Old Great North Road (Devine's Hill to Mount Manning Section) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old Great North Road (Devine's Hill to Mount Manning Section) |
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Devine's Hill, just past the Thomas James Bridge; at the foot of the hill, vehicular traffic joins a newer road, leaving the Great North Road to walkers and cyclists.
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| Location | Between Wisemans Ferry and Mount Manning, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1826–1834 |
| Architect | Thomas Mitchell (surveyor general) |
| Owner | Office of Environment and Heritage |
| Official name: Old Great North Road, Between Devine's Hill and Mount Manning; Section 3 (in CMP) | |
| Type | state heritage (complex / group) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 991 |
| Type | Road |
| Category | Transport - Land |
| Builders | convict road gangs |
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The Old Great North Road (Devine's Hill to Mount Manning Section) is a very old and important part of a former main road in New South Wales, Australia. Today, it's mostly used as a walking track and a service road. This specific section runs between Wisemans Ferry and Mount Manning. It was designed by the Surveyor-General, Thomas Mitchell, and built between 1826 and 1834. The road was constructed by groups of convicts. Because of its historical value, it was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
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Building the Great North Road
The Great North Road was a huge project. It was over 240 kilometers (about 150 miles) long. Building it took eight years, from 1826 to 1834. It was one of the biggest engineering achievements during the time when Australia was a British colony.
Many parts of the road are still used today. You can still see some of the original stone culverts (tunnels for water), bridges, and retaining walls. The road starts near Baulkham Hills and goes to Wiseman's Ferry. From there, it branches off towards Maitland and Singleton. When it was built, the road used the newest ideas for road construction from Europe.
Why the Road Was Built
Work on the road began in 1826. People living in the Hunter Valley area wanted a better way to move their farm animals and travel north. Governor Darling and Surveyor General Thomas Mitchell agreed. They saw that the growing colony needed better roads.
Convicts did all the hard work. They were organized into "Road Gangs." Sometimes, as many as 700 men worked on the road at once. They faced very difficult conditions.
The Road's Decline
The main construction finished by 1833. However, many travelers found parts of the road too lonely. There wasn't enough water or food for their animals. So, people quickly found other routes along the Hawkesbury River and Macdonald valleys. These new paths were safer and faster. Because of this, sections of the Great North Road soon started to fall apart.
What the Road Looks Like Today
The full Great North Road stretches over 240 kilometers. It goes from Baulkham Hills to Wiseman's Ferry, then splits towards Maitland and Singleton. A shorter section was added in 1830. It connected Five Dock and Pennant Hills to the main road at Dural. Another important path, Simpson's Track, branched off at Ten Mile Hollow. It went through Yarramalong towards Newcastle.
You can still find well-preserved parts of the original road. One special section is 43 kilometers long, just north of Wiseman's Ferry. This part, from Devine's Hill to Mount Manning, goes through very steep and rough land. Here, you can see amazing examples of high stone walls. Some walls are up to 13 meters (about 43 feet) tall! They are made of huge, interlocking stone blocks. These blocks fit together without any mortar. Some of them weigh as much as 660 kilograms (over 1,400 pounds).
You can also see impressive stonework at Clares Bridge and Circuit Flat Bridge. These are protected inside Dharug and Yengo National Parks. To keep these old convict road works safe, cars are not allowed in these areas. Other parts of the convict-built road can be seen at Mt McQuoid, Ramseys Leap, and the Murrays Run Culvert.
Why the Road is Important
The Old Great North Road is listed as a heritage site. This means it's a very important part of history. It shows us what early colonial society in New South Wales was like. Its amazing structures were strong symbols of the colony's growth and how it was overcoming the wild landscape. It showed that a civilized society was being built.
The road is also connected to important people from that time. These include Governor Darling and Surveyor General Thomas Mitchell. It also includes Percy Simpson, who was one of Australia's first scientific road engineers.
Learning from the Road
The Old Great North Road physically shows us how convict work gangs operated. We can see their work patterns, skills, and how they were organized. This information is hard to find in old documents. Seeing the road helps us understand how these gangs worked.
The road also has value for showing us technology. It demonstrates the high standards of road engineering in the colony during the "Great Roads" period of the late 1820s and 1830s.
The Old Great North Road, especially the section between Devine's Hill and Mount Manning, was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, because it met important standards.
- The place is important in showing the history of New South Wales.
The Great North Road helps us understand the history of early colonial society. Its grand structures were powerful symbols of the colony's progress. They showed how people were building a civilized state and winning against a tough landscape. It is linked to important figures like Governor Darling and Thomas Mitchell.
- The place can give us information to help understand the history of New South Wales.
The Great North Road physically shows us how convict work gangs did their jobs. It reveals their skills and how they were organized. This information is not found in written records. It has helped change our understanding of these work gangs. It also shows the high level of road engineering used in the colony during that time.
