Here in Melbourne, a “contactless smartcard” ticketing system has just been introduced1, which will soon replace out old ticketing system for trams, trains, and buses. The new system is myki; the old system is Metcard. Metcard lasted here for about ten years, and I’ve collected literally hundreds, or even thousands, of them over that period (see below). It’s kind of sad to think that when I actually start using myki, I’ll only have one which will last indefinitely, and I therefore will no longer be able to collect.
In memoriam of Metcard, I’ll be posting a collection of various Metcards I’ve collected over the years, starting with the following. This is part one of my collection.
This is the original generic design from 1998. I remember when Metcards were introduced, I was all excited about getting to press the buttons on the Metcard vending machine.
This is the current generic design. I can find ones dating back to 2002, so I assume that's when they were introduced.
Metcards are often used to promote events or to celebrate an occasion. This is one of a series of twelve that were used in early 2000. The rest of the set will be showcased in the next instalment. Those vehicles are (futuristic) trams, and the big building at the back is Flinders Street Station.
This is my collection. The thought of counting them all is too confronting for me to even try, but I guess I could get a vague idea with the use of a ruler and some basic maths.
