Alexander Cameron (tramways administrator)

Alexander Cameron
Alexander Cameron in 1908
Born	(1864-08-05)5 August 1864 Hamilton, Victoria
Died	23 February 1940(1940-02-23) (aged 75) South Yarra, Victoria
Nationality	Australian
Occupation	Lawyer Local Councillor Tramways administrator

Alexander Cameron (5 August 1864 – 23 February 1940) was a lawyer, local councillor, and tramways administrator. Following university education he established a legal practice, and later ran for, and won, election on Town of Malvern council. In this position he advocated for the establishment of a local tramway system, and became the inaugural chairman of the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust. In 1919 he was appointed as the inaugural chairman of the newly established Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board and presided in that capacity until 1935, creating a unified tram network from the disparate systems that were hitherto operating in Melbourne. He was recognised as a transport expert from his years of experience managing and expanding tramways of Melbourne.

Alexander Cameron was born on 5 August 1864, along with a twin brother, on a sheep station near Hamilton, Victoria to John Cameron and his wife Barbara Winifred (née Taylor). He attended Hamilton College and then studied law at the University of Melbourne. In 1881 he was articled to Charles James Cresswell in Hamilton, and from 1885 to David Houston Herald in Melbourne, being admitted as a barrister and solicitor on 1 September 1886. Following overseas travel, Cameron established a legal practice with Samuel Crisp in Melbourne in 1889.

Cameron married Mary Wright on 29 June 1892 in the Toorak Presbyterian Church, with the two subsequently living in Malvern. The two had a son who died in infancy.

Cameron's candidature for Town of Malvern's South Ward was announced on 5 July 1902, a position he subsequently won on 28 August 1902. Following election, he was appointed Malvern's delegate to the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works; an appointment which was consistent with his interests in building regulations. He also advocated for public transport, as Malvern had poor public transport access and the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company's cable tram system did not serve the municipality. He advocated for electric trams, but was opposed by the Victorian Railways which feared the tramways would reduce their patronage. This fight was won when the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust Act 1907 (no. 2130) was passed, authorising the establishment of the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust (PMTT), and the construction of an electric tramway to connect Malvern and Prahran. This was a feat largely due to Cameron's legal acumen, and followed a recent precedent of suburban tramways in Melbourne, with the privately operated North Melbourne Electric Tramway and Lighting Company commencing operation in 1906.