A W2 Class Tram 275 painted in Union Jack colours will operate as a pop-up cafe in Rosalind Park during Bendigo Art Gallery's Tudors to Windsors exhibition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The heritage tram will be installed in Rosalind Park's piazza - where the infamous Marilyn Monroe sculpture stood - next Wednesday night.
City of Greater Bendigo major events and tourism manager Terry Karamaloudis said he hoped the tram would become a popular selfie spot in the city.
"It showcases the city's heritage and is a great opportunity for photos," he said.
It showcases the city's heritage and is a great opportunity for photos.
- Terry Karamaloudis
"It is a chance to be part of something special in Bendigo. I don't think it has been done before, that I can recall, anywhere else is Australia.
"My personal view is this could be bigger than the Marilyn (sculpture). It's a bigger structure with bold colouring and the PR value (for Bendigo) across Australia will be significant."
Bendigo Tramways workshop manager Luke Jenkins said transforming a tram into a stationary cafe had some challenges.
"This tram originally was done up 12 months ago for Chandon, it travelled around Australia and was handed back to us," he said.
"(Transforming the tram) certainly had ups and downs. We had to implement hot water, fridges and other things for cafe side but its not first time we have done something like this.
"Initially the rebuild took three or four but over last few weeks we painted it in a scheme relevant to the exhibition and to make sure its a prominent figure in CBD."
The tram will be open for business from Saturday, March 16. It will operate from Wednesday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm and, with enough interest, could change its hours to operate seven days a week.
"With a bar set up and couches inside, it is a great way for anyone to hop on, enjoy some coffee before looking at local sites and getting to the exhibition," Mr Jenkins said.
Mr Karamaloudis said the development of the Rosalind Park piazza as an arts space had been significant for the city.
"The first thing we did here was the Marilyn statue and people are still talking about that today," he said.
"Where appropriate, and we believe this (installation) is, the piazza's value is endless.
"People are always looking for unique things to see and it's hard to beat this."
