The Melbourne tram network began in 1884 with the construction of the Fairfield Horse Tramway. However, the purpose of the line was to increase land prices in the area, and it soon closed during the depression in 1890. The first genuine attempt to construct a tramway network was the construction of the Richmond cable tram line by the Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company in 1885. Over the next few years, 16 more cable tram lines were constructed, as well as numerous other horse tramways. The depression of the early 1890s slowed further expansion of the cable network. The first electric tram line was the Box Hill and Doncaster tramway which opened in 1889. This was a pioneering line in what was then the countryside and thus didn't receive much patronage. It closed in 1896. The next attempt at an electric tramway was Victorian Railways' St Kilda to Brighton line, which opened in 1906. Later that year, the North Melbourne Electric Tramway & Lighting Company opened lines to Essendon and Maribyrnong. Many local councils formed their own tramway trusts and built tramways within their own constituency. The most successful of these was the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust.

Consolidation of all of the systems occurred with the forming of the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board in 1920, who eventually took control of all lines except for the two Victorian Railways lines. The MMTB continued the expansion of the electric tramways and began the process of electrifying the cable network, which began in earnest by the mid-1920s. Though many more lines were planned, the Great Depression and World War II slowed the process of construction. The electrification of the cable network was effectively completed by 1956 with the opening of the Bourke Street lines. However, by this time, the increasing popularity of the motor vehicle and the anti-tram Bolte government prevented any expansion in the following years, and overall patronage began to decline. The VR closed its two lines and the MMTB also closed many of its shorter, more marginal routes. The decades following the late 1970s saw the expansion of tram lines to outer suburbs such as Bundoora, Vermont South, Airport West, and Box Hill. Establishment of a state-run corporation to operate Melbourne's tram network occurred in 1983. In 1997, the tram network was split into two and later privatized. Since 2004, Yarra Trams has been the sole operator of the Melbourne Tram Network.

This timeline lists all of the openings, extensions and closures of all lines, as well as other significant events of the Melbourne Tram Network.

1880s

1884

20 December: Fairfield Horse tramway opens between Fairfield Park and Fairfield station.

1885 11 November: The Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company (MTOC) opens the Richmond cable tram line between Hawthorn Bridge and Spencer Street (Bourke Street).

1886 2 October: North Fitzroy cable tram line opens between Barkly Street, Fitzroy North and Collins Street via Brunswick Street. 22 November: Victoria Street cable tram line opens as a branch of the North Fitzroy line from Victoria Parade to Victoria Bridge. Services run from Collins Street.

1887 10 August: Clifton Hill cable tram line opens between Clifton Hill and Bourke Street via Smith Street. 30 August: Nicholson Street cable tram line opens as a branch of the Clifton Hill line from Gertrude Street to Park Street, Fitzroy North. 1 October: Brunswick cable tram line opens between Moreland Road and Elizabeth Street via Royal Parade. 21 December: Collingwood cable tram line opens between the Johnston Street Bridge and Swanston Street via Russell and Lygon Streets. 28 December: MTOC opens the Kew horse tramway between the cable terminus of Victoria Bridge and Boroondara General Cemetery.

1888 17 May: The Beaumaris Tramway Company opens the Beaumaris horse tramway opens between Sandringham station and Cheltenham station. 11 October: Brighton Road cable tram line opens between Flinders Street station and Brighton Road at Milton Street, Balaclava. 26 October: Prahran cable tram line opens as a branch of the Brighton Road line from Domain Road to Carlisle Street via Chapel Street. Services run from Flinders Street station.

1889 20 January: The extension of the Brighton Road and Prahran cable tram lines between Flinders Street Station and Queensberry Street opens. 9 February: North Carlton cable tram line opens between Rathdowne Street and Park Street, Carlton North. Services run from Swanston Street. 14 February: The Northern Tramway Company opens the Coburg horse tramway between Moreland Road and Gaffney Street along Sydney Road. 15 February: Toorak cable tram line opens as a branch of the Prahran cable tram line from Chapel Street to Irving Street along Toorak Road. April: The Caulfield Tramway Company opens two horse tramways: from Elsternwick station to Caulfield station, and from Elsternwick railway to Glen Huntly station. 14 October: The Box Hill & Doncaster Tramway Company opens an electric tramway between Box Hill and Doncaster. It was the first electric tramway in Australia. late 1889: Elsternwick railway station to Caulfield railway station horse tramway closes.

1890s 1890 Fairfield horse tramway closes. 27 January: Melbourne Tramway & Omnibus Company opens the Hawthorn horse tramway from the cable terminus of Hawthorn Bridge to the intersection of Auburn and Riversdale Roads. 18 February: The Clifton Hill, Northcote & Preston Tramway Company opens the Northcote cable tram line between the cable terminus of Clifton Hill and the intersection of Dundas and High Streets. 3 March: North Melbourne cable tram line opened as a branch of the Brunswick line from Victoria Street to Flemington Bridge station via Abbotsford Street. 10 March: MTOC opens the Zoo tramway between the Zoo and Royal Parade via Royal Park. 18 April: West Melbourne cable tram line opens as a branch of the Brunswick and North Melbourne cable tram lines from Lonsdale Street to Queensberry Street via Spencer Street. 16 June: South Melbourne cable tram line opens between Market Street and South Melbourne Beach via City Road. 20 June: Port Melbourne cable tram line opens as a branch of the South Melbourne cable tram line from Clarendon Street to Port Melbourne via City Road.

1891 27 October: Windsor & St Kilda Beach cable tram line opens between Chapel Street and Acland Street via The Esplanade.

1892 Operation of the Box Hill and Doncaster electric tramway was taken over by the Doncaster & Box Hill Electric Road Company.

1893 7 July: Northcote cable tram line closes following a financial crisis within the Clifton Hill, Northcote and Preston Tramway Company.

1894 7 April: Northcote cable tram line reopens with Northcote council taking control. Elsternwick station to Glen Huntly station horse tramway closes.

1896 6 January: Box Hill and Doncaster electric tramway closes.

1897 27 November: Northcote cable tram line closes again due to cost-cutting measures.

1900s 1901 March: Northcote cable tram line reopens once again. Elsternwick station to Glen Huntly station horse tramway reopens.

1902 Elsternwick railway station to Glenhuntly railway station horse tramway closes again.

1904 North Melbourne Electric Tramway & Lighting Company (NMETL) was granted permission to construct tramways and supply lighting to the Essendon district.

1905 September: Victorian Railways (VR) authorized to construct a tramway from St Kilda station to Brighton.

1906 5 May: VR opens the St Kilda to Brighton electric street railway between St Kilda station and Park Street, Middle Brighton. It was constructed as a single track line with passing loops, and the broad gauge line featured a connection to the suburban railway network at St Kilda station. Elwood depot opens. 11 October: NMETL opens the Essendon line from Flemington Bridge to Keilor Road. It also opens the Maribyrnong line between Flemington Bridge station and Saltwater River (Maribyrnong River). A branch line was also built along Puckle Street to Moonee Ponds station. Essendon depot opens. 22 December: VR extends the Brighton line from Middle Brighton to Brighton Beach station.

1907 7 March: A fire at Elwood Depot destroys all VR rollingstock and forces a temporary closure to the St Kilda and Brighton electric street railway. The service resumes on 17 March after VR hurriedly buys second-hand electric tram cars from Sydney.

1908 6 July: Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust was constituted by the Prahran and Malvern town councils to construct tramways within their district.

1910s

1910 30 May: Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust (PMTT) opens the High Street line between Charles Street, Prahran to Tooronga Road. The Wattletree Road line also opens between Burke Road and Glenferrie Road. The Glenferrie Road line opens between High Street and Wattletree Road. Malvern depot opens.

1911 14 March: PMTT extends the High Street line from Charles Street to Punt Road. 16 December: PMTT opens the Dandenong Road line from the Windsor railway bridge to Glenferrie Road. The Glenferrie Road line is extended from Wattletree Road to Dandenong Road.

1912 31 March: PMTT extends the Dandenong Road line from the Windsor railway bridge to Chapel Street to meet with the Windsor and Prahran cable tram lines. 14 September: PMTT extends the High Street line from Punt Road to St Kilda Road to meet the Brighton Road cable tram line. The Beaumaris Tramway Company closes part of the Beaumaris horse tramway between Cheltenham and Beaumaris.

1913 12 April: PMTT opens the Balaclava Road line from St Kilda Beach to Hawthorn Road. The Hawthorn Road line opens between Balaclava Road and Dandenong Road. 30 May: PMTT extends the Glenferrie Road line from High Street to Cotham Road. PMTT also opens the Kew line between Kew Post Office and Burke Road. 27 August: NMETL extends the Flemington Bridge station terminus to meet with the North Melbourne cable tram line. 13 November: PMTT opens the East Malvern line from Hawthorn Road to Darling Road. The Hawthorn Road line is extended from Balaclava Road to Glen Huntly Road. PMTT also open the Glen Huntly Road line between Elsternwick and Grange Road, Glen Huntly.

1914 17 February: The Brunswick & Coburg Tramways Trust (BCTT) was constituted to construct and operate an electric railway between the Carlton North cable tram terminus to Brunswick and Coburg, including the electrification of the Coburg horse tramway. 25 March: PMTT extends the High Street line from Tooronga Road to Malvern Road, Glen Iris. 14 June: The Hawthorn Tramways Trust (HTT) was constituted to construct and operate an electric tramway from Melbourne to Burwood. 20 June: PMTT construct a loop at Waverley Road on the Darling Road to facilitate Caulfield Racecourse traffic. June: The rest of the Beaumaris horse tramway closes. 26 October: BCTT is reconstituted as the Melbourne, Brunswick & Coburg Tramways Trust (MBCTT) following authorization to build a tram line to meet the Queensberry Street cable tram terminus. 1 November: The Kew horse tramway closes for impending electrification of the line by the PMTT.

1915 24 February: PMTT extends the Kew line to the east side of Victoria Bridge along the route of the former horse tramway. 8 April: PMTT opens the Malvern Road line from St Kilda Road to Burke Road, Gardiner. 8 May: PMTT opens the East Kew line from Kew Post Office to Kew Cemetery via High Street along the route of the former horse tramway. Kew depot opens. 4 June: PMTT extends the Glen Huntly Road line from Elsternwick to Point Ormond. 4 July: PMTT extends the Kew line over the Yarra River to meet the Victoria Street cable tram line. 3 August: The Fitzroy, Northcote & Preston Tramways Trust (FNPTT) are constituted to construct a new electric tramway along St Georges Road, Preston. 26 November: PMTT extends the East Kew line to Strathalbyn Street, Kew. 5 December: The Coburg horse tramway is closed for impending electrification of the line by the MBCTT.