Beaumaris, Victoria, boasts a fascinating tramway history that highlights the area’s early development and community ambition. During the height of the Victorian land boom in 1887, the Brighton railway line reached Sandringham, prompting Thomas Bent, then Chairman of Moorabbin Shire Council, to promote development south of Sandringham. He received permission to construct two tramways: one from Sandringham station along the coast to Beaumaris and onward to Cheltenham railway station, with a proposed branch to Mordialloc—over 15 kilometers of planned tramline.

In February 1888, the Shire Council contracted the Beaumaris Tramway Company (BTC) to operate a horse-drawn tramway under a 30-year lease. The Sandringham to Cheltenham route, costing £20,000, opened at Christmas 1888. By 1891, tram traffic had nearly doubled, driven in part by the popularity of inexpensive return tickets from Victorian Railways, with almost 17,000 issued that year. The tramway also became a summer attraction, offering moonlight rides and serving artists of the Victorian Sketching Club. However, the Mordialloc branch was never built, and the post-land-boom slowdown halted further development beyond Black Rock. The Beaumaris to Cheltenham section closed in 1912, and the BTC ceased operations entirely in 1914. Today, the tramway is remembered only in the name of Tramway Parade in Beaumaris, marking its former route.

In the early 20th century, growing development between Sandringham and Black Rock led to proposals for an electric tramway. Parliamentary approval was granted in 1914 for a tramway operated by Victorian Railways on standard gauge, allowing potential future integration with Melbourne’s main system. The line opened on 10 March 1919, featuring double tracks, a small depot at Sandringham station, and six crossbench cars with trailers, later supplemented by four bogie tramcars in 1921.

Local residents continued lobbying for a Beaumaris extension, which finally commenced in 1925 with financial support from the Sandringham City Council. The single-track extension opened on 1 September 1926, running through Bluff Road, Ebden Avenue, Fourth Street, Haydens Road, Pacific Boulevard, Reserve Road, Holding Street, and Martin Street. Known as the ‘Bush Tramway,’ the line struggled financially due to limited residential development and operated at a loss despite a £2,000 annual subsidy. The service ultimately closed on 31 August 1931, leaving behind traces of asphalt and timber foundations in Holding Street until road surfacing in the 1960s.

The Beaumaris tramways, both horse-drawn and electric, remain a unique chapter in the suburb’s history, reflecting ambitious plans, community advocacy, and the challenges of early suburban transport infrastructure.