The colloquial Australian and New-Zealand phrase on the wrong tram means: mistaken, astray, following the wrong tactics.

This phrase occurred, for example, in an article about the Geelong Football Club, an Australian-Rules-Football club based in Geelong, Victoria, whose home ground is Kardinia Park—article by Stephen Rielly, published in The Age (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) of Friday 12^th September 1997 [page D7, column 2]:

Geelong simply fell to a North Melbourne side that, on the night, was superior. No recriminations from the fans, not of the “torch the membership ticket” variety at least. Mostly positive reviews in the local and metropolitan media of Geelong’s performance and a surprisingly seamless response from Kardinia Park where the same training routine as has been in place all year was adhered to and the same informal Monday night team meeting held.
“If we have to do something different this week then we’ve been on the wrong tram,” said assistant coach Alan McConnell.

An early figurative use of the phrase on the wrong tram occurred in a letter to the Editor, by one R. Ferguson, “on the question of constructing a tramway to Opoho”, published in The Evening Star (Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand) of Monday 14^th August 1922 [No. 18,046, page 3, column 4]:

I give all credit to Mr Harvey and others for the way in which they have worked to get a tramway to Opoho. I believe Mr Harvey has been the mainspring in this, and had it not been for him the project would not have been so far forward as it is. But to my view those who advocate the present proposed route have got on the wrong tram. Get off the one they are on and board the alternative one, and put as much energy and life into its construction as they have done in the other, and they will get home by a cheaper, more direct, and earlier route, and be doing a greater service to the Opoho residents.

The earliest occurrences of the phrase on the wrong tram that I have found are as follows, in chronological order—the first three refer to horse-race betting:

1-: From an account of the Caulfield Cup, held in Melbourne, Victoria, on Saturday 19^th October 1929, published in Truth (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) of Sunday 20^th October 1929 [No. 2,076, page 3, column 3]:

Ern Levey took £325 to £200 about him four times from different books, but he still had a thousand to get set, and as George Lawford, who was also astray for some of the Sydney punters, stepped in and took £3000 to £1000 in one hand about the favorite, Levey couldn’t get set.
He reckoned on getting about threes on the course to-day, but he was on the wrong tram; the best on offer was 5 to 2, and there was not a great deal of that.

2-: From Truth (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) of Sunday 13^th December 1931 [No. 2,188, page 5, column 2]:

MELBOURNE, Saturday.
DURING the last few months Blematic has been a very costly proposition to local punters, but they rallied to his support again and sent him out a warm favorite for the Kiata Handicap at the Valley this afternoon.
ONCE more they were on the wrong tram. The prad just missed a place.

3-: From an account of the C. F. Orr Stakes, held at Williamstown, Victoria, on Saturday 11^th February 1933, published in Truth (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) of Sunday 12^th February 1933 [No. 2,249, page 3, column 5]:

The race proved a veritable pitfall for punters.
At different times four prads were favorite, and as Gaine Carrington was the last, punters were well and truly on the wrong tram.

4-: From one of the unconnected paragraphs making the column They say—, published in the Williamstown Chronicle (Williamstown, Victoria, Australia) of Saturday 29^th April 1933 [No. 4,520, page 3, column 6]:

That Syd. Doult is a man with progressive ideas. Looks like that. You are on the wrong tram at present, Syd.

5-: From War!, by Cr. Laurie Marshall, published in The Labor Call (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) of Thursday 8^th November 1934 [Vol. 28, No. 1,453, page 13, column 3]—The Labor Call was the official organ of the Political Labor Council of Victoria:

It was my misfortune, or good fortune, to be the youngest soldier in the South African War, and although I became a very fast runner, I saw sufficient of the beastly business to turn me against war for ever. I saw the reckless waste of life and limb, and corruption of control, the futile waste of millions of pounds of people’s money. I saw how the press and the Military heads turned little skirmishes into big battles and victories, glorifying imaginary genius in so-called generals with their bubble reputations made overnight—all good fellows but on the wrong tram.

6-: From The Example, by Llew Morgan, published in The Labor Call (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) of Thursday 10^th January 1935 [Vol. 29, No. 1,461, page 7, column 3]:

President Roosevelt is attempting to do what the whole world is attempting to do—i.e., solve the unemployed problem, and preserve Capitalism.
President Roosevelt is doomed to failure. Not because his intentions are insincere, but because he lacks that profound knowledge we possess—that “it” which is the essetnial [sic] prelude to success.
If only that phlegmatic guiding influence that seems to be continually putting the U.S. of A. on the wrong tram would only take a lesson from “US,” then everything would be O.K., kid.
It’s absolutely astounding, in fact beyond human comprehension, to even imagine that the United States of America hasn’t followed the example of God’s own country, Australia!