Melbourne kept its trams when every other city was ripping them out.
Sydney had 290 kilometres of track. They burned the trams. Brisbane, Adelaide, Auckland, Los Angeles — all gone. Melbourne almost followed. Plans were drawn up. The pressure was intense.
But Melbourne didn't do it.
That single decision is why Melbourne looks and functions completely differently today. The largest tram network in the world. Free public transport across the entire CBD. A $13.5 billion tunnel that just transformed the rail system. And a $100 billion orbital loop currently under construction.
This is how one choice, made 60 years ago, changed everything.
