Mitcham Village Heritage Tram Pole

Restoration Underway!

Following Council's support to re-install the Heritage Tram Pole in Sutton Gardens works have been underway to restore the tram pole to its former glory. South Australian family-owned metal fabricators Arentz and KKG Engineering have been hard at work in the past few weeks restoring the tram pole including:

• Removal of the old concrete from the bottom of the pole
• Removal of all of the paint from the pole and collars via abrasive blasting
• Cleaning of the inside of the pole, plus removal and cleaning of the collars
• Using fibre glass filler to patch all of the holes present in the pole
• Treating of the inside and outside of the pole and collars with rust kill (giving a black appearance as seen in some of the photos)
• Machining of a large reinforced collar to fit the base of the pole, which will be attached and painted

You can view some photos in the tab to the right of this page.

Council Decision November 2023

Thank you to those who provided feedback on this proposal.

A summary of the public consultation outcomes on the preferred re-installation location of the Heritage Tram Pole was presented to Council at the Full Council Meeting held on Tuesday 21 November, 2023. A copy of the Agenda Item can be found in the documents tab to the right.

Based on feedback received, Council supported re-installation of the Heritage Tram Pole in Sutton Gardens, Mitcham adjacent to where the tram line originally terminated and allocated necessary budget for the restoration works and installation of the tram pole at this location.

These works are expected to be completed in the 2023/24 financial year, dependent on contractor and material availability.

Background

As part of our commitment to preserve our local history, we have accepted as a gift a heritage tram pole that was the last remaining steel and cast iron pole installed to power electric trams which operated from 1911 to 1958 between Adelaide and Mitcham. The heritage tram pole is recognised as part of the heritage infrastructure in the Mitcham Village Historic Conservation Zone.

The heritage tram pole was removed by SA Power Networks from its original location adjacent to 7 Welbourne Street, Mitcham, as it was deteriorated and had reached the end of its useful life. SA Power Networks have since installed a standard pole in this location to supply electricity, meaning the heritage pole is unable to be re-installed in the same location.

The restoration and re-installation of the heritage tram pole is subject to future budget allocation.

What are the options?

Two suitable options have been determined:

• Option A (Staff Recommendation) adjacent Sutton Gardens on Albert Street, Mitcham
• Option B adjacent the Mitcham Cultural Village, Princes Road, Mitcham

Staff have recommended Option A as it has minimal impact on existing infrastructure, and is in a location frequented by members of the public.

Note that an information sign detailing the history of the heritage tram pole would be installed if either location is selected.

Providing Feedback

Your feedback will be used to inform Council's decision in relation to funding the restoration and re-installation of the heritage pole.

For further information regarding the plans, please contact Mark Swanbury, Project and Development Engineer by email mswanbury@mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au.