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The Great North Road is a
historic road Historic roads (or historic trails in the US and Canada) are paths or routes that have historical importance due to their use over a period of time. Examples exist from prehistoric times until the early 20th century. They include ancient track ...
that was built to link early
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, in the
Colony of New South Wales The Colony of New South Wales was a colony of the British Empire from 1788 to 1901, when it became a State of the Commonwealth of Australia. At its greatest extent, the colony of New South Wales included the present-day Australian states of New ...
, now
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, with the fertile
Hunter Valley The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, Newcastle Region, or simply Hunter, spans the region in northern New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River and its ...
to the north. Built by
convicts A convict is "a person found Guilt (law), guilty of a crime and Sentence (law), sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a commo ...
between 1825 and 1836, it traverses over of the rugged terrain that hindered early agricultural expansion. The road is of such cultural significance it was included on the
Australian National Heritage List The Australian National Heritage List or National Heritage List (NHL) is a heritage register, a list of National heritage site, national heritage places deemed to be of outstanding heritage significance to Australia, established in 2003. The li ...
on 1 August 2007 as a ''nationally significant example of major public infrastructure developed using convict labour'' and on the
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
list as amongst:
" .. the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts."
The road was an engineering triumph, with some sections constructed to a notably high standard. It was not an unqualified success in practical terms. Apart from the steep grades, there was a lack of water and horse feed along the route. For these reasons it quickly fell into disuse with the development of alternative means of getting to the Hunter Valley, such as steamships and newer roads. Much of the road fell into total disuse while other parts were absorbed into the urban and rural road network.


The route

The Great North Road commences at
Parramatta Road Parramatta Road is the major historical east-west artery of metropolitan Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, connecting the Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD with Parramatta. It is the easternmost part of the Great Western Highway. S ...
, at what is now the Sydney suburb of
Five Dock Five Dock is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Five Dock is located 10 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay. Location Fi ...
. Historically, it crossed the
Parramatta River The Parramatta River is an intermediate tide-dominated, Ria, drowned valley estuary located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. With an average Altitude, height, and depth, depth of , the Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour ...
by boat at Abbotsford, after which passed through
Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 24,096 according to the 2021 Census. Its growth as a seaside resort came after the villages of Upper Ryde and ...
and Dural before reaching the
Hawkesbury River The Hawkesbury River, or Hawkesbury-Nepean River (Dharug language, Dharug: Dyarubbin) is a river located northwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its associated main tributary, the Nepean River, almost encircle ...
at Wisemans Ferry, to the north. It then winds through isolated and often rugged bushland along the edge of
Dharug National Park The Dharug National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The national park is situated approximately north of the Sydney and west of . The park contains the ...
, continuing through
Bucketty Bucketty is a locality in the City of Cessnock local government area (LGA), in New South Wales, Australia. It is in the south of the LGA, immediately adjacent to the border with the City of Hawkesbury and Central Coast Council, in the Hunter Reg ...
until forking at Wollombi. From there one branch continues to Warkworth via Broke and the other goes to Cessnock, Maitland and on to
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
.


The Great North Road today

The Great North Road survives to this day, but different parts are preserved in very different ways. Much of it is under bitumen and concrete, either as suburban streets or rural backroads, while some is preserved in national parks and protected from vehicular traffic. Slight evidence of its past, such as bypassed bridgeworks or even convict rock carvings, survives within the Sydney metropolitan area; by contrast large stretches remain in original condition north of the
Hawkesbury River The Hawkesbury River, or Hawkesbury-Nepean River (Dharug language, Dharug: Dyarubbin) is a river located northwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its associated main tributary, the Nepean River, almost encircle ...
. The first few kilometres, from
Parramatta Road Parramatta Road is the major historical east-west artery of metropolitan Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, connecting the Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD with Parramatta. It is the easternmost part of the Great Western Highway. S ...
at
Five Dock Five Dock is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Five Dock is located 10 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay. Location Fi ...
to the
Parramatta River The Parramatta River is an intermediate tide-dominated, Ria, drowned valley estuary located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. With an average Altitude, height, and depth, depth of , the Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour ...
at Abbotsford, pass through the largely residential suburb of Wareemba. The historic name is retained for this section, the only reason anyone would think twice about this unremarkable piece of suburban road lined with houses and a few village shops and cafes. This section of the road ends at Abbotsford ferry wharf, there being no longer a corresponding wharf on the north bank. On the opposite bank of the Parramatta River, the former alignment of the Great North Road leading from the former ferry wharf is now called Punt Road, in Gladesville. Punt Road ends at Victoria Road. The former alignment is picked up again just northwest of Top Ryde City shopping centre, as North Road, in
Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 24,096 according to the 2021 Census. Its growth as a seaside resort came after the villages of Upper Ryde and ...
, leading to Blaxland Road in Eastwood. The road then recommences at the
Baulkham Hills Baulkham Hills (;) is a suburb in the Hills District, New South Wales, Hills District of Greater Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located within north-west of the Sydney central business district mostly within the Loca ...
intersection with
Windsor Road Windsor Road is a notable road in the Hills District, New South Wales, Hills District of Sydney, linking Windsor, New South Wales, Windsor and North Parramatta, New South Wales, North Parramatta in Sydney's west. It is a constituent part of ro ...
. Known as Old Northern Road, and Tourist Drive 15, it winds up past the suburbs of Castle Hill, Glenhaven, Dural, before continuing north as a two-lane undivided road. Old Northern Road terminates at Wiseman's Ferry. At
Bucketty Bucketty is a locality in the City of Cessnock local government area (LGA), in New South Wales, Australia. It is in the south of the LGA, immediately adjacent to the border with the City of Hawkesbury and Central Coast Council, in the Hunter Reg ...
, it is once again renamed the Great North Road. Two sections of the original route: the Devine's Hill (Wisemans Ferry) to Mount Manning section and the Mount Manning to Wollombi section are listed on the
New South Wales Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...
.


Preservation

In 1990, the local communities of Bucketty and Wollombi established the 'Convict Trail Project', aiming to restore, maintain and promote the road as a museum of convict engineering. Original sections of the road which are on view have provided valuable insight into early road construction techniques in the colony of New South Wales, and how English road-building technology of the time was imported and adapted. Prisoners from facilities managed by
Corrective Services NSW Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) is an executive agency of the Government of New South Wales, Australia. CSNSW is responsible for the state's prisons and a range of programs for managing offenders in the community. The state has 36 prisons, 33 ru ...
have been involved with maintenance.


World Heritage list

In July 2010, at the 34th session of the
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Committee, the Great North Road and ten other Australian sites with a significant association with convict transportation were inscribed as a group on the World Heritage List as the
Australian Convict Sites Australian Convict Sites is a World Heritage property consisting of 11 remnant penal sites originally built within the British Empire during the 18th and 19th centuries on fertile Australian coastal strips at Sydney, Tasmania, Norfolk Island, a ...
. The listing explains that the 11 sites present "the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts". Of the 11 sites the Hyde Park Barracks, Cockatoo Island, Old Government House at
Parramatta Parramatta (; ) is a suburb (Australia), suburb and major commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney. Parramatta is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD, on the banks of the Parramatta River. It is co ...
are also within the Sydney region. As part of the works to bring about public engagement with the UNESCO World Heritage Listed 'Old Great North Road' that is managed by the
NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is a directorate of the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment and responsible for managing more than 890 national parks and reserves, covering over 7.5 million hectares of land ac ...
, a living history theatre production was commissioned to tell some of the stories in-situ on Devine's Hill in Dharug National Park, Wiseman's Ferry, along the living remnants of The Road itself. 'Convict Footprints on the Old Great North Road' is a heart-touching, at times funny, at times deeply sad journey with the men and women that built The Road along the very cobbles they themselves walked.


Engineering heritage award

The road is listed as a National Engineering Landmark by
Engineers Australia Engineers Australia (EA), known formally as the Institution of Engineers, Australia, is an Australian professional body and Non-profit organization, not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to advance the science and practice of engineerin ...
as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.


Gallery

File:Old Northern Rd convict workgang carving.jpg, Image:Carving_suburbia.jpg, Image:thomas_james_bridge.jpg, Image:devines_hill.jpg, Image:embankment_devines.jpg, Image:gutter.jpg, Image:cutting_devine_hill.jpg, Image:drill_holes_devines_hill.jpg, File:Convict-built stone embankment, Great North Road, NSW.jpg, Convict-built Embankment, Mount McQuoid,
Great North Road, Bucketty, NSW. File:Detail, Convict-built stone embankment, Great North Road, NSW.jpg, Convict-built embankment, Mount McQuoid,
Great North Road, Bucketty, NSW.
Distinctive markings on cut stones have been used in archaeological studies to estimate the number of convicts in an 'ironed-gang' i.e. offenders sentenced to work in chains, or other metal restraining devices, on heavy labouring tasks like road-making.
There are recognisable and recurring patterns, attributable to individual stone-cutters. File:Gutter cut in stone, Great North Road, NSW.jpg, Convict-built road, Mount McQuoid,
Great North Road, Bucketty, NSW.
Gutter cut in stone. File:Cartwheel tracks, Great North Road, NSW.jpg, Convict-built road, Mount McQuoid,
Great North Road, Bucketty, NSW.
Cart-wheel tracks in stone. File:Convict-built road, Great North Road, NSW.jpg, Convict-built road, Mount McQuoid,
Great North Road, Bucketty, NSW. File:Great North Road, NSW.jpg, Convict-built road, Mount McQuoid,
Great North Road, Bucketty, NSW. File:Convict-built stone box culvert, Great North Road, NSW.jpg, Convict-built road, Mount McQuoid,
Great North Road, Bucketty, NSW.
Stone box-drain culvert beneath road. File:Convict-built road, NSW.jpg, Convict-built road, Mount McQuoid, Great North Road, Bucketty, NSW. File:Convict-built stone embankment, St Alban's Road Ramp, NSW.jpg, Convict-built stone embankment,
St Alban's Road Ramp, Great North Road, NSW. File:Convict-built stone embankment, NSW.jpg, Convict-built stone embankment,
St Alban's Road Ramp, Great North Road, NSW.


See also

*
Old Great North Road (Devine's Hill to Mount Manning Section) Old Great North Road (Devine's Hill to Mount Manning Section) is a heritage-listed section of former main road, now walking track and service road, between Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales, Wisemans Ferry and Mount Manning, New South Wales, Aus ...
*
Great North Road (Mount Manning to Wollombi Section) Great North Road (Mount Manning to Wollombi Section) is a heritage-listed road alignment, partly in use and partly abandoned, between Mount Manning and Wollombi, New South Wales, Australia. It was built between 1830 and 1832 by convict road ...
*
Australian Convict Sites Australian Convict Sites is a World Heritage property consisting of 11 remnant penal sites originally built within the British Empire during the 18th and 19th centuries on fertile Australian coastal strips at Sydney, Tasmania, Norfolk Island, a ...


References


External links

* * * * * * * {{Streets of Sydney Australia Historical roads of New South Wales Streets in Sydney Transport on the Central Coast (New South Wales) Convictism in New South Wales Australian Convict Sites Protected areas of New South Wales 1825 establishments in Australia Roads in the Hunter Region The Hills Shire Hornsby Shire City of Cessnock World Heritage Sites in New South Wales Recipients of Engineers Australia engineering heritage markers