The Beginning
South Australian Railways (1854-1974)
1847 was the year our government decided to approve plans to build South Australia's first railway it was also the year the origins of what would later become South Australian Railways (SAR), a government organisation that would oversee and run all public rail lines. The official year the SAR starts is 1854 and only two years later in 1856 they would officially open our first rail line, the Adelaide to Port Adelaide line (originally terminating at Port Dock) the line now continuing as the Outer Harbor Line as well as the first Adelaide Railway Station. A year later the second oldest and most used line Gawler was completed, years would passed before the extensions to the Belair and Noarlunga line would begin.
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It was around the time these photos were taken that another mode of transport was introduced. The horse trams of Adelaide were the very first of our tram network and they paved the way to the future. From humble beginnings in 1878, horse trams were independently run with each line essentially having a different operator (for example the Kensington line was run by The Adelaide and Suburban Tramway Company). Although looking at photos of these trams now I did think they looked very cool but according to records they were the most uncomfortable ride ever known to man. This was part of their downfall but the nail in the coffin was when the Municipal Tramways Trust (MTT) bought all 7 companies which included 163 trams and 650 horses and phased out the horses for the new and improved electrification.
Horse tram routes showing lines built between 1878-1908, Lines with dots indicate train lines including the Glenelg line.
The electric tram network as of 1952. One major difference apart from the extent is the Glenelg line is now a tram route originally a train line terminating at Victoria Square.
End of the Line
As with all things new the trams suffered greatly with lines not being kept in shape and the public no longer catching them instead the rise of privately owned cars and the introduction of the bus changed the way people would travel. The MTT therefore decided to close down lines and tear up the tracks between 1955-1958 the only track to remain was the Glenelg line.
State Transport Authority STA
(1974-1994)
At this time the SAR, MTT and bus operators were all running separate to one another, the government therefore decided to form a unified organisation that would one services and thus the formation of the State Transport Authority (STA) was formed and both the SAR and MTT were officially disbanded. In terms of impact to rail lines the STA was responsible for the closures of several services as indicative of the image here
STA Rail map approx. 1980. Lines include the Northfield, Penfold, Port Dock and GMH Elizabeth that branch off the Gawler Line. Also shows the original Bridgewater line which now terminates at Belair. STA Rail Map - Australian Rail Maps
The final two show runners were TransAdelaide which ran from 1994-2010 who were responsible for the creation of 'Adelaide Metro' and the Department for Planning, Transport and Infrastructure which has ran 2011 onwards.