Old South Head Road, Sydney

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Old South Head Road

Macquarie Lighthouse, Dunbar Head.jpg
Macquarie Lighthouse, Australia's first lighthouse, Vaucluse
Location map Australia Sydney.png
Red pog.svg
Southern end
Red pog.svg
Northern end
Coordinates
General information
Type Road
Length6.9 km (4.3 mi)
Major junctions
Southern end Syd Einfeld Drive
Bondi Junction, Sydney
 
Northern endRobertson Place
Watsons Bay, Sydney
Location(s)
LGA(s)
Major suburbs Bondi Beach, Rose Bay, Vaucluse

Old South Head Road is a road in Sydney which goes from the suburb of Bondi Junction to Watsons Bay. It also passes through Bondi, Bondi Beach, North Bondi, Rose Bay and Vaucluse. It is historically significant because its earliest origins can be traced back to the early days of the colony. The road goes through the local government areas of Waverley Council and the Municipality of Woollahra. It is 6.8 kilometres long. [1]

Contents

Description

Old South Head Road passes through predominantly residential areas, with sizeable shopping centres around the intersections with Towns Road and Dover Road. Housing varies from detached homes to blocks of flats & units. The style of housing includes Federation homes, Victorian homes and Art Deco blocks of flats towards Bondi Junction.

History

The colony at Sydney began on 21 January 1788, when the First Fleet arrived in Sydney Harbour and Captain Arthur Phillip went ashore at what is now known as Camp Cove. The settlement itself was set up in Sydney Cove, at the spot now known as Circular Quay. One of the reasons for the choice of that location was the desire to be safely out of range of hostile artillery. The colony needed to keep watch on the seas for potentially hostile ships or the Second Fleet, which meant that South Head became important as an observation post. The outer edge of South Head became a signal station from which ships could be seen; their approach could then be signalled with flags. The ships could then be met by pilots who were camped at Camp Cove (so named for that reason). [2]

A proper signal station was established in 1790; it was supplied by boat until a bridle trail was created along the ridge to South Head. Construction of a road followed and it was completed in 1811. A lighthouse was built just south of the signal station in 1816-18, to a design by Francis Greenway, the first notable architect in the colony. A semaphor system replaced flags at the signal station in the 1840s and the present building was constructed to a design by Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis. It has been in continuous use since then and is now heritage-listed. [3] In 1858, the first telegraph line in New South Wales was used to connect the signal station with the Royal Exchange in Bridge Street.

Points of interest

(RNE) indicates that the structure or site is listed on the Register of the National Estate. [4]

Signal Hill Battery Signal hill battery vc.jpg
Signal Hill Battery

See also

Australia road sign W5-29.svg   Australian Roadsportal

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References

  1. Gregory's Sydney Street Directory (2002) Maps 318, 348, 378
  2. Walks in the Sydney Harbour National Park, Neil Paton (Kangaroo Press) 1987, p.58
  3. The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1982, p.2/137
  4. The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, pp. 2/136-138