSTER SEPTEMBER 11 SEPTEMBER 18 SEPTEMBER 25Chairman C. Burns TBA B. AckermanSergeant at Arms I. Coates N. Hobley N. HobleyCorporals V. Barker

G. BickleyG. ClarkeI. Coates

J. GallagherK. Gilchrist

Cashiers H. WheelerN. Whitfield

V. BarkerJ. Bruce

D. CoiaN. Cox

Regalia R. Rogers J. Mahoney J. MahoneyReception L. Winzar

T. AbbottN. BurdonC. Burns

T. DobeliB. Doherty

Grace B. Ackerman D. Buttolph B. FiggFour Way Test W. Smith J. Cartwright J. Flood

A Notice for Chairman - To assist the President and as a courtesy to guest speakers, when the president calls for visiting Rotarians and guests to be introduced, the Chairman for the day is asked, please, to stand and introduce the guest speaker by name with the comment that he/she will be more formally introduced later in the meeting.

Members are reminded that if for any reason you are unable to fulfil the duty for which you are rostered it is your responsibility to arrange a replacement

Anniversaries September 11 to September 17BIRTHDAYS: Avis Rowe Sept. 12.

ROTARY INDUCTIONS:

Nil

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES:

Nil

JOINT MEETING - SEPTEMBER 18with Rotary Club of Bendigo South

at All Seasons

Robin de Crespigny author of

‘The People Smuggler’ - a true story presentation “Villain or Hero”

From Penguin: With enormous power and insight, The People Smuggler tells a story of daily heroism, bringing to life the forces that drive so many people to put their lives in

unscrupulous hands. It is an utterly gripping portrait of a man cut loose from the protections of civilisation, attempting to

retain his dignity and humanity while taking whatever path he can out of an impossible position.

Rotary District 9800 Group Study Exchange Farewell A joint project between the Hobsons Bay Cluster & the Port Phillip Cluster

RSCP: The Shepheards 9369 8358 by 24th September

Clubs to group book as per sheet attached. Cheques payable to: Rotary Club of Altona PO Box 138, Altona 3018

Or Direct Credit to Rotary Club of Altona BSB: 633-000 A/c: 117125468

Join us to Farewell our RD9800 team as they embark to RD1080 in the Cambridge-Norwich area in the UK Steven Bourke – sponsored by the Rotary Club of Central Melbourne Sunrise Kirsten Brewer – sponsored by the Rotary Club of Brighton North Virginia Loftus – sponsored by the Rotary Club of Camberwell Elizabeth Nuttall– sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bendigo Karen Lillywhite – sponsored by the Rotary Club of Chadstone- East Malvern Team Leader Julie Mason. Rotary Club of Wyndham

The Gamekeepers Secret Inn 1555 Melton Hwy, Rockbank.

Melways Map 353 A9 http://www.gamekeepers.com.au/

Date: 30th September 2012 Time: 12:30 for 1pm Cost: $25 ~ Nibbles/Finger food

Drinks at Bar prices