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Photo Gallery
New South Wales Road Photo Gallery:
National Route 48: Illawarra Highway (Albion Park Rail to Robertson)
Illawarra Highway connects Wollongong to the New South Wales Southern Highlands. It links Princes Highway and Hume Highway and signed as National Route 48.
It is named after the geographical area it crosses, the Illawarra region and Illawarra Escarpment. Typical scenery is bushland and farmland, dotted with towns. The route incorporates the spectacular Macquarie Pass (opened in 1898), the pass has one of the southernmost stands of Australia's sub tropical rainforest. The route's name was intronduced in the early 1960s and was given the NR48 sheild in 1974.
The main towns along the route include Robertson and Moss Vale. Eastern terminus is the roundabout at the junction with the Princes Highway, outside the airport at Albion Park Rail and the western terminus is Hoddle's Crossroads: the interchange built in 1987 with the Hume Highway and Canyonleigh Road at Sutton Forest.
History:
The Illawarra Highway was originally part of the main South Coast Road from Wollongong to Jamberoo. It branches off the Princes Highway near Albion Park and links the Illawarra to the Southern Highlands via the Macquarie Pass. The latter was originally an Aboriginal track, cleared in 1863 but not properly constructed until 1898. As well as providing a commercially useful link between these areas, the scenic beauty of the route, particularly along the Macquarie Pass, attracted tourists, a growing industry in the late nineteenth century; and trips from Albion Park to Macquarie Falls were a popular local attraction. From the late 1870s coal seams were discovered in the Escarpment at Tongarra in what is now the Macquarie Pass National Park and mining began in 1893.
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Eastern Terminus
Heading south on the Princes Hwy (NR1) at the eastern terminus of the Illawarra Highway at Albion Park Rail, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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ID Sign
Intersection directional sign on the roundabout on the corner of the Princes Hwy and Illawarra Hwy, Albion Park Rail, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Distance Sign
The first RD from the eastern terminus, Albion Park Rail, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Typical Conditions, Albion Park Rail
Crossing the floodplain between Albion Park Rail and Albion Park, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Entering Albion Park
Terry Street near Taylor Road, southbound, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Advance Directional Sign
Southbound on Terry Street at Albion Park approaching the junction with Tongarra Road, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Corner of Tongarra Road and Terry Street
Southbound at Albion Park. Left is Tongarra Road, straight through is Terry Street (to Jamberoo) and right the Illawarra Highway to the Southern Highlands, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Eastbound at Albion Park
Terry Street and Tongarra Road junction at Albion Park, May 2007.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Eastbound at Albion Park
AD sign approaching Terry Street and Tongarra Road at Albion Park, May 2007. Note the incorrect colouring of the route shield.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Westbound at Albion Park
Tongarra Road / Illawarra Highway, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Distance Sign
Westbound between Hamilton & Calderwood Roads, Albion Park, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Approaching Noble Road
Near the new housing estate as you head west at Albion Park, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Typical Scenery
The Illawarra Escarpment sets the scene as you head west at Albion Park, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Westbound at Tullimbar
Approaching Tullimbar Lane, not far from the Bed and Breakfast, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Typical Scenery
The Illawarra Escarpment sets the scene as you head west at Tullimbar, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Typical Scenery
Heading west at Tullimbar, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Macquarie Rivulet
Westbound at Tullimbar, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Macquarie Pass
Westbound at the official start of Macquarie Pass, Tullimbar, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Macquarie Pass
Heading up Mount Murray in the Macquarie National Park, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Overtaking Lane Ahead Sign
Signage for the one and only overtaking lane available on Macquarie Pass, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Macquarie Pass
Heading west at Mount Murray in the Macquarie National Park, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Clover Hill Road Approach
Heading northwest at Mt Murray. Note the red backgorund on the sign used to highlight a hidden side road, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Macquarie Pass
Heading west at Mount Murray in the Macquarie National Park, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Macquarie Pass
Heading west at Mount Murray in the Macquarie National Park, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Mount Murray
One of the many hand cut cuttings in the Mount Murray area, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Overtaking Lane Ahead Sign
Remember that overtaking lane sign a while ago? Well here comes the additional lane! April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Overtaking Lane Area
Westbound around the area with the only overtaking lane on Macquarie Pass, Mount Murray, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Reversing Trucks!
Sign at Mt Murray warning of reversing trucks. Due to the tightness of the corners and narrowness of some sections of the highway, trucks / semi-trailers have to reverse then go forward again to make it around the curves, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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15 km/h hairpin bend
Very low speed advisory for this hairpin at Mt Murray, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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15 km/h hairpin bend
Very low speed advisory for this hairpin at Mt Murray, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Macquarie Pass Sign
Western end of Macquarie Pass at Mt Murray, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Mt Murray Road
Approaching Mount Murray Road, westbound, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Typical Scenery
Westbound at Mount Murray, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Tourist Road Junction
Westbound at the Tourist Road intersection, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Approaching Railway Bridge
Approaching the railway to the Southern Highlands at St Anthony's, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Tourist Distance Sign
Welcome to Capital Country - a tourism sign mentioning major destinations in the area, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Crossing Macquarie Rivulet
Southbound at Robertson, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Advance Directional Sign
Southbound approaching the intersection with Jamberoo Mountain Road (SR80) at Robertson, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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ID Sign
Intersection directional sign at the junction with Jamberoo Mountain Road at Robertson, April 2006. This is also the start of the duplex.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Distance Sign
Westbound RD sign at Robertson, April 2006. Note the missing sheild.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Welcome to Robertson
Council installed welcome sign as you head west at Robertson, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Entering Robertson
Westbound in the picturesque town of Robertson, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Approaching Meryla Street
Westbound in the Robertson CBD, April 2006. Note the lack of sheild.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Approaching Caalong Street
Westbound on the main street of Robertson, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Distance Sign
Westbound RD sign located after the Caarlong Street intersection in Robertson, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Pearsons Lane
Westbound at Robertson, approaching Pearsons Lane, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Distance Sign
Westbound RD sign after the Pearsons Lane intersection, April 2006.
Image © Paul Rands |
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