MAY 9: Vandalism was at its worst on Saturday night when young men and youths tried to wreck the last tram to the Gardens. Glass strewed the path of this disgusting mockery of what should have been a memorable occasion, as "last trippers" vied with each other to smash windows.
The last ride to the Gardens should have been one to look back on in the years to come, but the sooner it is forgotten the happier many people will be.
Besides competing with each other to smash the windows, with complete disregard of other passengers and cars coming behind the "revellers".
1: Ripped down the bell cords and cut them to pieces.
2: Slashed with knives at the canvas shutters.
3: Unscrewed all the notices and carried them off.
4: Removed electric light bulbs and threw them on the road.
5: Removed the pole at frequent intervals.
Approached at the Stock Exchange for comment, the tramways manager, Mr J. A. Todd, said: "I'm not making a statement. It's disgusting."
The tram left the Exchange for the Gardens at 12.15 a.m. amidst faint cheers from a few people on the footpath and a tremendous roar from those in the tram.
At the last minute some students in Homburg hats jumped on board.
The tram was hardly moving before the rampage began. Bell cords were tugged furiously until one broke just before a youth attempted to cut it with his penknife.
"Vandalism at its worst!" cried one young man as he struggled to get a strip of cord. He had come along, like many of the others, well imbibed with the "spirit" to raise havoc. Yet only a few minutes before he had asked his friend if he was going to Bible class in the morning. "I am," he said.
People were being picked up all along the way, until the tram was well packed, but this did not deter the "revellers." About Moray Place they set to work on the canvas shutters, ripping chunks out and handing them around.
Obviously well prepared, one man tackled the notices with a screw driver, while others tried unsuccessfully to remove the "honesty" boxes.
The tram was in near darkness now, with most of the light bulbs gone. Streamers of paper fluttered in the breeze.
At Frederick Street someone smashed out a window directly above some quiet passengers, but luckily most of the glass fell on to the road.
This set the main for the rest of the vandals, who began smashing the remaining windows.
All along George Street people were out on their doorsteps to wave goodbye to a friend of many years, and to answer the cheers from the travellers.
At the Gardens corner there was a small crowd on the footpaths watching the poles being changed and the tram head back for the sheds. There was another scramble to get on board, the passengers evidently not being satisfied with the damage they had already done.
The trip back to the Exchange was a repetition of the outward journey, with more windows going the way of the rest. A Transport Department employee stoutly fended off an attack by a middle-aged man on an honesty box. Not very happy, the man claimed the employee was "spoiling the fun."
At the Exchange another window was smashed, but this time Mr Todd was on the scene and took a youth's name, in spite of his protesting innocence.
A few stayed on board for the final lap to the tramsheds, but it was the quietest part of the journey. At about 1 a.m. the tram, now a sorry sight, crawled slowly to its resting place in the sheds, and the night's "fun" was over.