Hundreds of people watched as the last car slowly climbed the steep gradient to the terminus.
About 20 men who had served on the cable cars were in the official party for the last trip, and most of the present tramwaymen employed on the cars rode on the top.
The official party included Mr R. Russell, who is still working for the Dunedin City Corporation after 34 years, including duty on the former Roslyn and Stuart street cable cars.
Inspector F. Basket, Mr H. Wyatt, a former transport inspector, Mr A. Smithson, Mr A. Cushen and Mr A. McDiarmid were also passengers.
Mrs L. M. Hayward, mother of Cr C. J. Hayward, at 87 can still remember riding on the first cable car from the bottom to the top on March 16, 1883. She watched the last cable car run on Saturday.
Another member of the crowd was Shona Thom, the fifth generation of a family who relied on the Mornington cars. Her great-grandfather, Mr G. Duncan Thom, worked on the cable cars from their inception until 1931, and another relation, George Duncan, was the engineer responsible for introducing the cable cars to Dunedin.
As soon as all the cable cars were safely berthed in their shed, the souvenir hunters and the children took over. Damage was not great because police officers kept a wary eye on the cars, but many small objects disappeared. One man cut a hand strap off with a razor blade.
Mr G. S. Leeder, of Wellington, who is a member of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association and who visited Dunedin during the weekend for the New Zealand Junior and Women's Athletic Championships at Carisbrook, had his first cable car ride to Mornington for 50 years.
His father, Mr W. R. Leeder, was the Mornington Borough engineer for about four years until 1908, when he went to Balclutha, and Mr Leeder can clearly remember riding to the top of the hill on the cars to obtain All Black football results, which in those days were posted up outside one of the civic buildings.
After a reception held in the Mornington Tramshed Hall after the last car's run, Cr C. J. Hayward, chairman of the Transport Committee, recounted the history of the cable cars, and said they had had a great record of faithful service.
The cable cars rails and equipment will be sold by auction.