TypeAgencyOther NamesKelburne and Karori Tramway Company LimitedDate Range1898-1948MandateTramways Act 1894DescriptionThe Kelburne and Karori Tramway Company was formed in 1898 and began construction of the cable car in 1901; the cable car opened for business in February 1902. It changed from steam power to electric in 1933.
In 1941 the Company bought a controlling interest in the Kelburn-Karori Motor Bus Company, which had been operating a service from the cable car terminus in Kelburn through to Karori.
Both the Tramway Company and the Bus Company went into voluntary liquidation in 1948 and management of both was taken over by the Wellington City Council.
The suburb of 'Kelburne' was established after the Upland Estate Company purchased farmland from William Moxham in 1896. The 'e' at the end of 'Kelburne' was later omitted to avoid confusion with the suburb of Kilbirnie. The Upland Estate Company shareholders/directors were responsible for forming the Kelburne and Karori Tramway Company. Developing the hills above Wellington’s central business district for housing required convenient transport as a key part of the plan. The cable car service and horse-drawn carriages would connect the new suburb with both the city and the outlying borough of Karori.External LinksWellington Cable Car