Oxley Highway | |
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General information | |
Type | Highway |
Length | 653 km (406 mi) [1] |
Gazetted | August 1928 (as Main Road 11) [2] |
Route number(s) | B56 (2013–present) (Coonabarabran–Port Macquarie) |
Former route number | National Route 34 (1955–2013) Entire route |
Major junctions | |
West end | Mitchell Highway Nevertire, New South Wales |
East end | Gordon Street Port Macquarie, New South Wales |
Location(s) | |
Major settlements | Warren, Gilgandra, Coonabarabran, Gunnedah, Tamworth, Bendemeer, Walcha, Wauchope |
Highway system | |
Oxley Highway is a rural highway in New South Wales, Australia, [3] linking Nevertire, Gilgandra, Coonabarabran, Tamworth, and Walcha to Port Macquarie, on the coast of the Tasman Sea. It was named to commemorate John Oxley, the first European to explore much of inland New South Wales in 1818.
Oxley Highway commences at the intersection with Mitchell Highway at Nevertire and travels in an easterly direction through Warren to Gilgandra, where it intersects with Castlereagh Highway. It shares a concurrency with Newell Highway from there to Coonabarabran, where it splits off and heads east again through Gunnedah to Tamworth, where it shares another concurrency with New England Highway from there to Bendemeer. It splits off again and heads east to intersect with Thunderbolts Way at Walcha, continuing east through Yarrowitch, Ellenborough, Long Flat, Wauchope, and intersects with Pacific Highway just east of Wauchope, before eventually terminating at Port Macquarie.
About 45 kilometres of the Yarrowitch to Wauchope section is unfenced and livestock (cattle) may be encountered there, along with other wild animals on most of the highway. Kangaroos are the most likely of those to be spotted, but wombats and other marsupials may be found.
Work commenced in 1838 with the use of convicts working from Port Macquarie towards a spot known as "Prisoners' Garden" about 20 km from Yarrowitch. Here it is said that the convicts were chained up each night. In 1842 the track from the Northern Tablelands to Port Macquarie was opened for the first time. Wool carried along this new route reduced the travelling time to 10 days, as opposed to 12–14 weeks for the trip to Maitland. The section from Walcha to Bendemeer existed as a mapped road in 1857, was surveyed in 1867, and proclaimed a Parish Road in c.1889. West of Walcha the road was only suitable for bullock teams and they too had difficulties, especially with the ranges. [4]
The steep range section from Yarras to Yarrowitch was in serious need of repair in 1925 when the Main Roads Board was formed. Following a re-survey in 1927 the road was altered between Yarras and Tobins Camp.
The passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924 [5] through the Parliament of New South Wales provided for the declaration of Main Roads, roads partially funded by the State government through the Main Roads Board (later the Department of Main Roads, and eventually Transport for NSW). Oxley Highway was declared (as Main Road No. 11) from the intersection with North Coast Highway (today Pacific Highway) near Wauchope, via Walcha, Tamworth, Gunnedah, Coonabarabran, and Gilgrandra to the intersection with North-Western Highway (today Mitchell Highway) at Trangie, Main Road 202 was declared from Nevertire to Warren (and continuing north to Quambone eventually to Coonabrarbran), and Main Road 203 was declared from Warren to Collie, on the same day, 8 August 1928; [2] with the passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929 [6] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, these were amended to State Highway 11 and Main Roads 202 and 203 on 8 April 1929.
Oxley Highway was split into two parts, with the section between Tamworth and Bendemeer defined as part of Great Northern Highway (known as New England Highway from March 1933), on 23 June 1931; as a consequence Oxley Highway was re-declared to run from Trangie to Tamworth, and then from Bendemeer to Wauchope. [7] On 30 September 1933 the section between Walcha and Port Macquarie was officially opened; Walcha Shire maintained 106 km of the highway until July 1966 when this part was taken over by the Department of Main Roads.
The western end of the highway was rerouted through Warren to terminate at Nevertire instead on 13 June 1951, subsuming Main Road 203 and the alignment of Main Road 202 between Warren and Nevertire; Main Road 202 was truncated at Warren as a result, and Main Road 347 was extended along the old alignment from Collie to Trangie (and continuing south via Albert to Melrose). [8] Newell Highway was declared a National Highway in 1992, and was re-declared to form one continuous highway on 15 January 1993: as a consequence, Oxley Highway was split into three parts, re-declared to run from the intersection with Mitchell Highway in Nevertire to the intersection with Newell Highway in Gilgandra, then from the intersection with Newell Highway just northeast of Coonabarabran to Tamworth, and then from Bendemeer to Port Macquarie. [9]
The passing of the Roads Act of 1993 [10] updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, Oxley Highway today retains its declaration as Highway 11, from Nevertire to Gilgandra, then from Coonabarabran to Tamworth, and then from Bendemeer to Port Macquarie. [11]
Oxley Highway was signed National Route 34 across its entire length in 1955. With the conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in 2013, this was replaced with route B56 between Coonabarabran and Port Macquarie, with the rest of the highway west of Coonabarabran unallocated. [12]
LGA | Location | km [1] | mi | Destinations | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Warren | Nevertire | 0.0 | 0.0 | Mitchell Highway (A32 northwest, southeast) – Broken Hill, Bourke, Nyngan, Dubbo | Western terminus of western section of highway | ||
Nevertire-Bogan Road (southwest) – Tottenham, Tullamore | |||||||
Gilgandra | Gilgandra | 105.0 | 65.2 | Castlereagh Highway (B55 north) – Coonamble, Walgett | Western terminus of concurrency with Castlereagh Highway | ||
105.1 | 65.3 | Newell Highway (A39 south) – Dubbo, Parkes | Eastern terminus of western section of highway | ||||
Gap in route | |||||||
Warrumbungle | Coonabarabran | 204.3 | 126.9 | Newell Highway (A39 north) – Narrabri, Moree | Western terminus of central section of highway Western terminus of route B56 | ||
Gunnedah | Gunnedah | 305.2 | 189.6 | Mungindi railway line | |||
305.6 | 189.9 | Kamilaroi Highway (B51 north) – Boggabri, Narrabri | Concurrency with Kamilaroi Highway | ||||
307.8 | 191.3 | Kamilaroi Highway (B51 south) – Quirindi | |||||
Peel River | 381.1 | 236.8 | Bridge (no known official name) | ||||
Tamworth | Tamworth | 378.8 | 235.4 | Main North railway line | |||
381.7 | 237.2 | Fossickers Way (B95) – Manilla, Warialda | |||||
382.8 | 237.9 | New England Highway (A15 south) – Scone, Aberdeen | Eastern terminus of central section of highway | ||||
Gap in route | |||||||
Tamworth | Bendemeer | 422.4 | 262.5 | New England Highway (A15 north) – Uralla, Armidale | Western terminus of eastern section of highway | ||
Walcha | Woolbrook | 447.5 | 278.1 | Main North railway line | |||
Walcha | 472.0 | 293.3 | Thunderbolts Way – Uralla, Nowendoc, Gloucester | ||||
Apsley River | 472.1 | 293.3 | Blue Hogan Bridge | ||||
Tia River | 507.5 | 315.3 | Bridge (no known official name) | ||||
Yarrowitch River | 520.5 | 323.4 | Bridge (no known official name) | ||||
Ellenborough River | 601.6 | 373.8 | Bridge (no known official name) | ||||
Port Macquarie-Hastings | Wauchope | 635.4 | 394.8 | North Coast railway line | |||
Sancrox-Thrumster boundary | 644.4 | 400.4 | Pacific Highway (A1) – Kempsey, Macksville, Taree, Newcastle | ||||
Port Macquarie | 653.0 | 405.8 | Hastings River Drive (north) – Telegraph Point, to Pacific Highway Ocean Drive (south) – Lake Cathie, Laurieton | ||||
Gordon Street – Port Macquarie | Eastern terminus of eastern section of highway Eastern terminus of route B56 | ||||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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New England is a geographical region in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia, about 60 km inland from the Tasman Sea. The area includes the Northern Tablelands and the North West Slopes regions. As of 2021, New England had a population of 185,560, with over a quarter of the people living in the area of Tamworth Regional Council.
Coonabarabran is a town in Warrumbungle Shire that sits on the divide between the Central West and North West Slopes regions of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2016 census, the town had a population of 2,537,and as of 2021, the population of Coonabarabran and its surrounding area is 3,477. Local and district residents refer to the town as 'Coona'. Coonabarabran is the gateway to the Warrumbungle National Park and the Pilliga Forest.
Newell Highway is a national highway in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. It provides the major road link between southeastern Queensland and Victoria via central NSW and as such carries large amounts of freight. At 1,058 kilometres (657 mi) in length, the Newell is the longest highway in NSW, and passes through fifteen local government areas.
Mitchell Highway is an outback state highway located in the central and south western regions of Queensland and the northern and central western regions of New South Wales in Australia. The southern part of Mitchell Highway forms part of the National Highway A32 B71 corridor, which stretches from Sydney to Brisbane via Dubbo. Mitchell Highway also forms part of the shortest route between Sydney and Darwin, via Bourke and Mount Isa, making it an important road link for the transport of passengers and freight for regional New South Wales and Queensland. The highway is a part of route Alternative A2 between Augathella and Charleville, route A71 and B71 between Charleville and Nyngan, and part of route A32 between Nyngan and Bathurst.
Mid-Western Highway, sometimes Mid Western Highway, is a 518-kilometre (322 mi) state highway located in the central western and northern Riverina regions of New South Wales, Australia. The highway services rural communities and links the Great Western, Mitchell, Olympic, Newell, Cobb and Sturt highways. Mid-Western Highway forms part of the most direct route road link between Sydney and Adelaide, with its eastern terminus in Bathurst and western terminus in Hay. It is designated part of route A41 between Bathurst and Cowra, and route B64 between Cowra and Hay.
Castlereagh Highway is a 790-kilometre (490 mi) state highway located in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. From north to south the highway traverses South West Queensland and the North West Slopes, Orana, and Central West regions of New South Wales.
Illawarra Highway is a short state highway in New South Wales, Australia. It connects Wollongong to the Southern Highlands and links Princes Highway and Hume Highway. It is named after the geographical area it crosses, the Illawarra region.
Walcha is a town at the south-eastern edge of the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia.
Carnarvon Highway is a state highway in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia, linking the township of Rolleston in Queensland's Central Highlands Region, via the town of St George, eventually to Moree in northern New South Wales. It is the main access road to the Carnarvon National Park, and serves as a strategic route to take B-doubles and other large vehicles to the Queensland ports north of Rockhampton.
Kidman Way is a state rural road in the western Riverina and western region of New South Wales, Australia. The 643-kilometre (400 mi) highway services the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and outback communities and links the Newell Highway with the Sturt, Mid-Western, Barrier, Mitchell and Kamilaroi highways. The road is designated route B87 for its entire length, with its northern terminus at Bourke and its southern terminus just north of Jerilderie. Kidman Way is fully sealed and is accessible by two or four-wheel drive.
Thunderbolts Way is a 305-kilometre (190 mi) country road located in the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia, linking Inverell via Bundarra, Uralla and Walcha to Gloucester The road is sealed and passes through thickly forested mountain areas with many nearby national parks and nature reserves.
Riverina Highway is a 220-kilometre (140 mi)-long state highway located in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The road was constructed over several decades with final asphalt concrete sealing completed during the 1960s.
Appin Road is a New South Wales secondary highway linking Campbelltown and Sydney's western suburbs with Wollongong. It is named after Appin, which lies on its path.
Walcha Shire is a local government area located in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is situated adjacent to the junction of the Oxley Highway and Thunderbolts Way and is 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of the Main North railway line passing through Walcha Road. The shire was formed on 1 June 1955 through the amalgamation of Apsley Shire and the Municipality of Walcha.
Goldfields Way is a 116-kilometre (72 mi) country road in the northern part of the Riverina region of New South Wales, connecting Wyalong via Temora to Old Junee.
Yarrowitch is a small rural locality on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the picturesque Yarrowitch River Valley on the Oxley Highway 48 kilometres east of Walcha. The settlement is included in the Walcha Shire Local Government Area in the New England region. The locality is at an elevation of about 995 metres and the area is part of Vernon County. At the 2011 census, the Yarrowitch area had a population of 167.
Ellenborough is a parish and village straddling the Oxley Highway and the Ellenborough River, less than one kilometre south of its confluence with the Hastings River. The village is about 33 km west of Wauchope and approximately 130 km east of Walcha. The boundaries are within the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council and Macquarie County.
Long Flat is a rural village situated on the Oxley Highway and the southern bank of the Hastings River. This village is about 50 kilometres west of Port Macquarie, 30 kilometres west of Wauchope and 133 km east of Walcha. The boundaries are within the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council Local Government Area and Macquarie County.
Oxley is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales.
Media related to Oxley Highway at Wikimedia Commons Oxley Highway travel guide from Wikivoyage