ACCADEMIA HOTEL RIMINI

Probably the most famous of all American Brill trams, and certainly the most famous of the Perth fleet, the New York Stepless "I Class" went into service on the City to Nedlands route in 1914 but was a bit slow and did not corner well. It was later used on the Inglewood line where only the Barrack Street Bridge and the Civic Theatre dogleg marred an otherwise straight run. Affectionately known by its tram number "Old Sixty Three" and sometimes simply as "New York", she was still in service until 1952 and was the longest serving H-D Stepless in the entire production. The remains of this tram are at the Carbarn in Whiteman Park, Perth and are due to be restored when funds are available. For many years it was used as holiday accommodation at Rose Gardens Caravan Park, in Emu Point, Albany, until brought to Whiteman Park. Acrylic on canvas by Graham Lees.

OLD SIXTY THREE
Graham Lees

Back in the years before the war
When I first came to this land,
What we call the suburbs now
Was mostly scrub and sand.

The streets were rough and dusty
And pot-holed from the load.
They had two iron tram rails
Down the middle of the road.

Rattling down the thoroughfares
From Perth to Osborne Park
These metal beasts would glide along
From dawn 'til after dark.

On Saturdays we'd go to town:
Mum, Dad and Sis and me.
We'd catch the tram at Beaufort Street:
Old Number Sixty Three!

Then, when I started courting
I lived out in the 'sticks'.
We'd catch that New York Stepless
To and from the flicks.

The streets and times got better.
More motors shared the road.
The council said Old Sixty Three
Would finally have to go.

But sometimes on a summer night
When I'm hot and half asleep,
I'll dream I hear Old Sixty Three
Rattling down the street.

Taken from Kings Park,this view shows Perth's greatest asset, it's river.The settlement around the Swan River unlike that of Sydney Town was a private enterprise and not a penal colony. Convicts came later at the request from the administrators to provide desperately needed manpower. The Capital city of Perth was supposed to be situated at Melville on the same side of the river as the port city of Fremantle.However it was decided that the escarpment at Kings Park would offer better protection from invaders as a cannon could be placed on the heights.

Funnily enough the river is shallow and even barges had problems accessing the waterways

Here we see the Narrows Bridge and in the foreground is a candlestick banksia and a raptor sitting on a branch in the top left corner. Wes Cooper, what is it?