Sydney trams. Historic footage shot around the CBD in about 1959.

[@RGC198]

Wow!! Excellent video. I remember the Sydney trams from my childhood days. Thanks for sharing.

[@bethsheeba1198]

Love, love this video. I really miss these trams. They were very efficient. I lived in Cremorne so trams were our main transport.

[@aussiejohn5835]

What an amazing video. Many of the buildings are still there today. Looking along Elisabeth street to the south can be seen the original Qantas building now the Wentworth hotel. St James church and court house. Even David Jones department store opposite Hyde Park is still there. So much has changed and yet just as much has stayed the same. It was criminal to remove those wonderful trams!! Thank you for this trip down memory lane.

[@BelbinVideo]

Thanks, John. I wondered when Qantas moved. Sometime in the '70s? Glad you enjoyed it. I'll be putiing some more up, in the next few days.

[@aussiejohn5835]

@@BelbinVideo Qantas House as it was called opened in 1957. Qantas occupied the building until 1982. Qantas house has a heritage order on it. I was incorrect when I said it is now the Wentworth hotel. I am not sure how it is used today.

[@andrewr2825]

Another trip into history - thank you for posting this one. Everything then just seemed to flow - traffic, buses, cars, and taxis too. Everyone seemed to be aware of their surroundings instead of being glued to their iPhones! Can’t wait for more!👍🏻

[@BelbinVideo]

Thanks Andrew. It really does seem to flow well, doesn't it. I can't imagine it working as well, nowadays.

[@chiefchook]

10/10 for content and nostalgia, Graeme. Thanks for posting what is certainly my best Christmas present.

[@BelbinVideo]

My pleasure, John, glad you enjoyed it. More to come.

[@michaelnaisbitt1639]

Loved some of those classic cars. Be worth a small fortune today. Trams good to. A mistake ripping up their track

[@BelbinVideo]

Michael, totally agree. It really worked well, didn't it.

[@fordlandau]

Very casual attitude to boarding the tram in those days. Many passengers are jumping on a moving tram. And from the wrong side ! And the old trams are moving faster than the sluggish light rail ! Great video!!

[@jimcrawford5039]

fordlandau a lot less traffic! No mobiles!

[@petergraves2085]

I suppose the toast-rack trams had been replaced by then ? As a young person, I marvelled at the facility of the clippies swinging along on the outside. In all sorts of weather.

[@500carl]

A wonderful video. I am grateful that someone had the sense to record Sydney at that time. The year - 1959 - was the year I was born. In fact at St Margaret's hospital in Surry Hills near where the video ends. Lovely to see what Sydney looked like at the time. People were certainly better dressed with men wearing suits and hats and women fine frocks. Walk through the CBD now and it seems full of freaks. I was also interested to see cars parked on Elizabeth Street, an absence of traffic lights and motor cycle and vespa riders not wearing helmets. Halcyon days indeed.

[@bert23337]

Yes, I remember going to the USA for the first time and my friend and I saying how ordinary and normal Australians were in comparison to the freak show there. Australia has just about caught up now on the freak show scale. Every other woman looks like she is from a circus act.

[@jimcrawford5039]

Great video! I have some of Greame’s train videos, they are just magic! Thank you.

[@BelbinVideo]

Thanks, Jim.

[@micklovell75]

For a while I was involved with the railways in the 1950s as a maintainance "sparky" on those CBD buildings the railways used as offices . Our travel was by tram carrying a leather tool bag which because we were sometimes a bit grimey we travelled in the rear driver's comartment often having to push a freeloading "cop" over much to their disgust. They seem to think they had sole right to that back compartment. We went to like Botany Goods siding, Shea's Creek bridge (red light), Bondi, Kings Cross and Martin Place Booking Offices, Railway print room in Eddy Avenue, 509 Pitt Street, Fayworth House in Pitt Street all while based at the Railway Institute in Castlereagh Street (the old Wills building) and all by tram between jobs. Ah memories.

[@BelbinVideo]

Fascinating recollections, Lester.

[@fordlandau]

Wonderful film. Those trams went faster than the snail rail we have now.

[@fordlandau]

They go a lot faster than the latest version !

[@andrewbuckley3948]

Beautiful film

[@michaelhatton2477]

I think this film may have been taken by Noel Simons. Is this all there is of this film or is there more content on the film reel? I am told all of Noel's collection went to the ARHS upon his passing in the mid-80's.

[@MrSuperleobros]

Sydney got rid of two fun and enjoyable modes of public transport (trams and double decker buses) only to slowly bring them back half a decade later.

[@tedes72]

You mean half a century

[@samsone4155]

Wow man. WOW.

[@BelbinVideo]

( I want what he's having haha) About a decade before my time but amazing how different attitudes were, eh?

[@samsone4155]

@@BelbinVideo amen bro amen

[@cronicd21]

Wow the fig trees in Hyde park look a fair bit smaller here

[@richardcurry4912]

Like how people jump on and off!

[@fordlandau]

Richard Curry yes and in the wrong side !!

[@jamesgovett3225]

It would have to be at the very least after May 1960 as there is a Dodge Phoenix sedan at 2.07, the Dodge Phoenix was not released for sale in Australia until May 1960 and judging by the amount of FB Holden Taxis it probably would be late 1960 or early 1961

[@petergraves2085]

I agree. I had much the same thought on seeing some of those later-model Holden taxis (the two-tone ones) - had to be early 1960s.

[@jeffrey3895]

To think that the last batch of R1 trams entered service just 8 years prior to closure. It was a criminal act to destroy Sydney's fabulous tramway.

[@waynemargan2732]

It’s later than 1959...there are HOLDEN FB....AND EK,S so later than 59...

[@mikemcguire2373]

People getting on and off a moving tram. Imagine if you could do that today. I loved those times when everything was easy and regulation free.

[@surkewrasoul4711]

Brautiful

[@selenaeli8259]

Me allso allso uploaded same content 😂😂😂

[@tedes72]

Labor vandalism that the trams were removed.