Page:Municipal Handbook of Auckland 1922.djvu/183



Auckland's first tramways were conducted by the St. Heliers and Northcote Land Company, Ltd., which entered into an agreement with the City Council for this purpose on January 11th, 1883. By an Order-in-Council, dated 9th October, 1883, under the "Tramways Act, 1872," the construction of tramways in Auckland, Parnell and Newmarket was authorised. The first tramway to be completed was the line from the Waitemata Hotel, by Queen Street, to the Ponsonby Reservoir, and the trams, which were horse drawn, commenced running on August 11th, 1884; the fare being threepence.

In 1886, the St. Heliers and Northcote Land Company, Limited, changed its name to the City of Auckland Tramways and Suburban Land Company, Limited, and the latter, as promoters of the Auckland City and Suburban Tramways, obtained further Orders-in-Council for certain extensions of the existing tramways. The Auckland City and Suburban Tramways Company, Limited, did not prosper, and owing to financial difficulties its assets passed to the Bank of New Zealand. Further transfers of the interest in the Auckland Tramways took place from time to time until it rested in the Auckland Electric Tramways Company, Limited, which was registered in London on the 22nd March, 1899.

The capital of the Auckland Electric Tramways Company, Limited, at its inception was £150,000, divided