ROAD TRANSPORT IN WESTERN SYDNEY

Chronology

1789-1791 The first road to be built in the new colony was a 25 kilometre track cut through thick bush between Sydney Town and Parramatta.
1789 Captain Tench discovered the Nepean River.
1794

Hawkesbury Road built by order of Lieutenant Governor Grose. The road was surveyed by Charles Grimes and constructed by convicts

In the same year a second major road was built linking Parramatta with the junction of South Creek and the Hawkesbury River. Also, another road linking Toongabbie to Hawkesbury was constructed.
1789-1791 The first road to be built in the new colony was a 25 kilometre track cut through thick bush between Sydney Town and Parramatta.
1789 Captain Tench discovered the Nepean River.
1794 Hawkesbury Road built by order of Lieutenant Governor Grose. The road was surveyed by Charles Grimes and constructed by convicts

In the same year a second major road was built linking Parramatta with the junction of South Creek and the Hawkesbury River. Also, another road linking Toongabbie to Hawkesbury was constructed.

1797 Sydney to Parramatta Road upgraded and widened to 6 metres. Bridge over Duck Creek completed.
1802 Road established from Parramatta to Baulkham and Castle Hills.
1805 William Roberts provides a large covered wagon to carry produce and passengers to Sydney from Hawkesbury.
1805 New Windsor Road built as an extension of the road from Baulkham Hills to Windsor. The Hawkesbury Road then became known as 'Old Windsor Road.'
1810 James Harper of Parramatta signed contract to build a public turnpike road from Cheer's Corner in Town of Sydney to toll bridge at Hawkesbury.

Toll gates erected at Windsor, Rouse Hill and Parramatta.

1813 Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth explored and blazed a trail across the Blue Mountains. As a result, Governor Macquarie consulted and commissioned William Cox to build a carriage road from Emu Plains to Bathurst region. The road was to be at least 12 feet wide including any bridges that needed to be built.
1814 Hume Highway opened up between Parramatta and Liverpool. The present Hume Highway follows the southern portion of this road.
1814 Mr Highland established a weekly conveyance of luggage, letters and passengers (in the Hills District). The trip took 24 hours with an overnight stop at Kelly's Half Way House at Kellyville.
1814-1815 Great Western Road built by convict labour linking the Nepean to Bathurst. Constructed in 6 months, the road was considered a great engineering feat at that time. Today, The Great Western Highway still follows, for most part, the route of the early road builders.
1815 Road through Campbelltown to Appin maintained by convict road gangs.
1817 Old Northern Road built.
1818 A stage coach commenced operations on the Sydney to Parramatta route.
c 1820's Road from Liverpool to Campbelltown was very hilly and badly designed. Only alternative was the Southern Road and further west was the old Cowpasture Road.
1820 Howe marked out present Putty Road.
1822 Route discovered through Appin to Illawarra District and a road was built using convict road gangs.
1823 Archibald Bell discovered a route from Richmond, through Kurrajong to Bell. A track was cleared through the difficult Kurrajong ridge and descent from Mt. Tomah. This has always been known as 'Bell's Line of Road.'
1824 First stage coach service to Bathurst from Sydney taking four (4) days.
1824 From Campbelltown, Hume and Hovell explored and confirmed a route south to Bass Strait.
1826 Campbelltown became gateway to South Coast and Southern Districts with the clearing of the Menangle ford road. This road was very popular with residents of Campbelltown and districts, despite the Surveyor-General's preference for a route further east.
1826 Great North Road built by Major Mitchell linking Windsor to Hunter Valley.
Today the road is still in reasonable condition and parts of it are currently under historic preservation.
1828 Introduction of Colonial Postal Service.
1830 Road built from Mt Victoria to Hartley. Nearly 400 convicts worked on this project.
1832 Governor Burke approved the route through Campbelltown and the Menangle Road for the Great South Road.
1833 Major Mitchell employed David Lennox to design and build the Lennox Bridge. This bridge was used extensively for mountain traffic.
1834 Mitchell's Pass discovered and cleared.
1836 Lennox Bridge constructed in Church Street over Parramatta River.
1856 First bridge built over Nepean River.
1857 Same bridge swept away in heavy storms.
1860 A new bridge was re-erected but again swept away by the flood waters of the Nepean River.
1860 Ferry services across the Nepean River resumed and remained until 1867.
c 1860's Department of Public Works and Commissioner for Main Roads established.
1865 Lapstone viaduct designed and built under direction of John Whitton.
1867 The most severe floods in living memory at that time destroys many bridges and carried away Nepean ferry.
1883-1893 Three horse-coach used for mail delivery in Parramatta and Hills District.

Ned Black established his coachline running twice daily (Sunday excepted) between Parramatta Station and Castle Hill Heights. Fares: 6 Pence.
1907 Responsibility of road functions passed on to local shires.
1907 Victoria railway bridge over Nepean River opened to transport.
1909 First Motel 'T' Ford came to Australia and 1,400 vehicles were sold in the first year.
1913 Lapstone viaduct disused.
1914-1918 Petrol bus gradually replaced horse transport.
1916 Cumberland Argus reports twelve small buses operating in region.
1920 Berghofer Pass constructed at Mt Victoria.
1920's Zig-zag road built between Emu Ford and the Pigram Inn at Blaxland.
1924-1926 The Department of Main Roads increased road widths from 16 to 18 feet. They are now responsible for all maintenance and building of roads.
1931 Six hundred and twelve buses now operating in Hills District.
1945 A road bridge built across the Hawkesbury River on the Sydney-Newcastle route.
1945 Department of Main Roads released its County of Cumberland Main Roads Development plan. The program outlined the upgrading and continuation of existing roads and the initial phases of new style expressways for long distance through traffic.
1959 Special car parking committees set up by Local Councils to investigate parking needs.
c 1970's Western Freeway (F-4) built starting at Prospect to Regentville Bridge at Nepean River.
1971 New bridge over Nepean River opened at Regentville.
1980's F-4 built in sections linking all major Western areas.
1984 F-5 Freeway from Hume Highway , Casula to Moorebank.
New four-lane bridge over Georges River continues the F-5 over main Southern railway line.
1985 Submission to the New South Wales Minister for Roads on road planning and funding issues in Western Sydney.

Prepared by Western Sydney Region of Councils.

Completion of the Parramatta by-pass, F-4 Freeway to Parramatta, County Road 2071 from Liverpool to Westmead and the continuing of accelerated programme of works on the Great Western Highway through the Blue Mountains.

1990's F-6 Southern Freeway linking Sydney and Wollongong and then proceed south to Kiama.

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