New England Highway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| New England Highway | |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 Proposed  to replace  in NSW [1] |
|
| Length | 914 km |
| General direction | North-South |
| From |   D'Aguilar Highway, Yarraman, Queensland |
| via | Crows Nest, QLD, Toowoomba, Warwick, QLD, Tenterfield, NSW, Glen Innes, Armidale, Tamworth, Muswellbrook, Maitland, NSW |
| To |  Sydney-Newcastle Freeway / Pacific Highway,Newcastle, New South Wales |
| Allocation | Yarraman - Warwick:
  Hampton - Toowoomba:  )Warwick - NSW/Qld Border:  NSW/Qld Border - Newcastle:   ) |
| Major Junctions |  Esk-Hampton Road Warrego Highway Gore Highway Cunningham Highway Cunningham Highway Bruxner Highway Gwydir Highway Waterfall Way Oxley Highway Fossickers Way Oxley Highway Kamilaroi Highway Putty Road Golden Highway |
- See also: New England Interstate Highways, a system of numbered highways in New England, USA, from 1922 to 1927.
The New England Highway is a highway in Australia. It traverses the Hunter Valley and New England regions of New South Wales and the Darling Downs in southern Queensland.
The New England Highway is part of the national highway network, which means that the federal government pays for its maintenance and development. The highway provides an alternative route to the coastal Pacific Highway between Brisbane and Sydney.
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
The New England Highway forms the major part of the 1047 km Sydney–Brisbane national highway route. This route follows the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway (national route 1) and the New England and Cunningham Highways (both part of national route 15). This interstate corridor serves the Central Coast, Hunter Valley and New England (Northern Tablelands) regions in New South Wales and the Southern Downs region in Queensland. The New England Highway north from Warwick is not part of the national highway system.
The New England Highway website is the only website that promotes the New England Highway region. The Web Partnership was initiated by Muswellbrook Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc and is managed on behalf of our Partners by Muswellbrook Visitor Information Centre (Muswellbrook Shire Council).
[edit] History
The New England Highway traverses the Hunter Valley, New England (or Northern Tablelands), the Southern Downs and the Darling Downs, linking Newcastle and Toowoomba. It follows the trail blazed by explorer and botanist Allan Cunningham, who explored these regions in 1827-29. It roughly follows his path from to Newcastle to Warwick and then the Darling Downs. As these rich farm and pastoral lands were settled earlier than the NSW North Coast, the New England Highway provided an all-weather sealed road link between New South Wales and Queensland by the first half of the 20th century.
When the NSW main road system was reorganised in August 1928, the section between Hexham, and Tenterfield of what is now the New England Highway was gazetted as part of state highway 9, the Great Northern Highway. State highway 9 stretched from Milsons Point on the north shore of Sydney Harbour (at that time the Sydney Harbour Bridge was still under construction) via the under-construction road from Hornsby to Gosford, then via Newcastle to Hexham, then to Tenterfield, as per the current route of the New England Highway. From Tenterfield it continued to the Queensland border near Mount Lindesay.
Due to the difficult terrain, number of ferry crossings and flood liability of the coast route, the inland route via the New England Highway, running along the top of the Great Dividing Range, was the preferred route for what little interstate traffic existed at that time.
In 1931, state highway 10, the North Coast Highway, which commenced at Hexham and extended to Tweed Heads , was renamed the Pacific Highway and extended south to Milsons Point, so that state highway 9 began at Hexham, as it does today. In 1933 the Great Northern Highway was renamed the New England Highway.
In 1954 main road 374, running from Tenterfield to Wallangarra was redesignated as part of state highway 9 and named as part of the New England Highway, and the section of the New England Highway from Tenterfield to Mount Lindesay was renumbered as state highway 24 and renamed the Mount Lindesay Highway. The rerouting of the New England Highway from Mount Lindesay to Wallangarra was due to the construction of a sealed road from Boonah through Cunninghams Gap to Warwick in the early 1950s. The sealed road encouraged much more traffic to travel from Brisbane to Tenterfield via Warwick than via Beaudesert and the unsealed route on to Tenterfield.
At the time of the rerouting of the New England Highay to Wallangarra and the naming of the Mount Lindesay Highway, arrangements were made by the NSW Department of Main Roads with the Queensland Main Roads Department to name the onward routes from Wallangarra and Mount Lindesay to Brisbane as the New England and Mount Lindesay Highways respectively. At this time they were allocated the national route numbers of 15 for the New England Highway Hexham-Brisbane and 13 for the Mount Lindesay Highway Brisbane-Tenterfield. National route 15 was designated as part of the national highway network when it was established in 1974. The national highway network is a group of the national routes for which the Commonwealth, rather than the state governments, has responsibility for maintenance and upgrading.
In the 1970s, the Queensland Main Roads Department rerouted the designation of the New England Highway north of Warwick to the former Lockyer-Darling Downs Highway (national route 17) so that it terminated in Toowoomba. The section of the highway between Brisbane and Warwick was renamed as part of the Cunningham Highway, which until that time had extended only westward from Warwick to Goondiwindi. The rerouted section of the New England Highway from Warwick to Toowoomba was renumbered from 17 as part of national route 42, which until then also had only extended westward from Warwick to Goondiwindi. In the 1990s, the Main Roads Department extended the name New England Highway north from Toowoomba to the Bunya Highway at Yarraman, but this section carries state route numbers, rather than a national route number. However it carries little traffic and performs a district function rather than a national one.
Between Warwick and Tamworth the New England Highway, as well as being part of the national route between Sydney and Brisbane, is also an important interstate link between Queensland and Victoria, connecting to Melbourne via the Oxley Highway to the Newell Highway, which becomes the Goulburn Valley Highway where it crosses the Murray River.
The alternative routes between Sydney and Brisbane, the Pacific Highway and Thunderbolts Way, are flood prone and at the time of the creation of the national highway system in 1974 had many winding and dangerous sections. Rapid growth of population and tourism along the NSW North Coast in the 1970s and 1980s led to the Commonwealth and NSW governments jointly funding reconstruction of the Pacific Highway to freeway standards from the early 1990s onward. This work is ongoing - see separate entry on the Pacific Highway. With progressive completion of these roadworks, Sydney-Brisbane traffic has shifted away from the New England Highway and it has become the only national highway route with a lower intercapital traffic volume than an alternative route.
New South Wales is quietly implementing an alpha-numeric numbering system, though no details of when this is to be completed has been announced. However, many signs are appearing on roads throughout the state, including the New England Highway. An example is on the bypass of Armidale, where the 'A15' route number has been used.
[edit] Track
The first section of the New England Highway west from Hexham to Maitland is dual carriageway, with the towns en route to Maitland bypassed. This section is partially grade separated, and carries heavy amounts of local traffic, with a large proportion of the traffic being trucks. In Maitland the highway continues via a dual carriageway CBD bypass to Telarah, from which point it reverts to single carriageway. Beyond Maitland, the only sections of dual carriageway are through Belford Forest west of Branxton, the 1966 deviation around Lake Liddell near Muswellbrook, the crossing of the Liverpool Range immediately north of Murrurundi through South Tamworth, and the ascent of the Moonbi Range between Tamworth and Bendemeer.
As far as Muswellbrook the highway carries heavy industrial traffic associated with the extensive coalmining in the Hunter Valley. Duplication of the highway and bypasses of towns as far as Muswellbrook are justifed, with realignment required at a number of points, but beyond Muswellbrook traffic volumes do not justify dual carriageways on most sections of the highway. The main substandard sections of the highway are generally in the upper Hunter Valley around Parkville, Wingen and Blandford. Once the highway climbs the Liverpool Range to the tablelands, most sections provide excellent driving.
In recent years the main upgrading activities in the Highway have been the deviation and duplication through Belford Forest, deviation and duplication over the Liverpool Range immediately north of Murrurundi, the Tamworth CBD bypass (an upgrading of an existing road), the Bendemeer bypass, the Armidale bypass, and deviations at Black Mountain and the Devils Pinch north of Armidale.
Long lengths of the New England Highway are subject to severe frost and snowfall, with the 350 km section from the Moonbi Ranges to Stanthorpe located at high altitudes. The highest point on the Highway is where it crosses the Ben Lomond Range halfway between Armidale and Glen Innes.
Speed cameras have been installed on the New England Highway at (north to south) Tenterfield (north side, between Duncan & George Sts), Ben Lomond (between Ben Lomond & Ross Rds), Llangothlin (between Ben Lomond Road & Everetts Rds), the Tilbuster Ponds Bridge, Kootingal (between Gill St & Yarrol Rd), near Wallabadah (between Lowestoft & Gaspard Rds), Murrurundi (between Bernard & Adelaide Sts), Blandford (between Hayles & Mills Sts), Scone (near Forbes St) and Lochinvar (outside Catholic primary school). It appears that most of these cameras have been necessitated by the failure of drivers to adjust to slower speeds entering towns or coming to low-standard sections of road.
[edit] Towns
From its junction with the Pacific Highway at Hexham, 12 km inland from Newcastle the New England Highway connects the following towns:
- Maitland
- Greta
- Branxton
- Singleton
- Muswellbrook
- Aberdeen
- Scone
- Murrurundi
- Tamworth
- Bendemeer
- Uralla
- Armidale
- Guyra
- Glen Innes
- Tenterfield
In Queensland (as national highway 15 and 42)
From Warwick to Toowoomba the route number changes to national route 42, which is the Cunningham Highway's route number west from Warwick to Goondiwindi.
From Toowoomba to Hampton the Highway is numbered as state route 85 and from Hampton to Yarraman it is numbered as state route 61. The highway terminates at Yarraman.
Below is a short description of some of the towns on the New England Highway.
[edit] Maitland
Maitland was the original centre of European settlement in the Hunter Valley. In the early 19th century the focus was on food rather than coal, and the rich river flats around Maitland provided food for the young colony. It was not until the late 19th century that Newcastle eclipsed Maitland as the centre of the Hunter Valley. Nonetheless, Maitland retains a major role as an industrial centre, with a population of 55,000. In 1955 the city was severely damaged by flooding of the Hunter River.
[edit] Singleton
The major centre for the mid-Hunter Valley, with 13,000 residents. Although the Singleton district is dotted with vineyards and the town has grown in the past three decades, unlike many other country towns, this was due to employment in the coalmining industry and as a dormitory for Newcastle. A major army base is located nearby. The scenic but isolated Putty Road (state route 69) connects Singleton with Windsor and Sydney's northwestern suburbs.
[edit] Muswellbrook
The major centre of the upper Hunter Valley, with a population of over 11,000. Nearby are two of NSW's two major power stations - Liddell (built 1968) and Bayswater (built 1981). The New England Highway was diverted to allow for the creation of Lake Liddell for these two power stations. The town has wide streets set in a sweeping pastoral landscape, and All Saints' Anglican church in the town was designed by famous English architect Giles Gilbert Scott.
[edit] Scone
A town renowned for its Thoroughbred stud farms and regarded as the horse capital of Australia. Around Scone the Hunter Valley narrows and the sandstone escarpments enclosing the valley provide a stunning backdrop to the rolling green hills of the valley floor. North of Scone and adjacent to the Highway is Mount Wingen - the Burning Mountain - where a light but constant plume of smoke issues from fissures in the ground, caused by lightning setting fire to coal seams close to the surface tens of thousands of years ago.
[edit] Tamworth
Set on the Peel River, Tamworth is the largest city in northern NSW with 35,000 inhabitants, and is the centre of a rich agricultural district. It is also a thriving industrial and commercial centre. Famous as the 'Country Music Capital' of Australia and its annual Tamworth Country Music Festival. In 1888 it became the first town in Australia to install electric street lighting.
[edit] Armidale
Located on the Northern Tablelands, Armidale's high altitude (over 1,000 m) gives it four pronounced seasons. It is also the hub of a thriving pastoral area famous for its high quality wool. The University of New England, established in 1954, and is the main seat of learning in northern NSW and is a major employer. The student population makes up a significant proportion of the city's population of 22,000. Armidale features beautiful landscapes, parks and historic buildings. Also of note is the Hinton Art Gallery, which houses the Felton Bequest, a significant collection of work by Australian artists.
[edit] Glen Innes
A Celtic-flavoured town that owes much to the Scottish settlers who came to the district in pioneering days. A monument commemorates the part they played. 40 km east of Glen Innes along the Gwydir Highway are the world heritage areas of the Washpool ranforests.
[edit] Tenterfield
A town more known by its deeds rather than its attractions. The place of the Tenterfield Oration by NSW Premier Henry Parkes, making the case for federation of the colonies into the Commonwealth of Australia, which has given the town the title of 'Home of Federation'. The architecture of the railway station is of note for its ornateness and excellent state of preservation. It is also the hometown of the crooner Peter Allen.
[edit] Wallangarra
The New England Highway crosses the State border into Queensland at Wallangarra, famous for the railway break of gauge on the only rail link between Sydney and Brisbane before the coastal standard gauge line was completed in 1930.
[edit] Stanthorpe
Located just off the New England Highway, set at a high altitude in granite country and famous for its wineries and orchards. The outstanding Girrahween National Park to the south of Stanthorpe has excellent bushwalking and rockclimbing.
[edit] Warwick
Major centre of the Southern Downs with a population of 11,000, Warwick is set in rolling pastoral country on the banks of the Condamine River. Famous for its rose gardens and rodeo. From 15 km north of Warwick, national route 15 turns east to Cunningham's Gap and down into the Brisbane Valley via the Cunningham Highway to reach Ipswich. From here Brisbane is only another 30 km. The New England Highway continues north across the Darling Downs to Toowoomba.
[edit] Toowoomba
With a population of 90,000, Toowoomba is one of Australia's major rural cities. Noted for its beautiful gardens as result of rich volcanic soils, it is home to the University of Southern Queensland and is the commercial and administrative centre of the Darling Downs region.
[edit] See also
- Highways in Australia
- List of highways in New South Wales
- List of highways in Queensland
- F3 to Branxton link
[edit] References
- ^ Alpha-Numeric Route Numbering for NSW. It is here!, Ozroads: the Australian Roads Website. Retrieved on December 29, 2007.
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008) |
