Great North Road (New South Wales) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Great North Road |
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Section of Great North including gutter hewn from solid rock leading to culvert for box drain beneath road surface.
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| Type | Historic road |
| Location | New South Wales, Australia  |
| Area | 393.72 hectares (972.9 acres) |
| Status | |
| Type: | Cultural |
| Criteria: | iv, vi |
| Designated: | 2010 (34th session) |
| Part of: | Australian Convict Sites |
| Reference #: | 1306 |
| State Party: |  Australia |
| Region: | Asia-Pacific |
The Great North Road is a very old road in New South Wales, Australia. It was built to connect early Sydney with the rich farming lands of the Hunter Valley to the north. This amazing road was built by convicts between 1825 and 1836. It stretches over 260 kilometres (160 miles) through tough, rocky land.
This road is super important for Australia's history. It was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2007. This means it's a special example of a big project built using convict labour. In 2010, UNESCO also added it to the World Heritage List. They called it one of the best examples of how convicts were used to expand European power.
Building the road was a huge success in engineering. Some parts were built to a very high standard. However, it wasn't always practical to use. There wasn't enough water or food for horses along the way. Because of this, people soon found other ways to get to the Hunter Valley, like steamships and newer roads. Much of the Great North Road was then forgotten, while other parts became regular streets.
Contents
The Road's Path
The Great North Road starts in Five Dock, a suburb of Sydney. It crosses the Parramatta River at Abbotsford. Back then, people crossed the river by boat.
The road then goes through Ryde and Dural. After about 100 kilometres (60 miles), it reaches the Hawkesbury River at Wisemans Ferry.
From there, it winds through wild bushland next to Dharug National Park. It continues through Bucketty before splitting into two at Wollombi. One path leads to Warkworth and Broke. The other goes to Cessnock, Maitland, and finally to Newcastle.
The Great North Road Today
The Great North Road still exists today, but it looks very different in different places. Many parts are now covered with bitumen and concrete. They are used as suburban streets or country roads. Other parts are protected inside national parks, where cars are not allowed.
In Sydney, you can still find small signs of its past. These include old bridge parts or even rock carvings made by convicts. But north of the Hawkesbury River, large sections of the road are still in their original condition.
The first few kilometres of the road go through Wareemba, a residential area. This part is still called Great North Road. It looks like any other suburban street with houses and shops. This section ends at the Abbotsford ferry wharf.
On the other side of the Parramatta River, the road used to start again. This part is now called Punt Road in Gladesville. Punt Road ends at Victoria Road. The old road then continues as North Road in Ryde, leading to Blaxland Road in Eastwood.
The road starts again at the Baulkham Hills intersection with Windsor Road. This section is known as Old Northern Road and is part of Tourist Drive 15. It goes past Castle Hill, Glenhaven, and Dural. Old Northern Road ends at Wiseman's Ferry.
At Bucketty, the road is once again called the Great North Road. Two parts of the original road are listed on the New South Wales Heritage Register. These are the Devine's Hill to Mount Manning section and the Mount Manning to Wollombi section.
Keeping the Road Special
In 1990, people in Bucketty and Wollombi started the 'Convict Trail Project'. Their goal was to fix, look after, and share the road's history. They wanted it to be like a museum of convict engineering.
The parts of the road that you can still see today teach us a lot about how roads were built long ago. They show how English road-building ideas were brought to Australia and changed. Prisoners from Corrective Services NSW have even helped with the road's upkeep.
World Heritage Site
In July 2010, the Great North Road became a World Heritage Site. It was listed along with ten other Australian sites linked to convict transportation. These 11 places are called the Australian Convict Sites.
The listing explains that these sites are the best examples of how large numbers of convicts were moved and used to expand European power. Some other World Heritage Sites in the Sydney area include the Hyde Park Barracks, Cockatoo Island, and Old Government House at Parramatta.
To help people learn about the 'Old Great North Road', a special theatre show was created. It's called 'Convict Footprints on the Old Great North Road'. This show tells the stories of the men and women who built the road. It's performed right on Devine's Hill in Dharug National Park, where the road still exists.
Engineering Award
The Great North Road has been named a National Engineering Landmark by Engineers Australia. This is part of their program to recognise important engineering achievements.
Images for kids
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A section of the Great North Road, showing a gutter carved from rock.
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A benchmark on the Great North Road.
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A rock carving made by convicts around 1829, near the start of the road.
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The Thomas James Bridge at Wisemans Ferry, the oldest bridge in mainland Australia still used by cars.
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Devines Hill, where the old road becomes a path for walkers and cyclists.
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An embankment made from rocks left over from blasting.
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A closer look at the gutter carved into the rock.
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A cutting made by convicts using gunpowder. You can see 'half holes' from the blasting.
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A close-up of the 'half holes' left by convict drilling.
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A convict-built embankment at Mount McQuoid, Bucketty.
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Close-up of a convict-built embankment. Marks on the stones can tell us about the convicts who cut them.
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A gutter carved into stone on the road at Mount McQuoid.
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Tracks left by cartwheels in the stone road at Mount McQuoid.
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A section of the convict-built road at Mount McQuoid.
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Another view of the convict-built road at Mount McQuoid.
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A stone box-drain culvert built by convicts under the road.
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A convict-built road section at Mount McQuoid.
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A convict-built stone embankment on the St Alban's Road Ramp.
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Another view of the convict-built stone embankment on the St Alban's Road Ramp.
See also
In Spanish: Great North Road para niños
