Old South Head Road

New South Wales
Macquarie Lighthouse, Australia's first lighthouse, Vaucluse
Old South Head Road is located in Sydney
South end
South end
North end
North end
Coordinates
General information
TypeRoad
Length6.8 km (4.2 mi)[1]
GazettedJuly 1933[2]
Major junctions
South endOxford Street
Bondi Junction, Sydney
 
North endRobertson Place
Watsons Bay, Sydney
Location(s)
Major suburbsBondi Beach, Rose Bay, Vaucluse

Old South Head Road is a major road in Sydney, linking the eastern suburb of Bondi Junction to Watsons Bay on the South Head peninsula. It is historically significant because its earliest origins can be traced back to the early days of the colony of New South Wales.

Route

Old South Head Road commences at the intersection with Oxford Street, Syd Einfeld Drive and Bondi Road in Bondi Junction and heads in a north-easterly direction as a four-lane, single carriageway road, passing through the suburbs of Bondi, Bondi Beach, North Bondi and Rose Bay. It meets New South Head Road at a roundabout in Vaucluse, continuing north until it eventually terminates at a roundabout with Robertson Place in Watsons Bay.

Old South Head Road passes through predominantly residential areas, with sizeable shopping centres around the intersections with Towns Road and Dover Road. Housing varies from detached homes to blocks of flats and units. The style of housing includes Federation homes, Victorian homes and Art Deco blocks of flats towards Bondi Junction.

History

The colony at Sydney began on 21 January 1788, when the First Fleet arrived in Sydney Harbour and Captain Arthur Phillip went ashore at what is now known as Camp Cove. The settlement itself was set up in Sydney Cove, at the spot now known as Circular Quay. One of the reasons for the choice of that location was the desire to be safely out of range of hostile artillery. The colony needed to keep watch on the seas for potentially hostile ships or the Second Fleet, which meant that South Head became important as an observation post. The outer edge of South Head became a signal station from which ships could be seen; their approach could then be signalled with flags. The ships could then be met by pilots who were camped at Camp Cove (so named for that reason).[3]

A proper signal station was established in 1790; it was supplied by boat until a bridle trail was created along the ridge to South Head. Construction of a road followed and it was completed in 1811. A lighthouse was built just south of the signal station in 1816-18, to a design by Francis Greenway, the first notable architect in the colony. A semaphore system replaced flags at the signal station in the 1840s and the present building was constructed to a design by Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis. It has been in continuous use since then and is now heritage-listed.[4] In 1858, the first telegraph line in New South Wales was used to connect the signal station with the Royal Exchange in Bridge Street.

The passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924[5] through the Parliament of New South Wales provided for the declaration of Main Roads, roads partially funded by the State government through the Main Roads Board (later the Department of Main Roads, and eventually Transport for NSW). With the subsequent passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[6] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, the Department of Main Roads (having succeeded the MRB in 1932) declared Main Road 339 from the intersection with Oxford Street in Bondi Junction to the intersection with Robertson Place in Watsons Bay on 18 July 1933.[2]

The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[7] updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, Old South Head Road retains its declaration as Main Road 339.[8]

Points of interest

(RNE) indicates that the structure or site is listed on the Register of the National Estate.[9]

  • St Peter's Anglican Church, Watsons bay, designed by Edmund Blacket and built in 1864 (RNE)
  • Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Watsons Bay, built 1909-1910, with later additions in 1929, 1940 and 1966 (RNE)
  • Scout hall, Watsons Bay, formerly a school, designed by George Mansfield and built in 1876 (RNE)
  • A former school residence, next to the scout hall, designed by George Mansfield and built by George Murray circa 1876 (RNE)
  • Sandstone obelisk, Robertson Park (not situated in Old South Head Road), commemorating building of Old South Head Road in 1811 (RNE)
  • Signal Station, still functional and run by Transport for NSW (RNE)
Signal Hill Battery
  • Signal Hill Battery is situated between Gap Park and Signal Station. The site includes two gun emplacements that are connected to underground bunker complexes.
  • Macquarie Lighthouse: the present lighthouse is a replica of Greenway's original building, which was demolished because it was in bad repair. The current building was built in 1883 to a design by James Barnet. The group also includes the keeper's cottage and an earlier cottage by Greenway (RNE)
  • Gap Park is situated between Old South Head Road and the cliff, and leads to the Gap, a notorious suicide spot
  • Coastal Cliff Walk is a walking trail that goes from Clarke Street to South head.
  • Christison Park is situated south of Macquarie Lighthouse
  • South Head Cemetery. Situated at the juncture of Old South Head Road and New South Head Road, this cemetery was established in 1845 to service the growing Vaucluse area. Poor record keeping means the earliest recorded interment was in 1869. Some of the first Trustees of the cemetery in 1845 were Henry Gibson (Pilot of Watsons Bay), Richard Siddins, Rev L. E. Threlkeld. Well-known inhabitants include Sir John Robertson, the Packer family, the Fairfax family, Juanita Nielsen and Sir Walter Edward Davidson.
  • Former Methodist Church, built 1924, currently houses Magnolia Healing Centre. It is located at the corner of Old South Head Road and Dover Road, Rose Bay, and is supported by Bondi Beach Chapel by the Sea and Rose Bay/Vaucluse Uniting Church.
  • Royal Sydney Golf Course is situated between Old South Head Road and New South Head Road, Rose Bay.
  • Architecture: examples of Art Deco blocks of flats, single-storey Federation homes and Victorian-style cottages can be seen between Victoria Road and Bondi Road.
  • A two-storey Victorian terrace home near Bondi Road now houses the Mahasiddha Kadampa Buddhist Centre, which holds meditation courses and drop-in classes.

Major intersections

LGALocationkm[1]miDestinationsNotes
Woollahra–Waverley boundaryBondi Junction–Woollahra boundary0.00.0Oxford Street (southwest) – Bondi Junction, PaddingtonSouthern terminus of road
Syd Einfeld Drive (west) – Woollahra, Paddington
Bondi Road (southeast) – Bondi
Bondi Junction–Bellevue Hill boundary0.50.31Victoria Street – Double Bay
Bellevue Hill–Rose Bay–Bondi Beach–North Bondi quadripoint1.60.99O'Sullivan Road (west) – Rose Bay
Curlewis Street (east) – Bondi Beach
Vaucluse4.42.7Military Road – Dover Heights
5.13.2New South Head Road – Kings Cross, Double Bay, Rose BayRoundabout
WoollahraWatsons Bay6.84.2Robertson Place – Watsons BayNorthern terminus of road at roundabout
  •       Route transition


See also

icon Australian Roads portal

References

  1. 1 2 Google (22 June 2023). "Old South Head Road" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Main Roads Act, 1924-1931". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 119. National Library of Australia. 4 August 1933. p. 2883. Archived from the original on 22 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  3. ↑ Walks in the Sydney Harbour National Park, Neil Paton (Kangaroo Press) 1987, p.58
  4. ↑ The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Publishers, 1982, p.2/137
  5. ↑ State of New South Wales, An Act to provide for the better construction, maintenance, and financing of main roads; to provide for developmental roads; to constitute a Main Roads Board Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
  6. ↑ State of New South Wales, An Act to amend the Main Roads Act, 1924-1927; to confer certain further powers upon the Main Roads Board; to amend the Local Government Act, 1919, and certain other Acts; to validate certain payments and other matters; and for purposes connected therewith. Archived 12 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 8 April 1929
  7. ↑ State of New South Wales, An Act to make provision with respect to the roads of New South Wales; to repeal the State Roads Act 1986, the Crown and Other Roads Act 1990 and certain other enactments; and for other purposes. Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
  8. ↑ Transport for NSW (August 2022). "Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  9. ↑ The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Publishers, 1981, pp. 2/136-138

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