Physical description

Newspaper clipping. Bendigo Advertiser. Saturday October 14, 1961. Early Railway Picnics Recalled. Article includes photo of souvenir tram ticket number 3588. Springtime, 1905 was Railway picnic time. And what a time it was - with packed trains from the metropolis and country towns, and Bendigo, thronged with the crowds of gay holiday-makers. Souvenir ticket belongs to rear Mrs. A. Bolitho, 5 Webster Street, Bendigo, issued by Electric Supply Coy. Of Victoria Ltd., Bendigo Tramways. Railway Picnic September 16, 1905. The ticket belong to Mrs Bolitho's father, the late Mr J H P Ellis, who lived in McIntyre Street. Post card size, printed in sepia on cream, bears photographs of the power house, engine room, a tram (we presume one of the first models) and the boiler room. Down the sides are listed cemetery, railway station, Rodney St, Charing Cross, through to California Gully Bridge and Eaglehawk. The fare was 2d. On the back a Beehive advertisement. 'Half-Century With Trams' is a history as remembered by Mr W J Evans of Mt. Korong Road, California Gully. 'Boisterous' is a history as remembered by Mr W Bolton of the firm of Bolton Bros. recalled the early picnics as 'boisterous' affairs. 'riff-raff' used to gather at Spencer St Station, arriving in Bendigo-after having spent the night drinking. The picnicers certainly had a right royal time in those early days. Railway Picnic was also boronia time, Mr Bolton said - and bunches of fragrant West Australian borania were sold on the streets. Bolton Bros always printed the tram tickets in Bendigo in those early years. A report in the 'Bendigonian' of the 1903 Railway Picnic period told that 20 special trams came to Bendigo on Saturday morning, September 15, 1903. Railway Picnic Committee: J Southern, Mrs Tait, Mrs Hudson, Mrs Fitzpatrick, Cr J H Curnow, Sir John Quick and many members of parliament. Fare from Melbourne costing 5/ for a day return, or 7/6 for the week.