New South Wales Road Photo Gallery:
National Highway 39 (Newell Highway) (Dubbo to Forbes)

The Newell Highway is a major highway in New South Wales. It runs parallel to the eastern coast a few hundred kilometres inland, and is the main inland direct road link from Victoria to Queensland, bypassing the more congested coastal areas of New South Wales. It runs through Boggabilla, Moree, Narrabri, Coonabarabran, Gilgandra, Dubbo, Parkes, Forbes, West Wyalong and Narrandera. Unlike most highways in New South Wales, which are named after early explorers, the Newell Highway is named after the head of the Government Main Roads Department in the 1930s.

This page looks at the section from Dubbo through to Forbes. Various changes to the route have occured over the years including a bridge across Lake Forbes in early 1970, the works for Fitzgerald's Bridge over the Lachlan River in 1995, and the realignment through Forbes in late 2001.

The towns along the route include West Dubbo, Sappa Bulga, Dungary, Mountain Creek, Tomingley, Peak Hill, Trewilga, Mickibri, Alectown, Parkes, Parkesborough, Tichborne, Daroobalgie and Forbes.

Click here for the former alignment through Parkes.

Total Length (Victoria to Queensland):	3172 km
Length (Dubbo to Forbes)	153 km
Route Number:

Kilometre Post
Southbound kilometre post near Forbes indicating the distance to West Wyalong, 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Black Distance Sign
Nice old black southbound distance sign on the edge of town at Forbes. 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Directional Sign
ID reassurance sign as you approach the intersection with Oxford Street at Forbes, 2005. 

Advance Direction Sign
Northbound AD sign near the King Street intersection at Forbes, 2005. The sign is actually for Camp Street, which connects to Bridge Street, Orange Road and Lachlan Valley Way.

Image © Rob Tilley