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Drummoyne and Ryde

Tram 2010 at the Darling Street Wharf, Balmain

The extension of a tramline from Fort Macquarie to Ryde in the early 1900s represented one of the earliest public transport solutions for this region. The Ryde line was the longest tramline in the Sydney system, and was created in lieu of the more preferred extension of the Ryde train line. Despite a successful run, the tramline was closed following pressure to shift to buses as a more economical and lucrative option. An additional single line was added from Blaxland Road at Church Street to the West Ryde Railway station in 1914.

The tramline to Ryde grew slowly, first extending to Rozelle, then to Drummoyne over the Iron Cove Bridge. The tramline was finally extended to Ryde in 1908 in lieu of the public's preference for an extension of the Ryde Railway line (Levy 1947: 131).

It was initially a single line, later duplicated from Rozelle to Ryde between 1906 and 1936. The tram terminus was established at the western end of Blaxland Road, located near the current Top Ryde Shopping Centre, and extended down Victoria Road through Gladesville, where it eventually terminated at Fort Macquarie (present site of the Sydney Opera House). The entire trip took approximately 61 minutes to complete, and was the single longest route on the Sydney tram network, measuring 10miles 61chains via Pyrmont. It was deemed by the Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) in 1932 to be "unsatisfactory", but was recorded by the Sydney Tramways Pocket Guide to be "one of the most enjoyable tram rides of the city system" (Martin 1998: 61).

In 1914 a single tram line was added between Ryde Post Office (corner of Church Street and Parkes Street) and West Ryde train station. The Sydney to Ryde service became very popular, particularly at weekends when Sydney residents would travel to the orchards of the Ryde District to buy produce.

From either Railway Square or Circular Quay services ran along Broadway and Parramatta Road. At Forest Lodge the line swung left into Ross Street before entering onto its own reserved track, now known as Minogue Crescent, passing Rozelle Tram Depot. Turning right onto Commercial Road (now City West Link Road) and left onto Victoria Road, the tram then crossed the Iron Cove Bridge and the former Gladsville Bridge before turning right onto Blaxland Road. It then wound its way along Blaxland Road, behind the sight of the current council chambers, terminating near the intersection of Pope and Devlin Street in Ryde.

World War II saw the temporary closure of the tram service, with Ryde being one of the earliest extensions to permanently close. It was recommended by the TAC that the tramline should be replaced by an omnibus service to the city to improve the efficiency of the service. Buses began to replace the Ryde trams in 1949 following the partial closure of the line from Gladesville. The (Top) Ryde to Ryde Railway line was replaced by a bus service as early as 1934, although the line was retained until 1936.