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Photo Gallery
New South Wales Road Photo Gallery:
National Route 34 (Oxley Highway) (Yarrowitch to Port
Macquarie)
National Route 34 / Oxley Highway is a rural highway
in New South Wales, Australia. The Oxley Highway starts
at Nevertire where it joins the Mitchell Highway. It
links Warren, Gilgandra, Coonabarabran, Gunnedah, Tamworth,
Bendemeer, Walcha, Wauchope and ends at Port Macquarie
on the coast of the Tasman Sea.
The Oxley Highway links with the Castlereagh Highway
at Gilgandra, the Newell Highway at Coonabarabran, the
New England Highway and Tamworth, and the Pacific Highway
near Port Macquarie. It commemorates John Oxley who
was the first European to explore much of inland New
South Wales in 1818.
History:
The Oxley Highway runs through Walcha, connecting it with the New England Highway at Bendemeer and the coast at Port Macquarie. The Walcha and Armidale areas were first home to the Anaiwan people. John Oxley crossed the southern end of the northern tableland and camped on the Apsley River in 1818 near the present Walcha.
In 1832 Hamilton C. Semphill, a settler from Belltrees on the Hunter River, formed a station in the upper Apsley Valley and named it Wolka, appropriating an aboriginal word thought to mean 'the sun'. Others followed close on his heels, seeking new lands away from the influence of the Australian Agricultural Company, which dominated access to resources in the Hunter region, and settled around the present Armidale and Tenterfield. Soon the tablelands were occupied by the large sheep runs of these wealthy squatters.
In 1939 administration caught up with settlement and the New England pastoral district was formed. The new district's Commissioner of Crown Lands made his headquarters at Armidale and set out to define the sheep runs and find a route to the coast - as the journey to and from Maitland with wool and supplies was a journey taking months. Thus, the chequered career of the present Oxley Highway between Tamworth and Port Macquarie began, a road between Walcha and Port Macquarie constructed by convicts in the early 1840s. However, the descent to the coast was so steep that erosion soon made it impassable. By 1850 the eastern part of the New England region was already served by the present New England Highway. The expansion of pastoralism, coupled with gold discoveries during the 1850s, resulted in several transverse routes being made permanent.
The road connecting Tamworth with Port Macquarie, through Walcha, was one of those made suitable for regular vehicular traffic, but again fell out of use. (Regional Histories, 1996, pp. 72-75; Atlas of New England, 1977, pp. 153-66; Australian Encyclopaedia, 1963 Vol. 9, p. 146) The Oxley Highway was proclaimed in 1928, a circumferential link between the central and western areas of the State and New England and the North Coast. The highway generally followed the line of existing roads but many sections of the route were soon improved as a result of the proclamation of the highway. (DMR, 1976, pp. 141, 156, 165-66, 277).
This section of the Oxley Highway takes in the towns
between Yarrowitch and Port Macquarie, such as Wauchope,
Long Flat and others.
| Length (This Section): |
128 km |
| Route Numbers: |
duplexed with  |
| Information courtesy
of Wikipedia and Michael Greenslade |
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Westbound Port Macquarie CBD
Looking towards the start of the Oxley Highway,
April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Westbound at Port Macquarie
Looking west after Morton Street & Garden
Crescent, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Westbound at Widderson Street
Photo of the Widderson Street roundabout
and approach. Taken outside the TAFE college, April
2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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AD Sign
Advance Directional Sign for Lake &
Sherwood Roads. Westbound, Port Macquarie, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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AD Sign
Badly designed advance directional sign
for Wrights Road and the Port Macquarie Base Hospital.
Westbound, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Corner of Oxley Hwy & The Ruins Way
Westbound as you leave Port Macquarie, April
2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Westbound at Thrumster
Heading towards the Pacific Highway (NR1)
interchange, this image typifies the roadway between
Thrumster and the highway interchange. April 2006. |
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Tourist Sign
AD Sign for local tourist attactions as
you get closer to the Pacific Highway interchange.
April 2006 at Thrumster.
Image © Paul Rands
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Volleyball Interchange
Approaching the elevated roundabout interchange
(known as a volleyball interchange) with the Pacific
Highway at Sancrox. Off shot to the left is a service
station and McDonald's restaurant. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Signage for the southbound exit
ID sign for the ramp for Pacific Highway
traffic travelling to Taree, Newcastle, Sydney, etc.
April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Oxley Highway Exit
Roundabout exit for westbound traffic at
the NR34 / 1 interchange at Sancrox. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Tourist RD Sign
Tourist attraction based distance sign as
you head west from the Sancrox Pacific Highway interchange.
April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Rest Area Distance Sign
Sign detailing when the next rest area should
be coming up. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Typical Roadway
Standard road conditions for the highway
as it passes through Kings Creek on the way to Wauchope.
April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Crossing Kings Creek
Bridge west over Kings Creek. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Redbank Road Junction
Intersection with Redbank Road at Wauchope,
which takes you to Telegraph Point. Westbound, April
2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Welcome to Wauchope!
Welcome sign erected by council or a local
communty support group. Westbound, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Approaching north coast railway
Westbound as you near the intersection with
Randall Street and the dogleg over the railway line
at Wauchope. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Randall Street Junction
Westbound at Wauchope. Note the black ID
fingerboard pointing to the railway station. April
2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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North Coast Railway
Stopped at the level crossing with the North
Coast Railway, westbound at Wauchope. The signals
were were working at the time. They are retro-fitted
with LED lanterns. The photo was taken between one
signal going off and the other switching on. April
2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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High Street Wauchope
West along the Oxley Highway alignment through
the Wauchope CBD. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Beechwood Road AD Sign
Signage as you head west towards the Beechwood
Road intersection. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Westbound through Wauchope
Looking through the mini light industrial
area west of the Wauchope CBD, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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RD Sign
Westbound distance sign as you leave the
Wauchope town area. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Typical Scenery
Typical scenery throughout this area, west
of Wauchope's town centre. Brifen fecing (left of
shot) is quite common, replacing a lot of old 1950s
wire and wood fencing. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Signage for Rosewood Road
Sign warning of upcoming cross roads, Westbound
at Rosewood. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Windy Road
Much of the highway from here at Rosewood
to Yarrowitch is quite windy, with a few straights
every once in a while. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Westbound at Bago
Moving west through heavily forested, but
still populated areas such as this at Bago. April
2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Westbound at Bago
Moving west through heavily forested, but
still populated areas such as this at Bago. April
2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Comboyne Road AD Sign
Older style directional sign as you approach
Comboyne Road at Harty's Plains. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Distance Sign
Westbound RD sign after the Comboyne Road
junction at Harty's Plains. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Crossing Gannon's Creek
Westbound at Gannon's Creek, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Typical Roadway
Your average road conditions in the Gannon's
Creek area, April 2006, westbound.
Image © Paul Rands
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Moripo Creek Crossing
1960s bridge over Moripo Creek at Bagnoo.
Westbound April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Approaching Thone River
Signage warning for sharp bend after the
bridge over the Thone River at Bagnoo. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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More Warnings for Thone River
More signage warning of the impending bridge
and corner combination. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Steel Truss Bridge
Old steel truss bridge over the Thone River
at Bagnoo. April 2006. This style of bridge is quite
common along the north coast of NSW, many however
have been by-passed because of their narrow decks.
Image © Paul Rands
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Sharp Bend at Thone River
The sharp turn at the end of the Thone River
bridge at Bagnoo. Westbound April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Bagnoo Road Intersection
Junction with the road to Byabarra, westbound
at Bagnoo, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Westbound at Bagnoo
Looking west as you leave Bagnoo, April
2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Entering Long Flat
Westbound as you cross Stoney Creek and
the Long Flat area from Bagnoo. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Winding Road leading to town centre
Winding road that leads to the Long Flat
town centre, westbound April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Winding Road leading to town centre
Winding road that leads to the Long Flat
town centre, westbound April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Westbound at Long Flat
Looking towards town at Long Flat. April
2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Long Flat Town Centre
The hub of town - the pub! Looking west
through Long Flat, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Westbound at Long Flat
Looking west through Long Flat at the Henry
Street intersection. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Wire Fencing
Old 1950s wood and wire fencing as you head
out of Long Flat. Westbound, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Entering Ellenborough
Westbound, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Wallis Road, Main Street & Oxley Highway Intersection
Westbound through the town of Ellenborough,
April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Ellenborough River
1960s or 70s style bridge over the Ellenborough
River. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Double Gully
Passing through Double Gully at Ellenborough,
April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Old bridge over Rushers Creek
Westbound as you approach the old 1950s
bridge over Rushers Creek, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Westbound at Yarras
Looking through farmland, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Forbes River Road Intersection
Westbound at the junction with Forbes River
Road (goes to the town of Birdwood and also a national
park), at Yarras. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Westbound at Yarras
Moving west as you start to hit windy roadway
again at Yarras. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Ralfes Creek
Crossing over Ralfes Creek, which has an older style
steel bridge. Westbound at Mount Seaview. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Falling Rocks - Do Not Stop!
A great sign from the RTA... Westbound at
Mt Seaview. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Cruising through Coombers Gap
Westbound at Mount Seaview. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Cruising through Coombers Gap
Westbound at Mount Seaview. April 2006.
Note the topography of the hill.
Image © Paul Rands
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Tourist Signage
AD Sign for a resort, westbound at Mt Seaview.
April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Old Kangaroos Warning Sign
Old style kangaroo warning sign, which used
to incorporate how much of the road was likely to
be affected on the same panel. April 2006 at Mt Seaview.
Image © Paul Rands
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Poor surface quality
Notice the rough road as it clings to the
side of the hill. Westbound at Mt Seaview. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Poor surface quality
Notice the rough road as it clings to the
side of the hill. Westbound at Mt Seaview. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Typical road conditions
Old style fencing a slow corners are a feature
of the highway as it passes through the Mt Seaview
area. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Typical road conditions
Old style fencing a slow corners are a feature
of the highway as it passes through the Mt Seaview
area. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Typical road conditions
Slow corners are a feature of the highway
as it passes through the Mt Seaview area. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Warning Banner
RTA banner warning about motorcycles. They
are a frequent occurence along this road due to the
winding nature of it as it snakes through the hills.
Westbound at Mt Seaview, April 2006. |
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Typical road conditions
Slow corners are a feature of the highway
as it passes through the Mt Seaview area. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Typical road conditions
Slow corners are a feature of the highway
as it passes through the Mt Seaview area. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Entering Doyles River
Westbound through heavy forest at Doyles
River, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Rest Area Signage
Sign advising of the next 2 rest areas along
the route. April 2006 at Doyles River.
Image © Paul Rands
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Westbound at Doyles River
Winding through the forest at Doyles River.
April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Stockyard Creek
Westbound as you approach Stockyard Creek
and also rest area. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Winding
Section of Oxley Highway
Looking Eastbound
this was taken at the Stockyard Creek Rest Area, this
commences some of the most windiest sections of the
highway.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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DMR
Hand Painted Rest Area Sign
This DMR Hand Painted
Rest Area Sign was found at the Stockyard Creek Rest
Area. Probably original, dating back to the 1960s.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Gingers Creek
Crossing Gingers Creek in the Doyles River
area. April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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