THE Ballarat Tramway Museum’s horse-drawn tram celebrated its 125th birthday in style yesterday.
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Usually only brought out for Mother’s Day, tram number one made a special appearance at Lake Wendouree to commemorate its milestone.
And little Mia May of Ballarat thought all her Christmases had come twice when she got to take a ride on top of it.
Waving excitedly from her perch, Mia and her family got to take a ride around Wendouree Parade on the tram, which stopped operating in 1914.
Ballarat Tramway Museum vice-president Richard Gilbert said tram number one was the only horse-drawn tram left from a fleet of 17 that operated in Ballarat from 1887.
“Tram number one was used during the opening procession of the tramway on Boxing Day, 1887,” Mr Gilbert said.
He said the tram was found in a Sebastopol property in 1985, with the next seven years spent restoring it.
It is now used only annually in May, with horses provided by Bruce Hill of Clunes.