Industry-
Preston Tram Workshops Bernard ‘Ben’ Commandeur
Darebin’s Australians: Immigrants to Citizens
THE SMOKE STACKS OF DAREBIN
Darebin has an industrial working class history. Over the years
this has attracted immigrants and provided work for many. Tanneries,
Brickworks, Iceworks, Chain and Rope Makers, Saw Millers, Ham and
Bacon Curers, Dairies, Building and Construction, Textiles, Clothing
and Footwear, Cardboard and Packaging and White Good Manufactures
etc were places where people met and earned a living.
PRESTONS TRAM BUILDING & MAINTENANCE HISTORY
In August 1922, the Mayor of the Town of Preston, Councillor Crispe
announced that, “18 acres between the Glen Iris and Clifton
Brickworks in South Preston is to be set aside for a tramway workshop.
The Tramways Board, had intended to establish this workshop in Richmond
but had been persuaded to come to Preston on St Georges Rd, between
Miller St and Oakover Rd”. It was stated at the time that
2,000 men would be employed. By May 1925, the Paint Shop was functional
with preparations being made for the foundry, engineering &
fitting shops.
THE MELBOURNE & METROPOLITAN TRAMWAYS BOARD
The Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board built the Workshops
between 1923 & ‘28. The five large brick industrial buildings
were designed for the manufacture and maintenance of the increasing
electric tram fleet. The principal buildings housed a foundry-metal
working shop, mechanical-electrical shop, lifting-body shop, paintshop,
an administrative building and tudor style mess hall.
Two electrical ‘traversers’ enabled trams to be moved
between the mechanical, body and paint shops.
‘W’ CLASS TRAMS
The Workshops excelled in tramcar design and are famous for building
the world renown ‘W’ Class Tram. 700 were built between
1926 & 56 with the last forty in 1956 for the Olympic Games.
The workshops continue to play a vital role by maintaining all types
of trams including Light Rail vehicles and the most modern European
Citides & Siemans trams. The Workshops also built Tramway Board
Buses in the 1930s & 40s and played a significant role in the
war effort from 1939 to ‘45.
PAINTED TRAMS
Artists like the late Clifton Pugh, Mirka Mora and Michael Leunig,
amongst many others, painted ‘Arts Trams’ in the workshops
paint shop between 1978 & ‘93. The famous tram movie ‘Malcolm’,
depicted the tram loving character of the place through some of
the workshop characters like Norm Cross. Between 2000 and 2002 the
Moomba, ‘Trams on Parade’ were all painted and decorated
at the workshops.
Throughout its proud history the workforce has been largely made
up of people from Darebin. Many immigrant workers are part of its
proud history.
BUNDOORA’S BERNARD COMMANDEUR
Dutch born Bernard ‘Ben’ Commandeur’s family arrived
in Australia in 1956. “My family came from Amsterdam, another
famous tram city. We landed in the Olympic year. On arrival we were
sent to Berri in South Australia which was a huge culture shock.
I was 4 years of age. Dad worked for the local council, in the local
vineyards and fruit blocks. We never felt at home in the early days
so Dad and Mum were preparing to return to Holland. By this stage
there were 10 in the family, 4 sisters, 4 brothers with 5 born in
Holland and 3 in Berri. Relatives living in Melbourne took us to
Bundoora to see if we wanted to give Australia another go. We stayed
on. I went to Greensborough Technical school. The one thing I was
good at was woodwork”.
CABINET MAKER
“When I was 15, I left school and picked up a job as an apprentice
cabinet maker with the Victorian Hospitals Association in Olver
Street Thornbury. My favourite band was Creedence Clearwater and
the Beatles were breaking up. The Hospital Association made solid
timber tables, chairs, cabinets and fabrication work for Public
Hospitals. All good quality. Unfortunately the factory burnt down
in 1974. Not long after I noticed on the ‘Positions Vacant’
board at the workshops that they needed cabinet makers. I applied
thinking that I would stay for two weeks and have ended up being
here for 30 years!”
THE WORKSHOPS
When I started there the Tramways Board employed around 520 people
at the Workshops. There were plenty of old time trammies from the
war years plus Italians, Greeks, Polish, Dutch, Russian, Maltese,
Yugoslavs, Irish, Scots and English”.
Thirty of us were cabinet makers. We looked after all the wooden
bodywork on the ‘W’ Class trams, interior and exterior,
as well as making all sorts of furnishings for the tram depots.
We made everything, from the nuts and bolts for the trams to Conductors
bags.
The ‘W’ class trams were the pride of the workshops
with the Orange ‘Z’ class tram having just arrived”.
FAMILY ATMOSPHERE
“My first job was to make a ‘W 2’ class drivers
cabin door. The old timers sat back to see if I had it in me. I
had long hair and had married in the same year. I grew to love the
workshops and found that many of the workers had done 20, 30 or
40 years plus service! They could see I was keen and involved me
in the restoration of the first tram to be preseved back in the
mid ‘70s. Tram 214 was converting back to its original ‘toastrack’
look from the days when it ran from Flemington to Saltwater River
in 1904.
In those days there was a real family feel to working for the tramways,
especially here at the Preston Workshops. My brother Nicky worked
here and my son Daniel was the last apprentice trained back in 1994.
Not only were there plenty of fathers, sons & brothers around
but plenty of nationalities.
TRADE UNIONIST AND DELEGATE
I’ve also done many years representing the workers as a
shop steward. At first for the Vehicle Builders Union and later
for the Tramways Union. The Mess Hall has a stage, canteen
and dance floor. It’s been the scene of many passionate union
meetings to discuss matters important to the members. The Italians,
Greeks and Maltese liked to plant fresh vegetables like tomatoes.
There was a fig tree and grape vine planted near the Epping rail
line and we loved a game of ‘bocce’
DANCES IN THE TUDOR HALL
There were well attended dances on Saturday nights in the Tudor
style mess hall. I used to be the drummer. To see everyone dancing
and socialising outside work hours helped our diverse group stay
together.
PRESTON WORKSHOPS - HISTORIC AND SOCIAL SIGNIFCANCE
Melbourne is the 4th largest tram network in the world and the largest
outside of Europe. Darebin’s Preston Tramway Workshops are
of historical, technological, architectural and social significance
to the State of Victoria and Australia as one of the worlds few
remaining original tram building and maintenace workshops.
