Historical information

Photograph shows a female uniformed employee sitting at the controls of a Y1 class tram with a male in a suit standing to her right with his left hand on the back of the small driver's seat. The leather curtain used to enclosed the driver is open and stowed to the right. The tram appears to be on a suburban street but is stationary as the closeup photograph is taken from outside the tram. As this class of tram was used to train drivers at the Hawthorn Depot driver training school, the location may be close to this depot. The sloping driver's windscreen and long upper side window identify it as Y1 class. The female employee's summer uniform dress and jacket were introduced in 1975. Caps were no longer required, replaced with employee number badges worn on the uniform. This undated photograph is significant because the first female driver, Joyce Barry, was finally approved as a driver in 1975 after years of strong resistance by the tramways union. The staff member pictured is not Driver Barry.

Significance

Yields information about driver training and female drivers

Physical description

Black and white print with no note.