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Oxley Highway (National Route 34) - Tamworth to Bendemeer - Former Alignment - Bendemeer (Decommissioned)

Statistics:

• Length: 654 km (Tamworth to Bendemeer: 40 km)
• Eastern Terminus: Hindman Street and Gordon Street at Port Macquarie
• Western Terminus: Mitchell Highway (NR32) and Nevertire-Bogan Road at Nevertire
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along The Route: Bendemeer, Moonbi, Kootingal, Nemingha, Tamworth and West Tamworth

Route Numbering:

• Current: None
• Former:
• Road Authority Internal Classification: None

General Information:

National Route 34 is a rural highway that connects the coast with western New South Wales. It features several important towns along the route, and also crosses the Great Dividing Range.

The route is mostly single carriageway and undivided, except around Port Macquarie, Moonbi and Tamworth. At its eastern end, the route is quite windy because of the difficult terrain created by the Great Dividing Range, beyond Moonbi, the route generally passes through fairly flat terrain, except in the Coonabarabran area.

The Oxley Highway is named after explorer John Oxley, who was the first European to explore much of inland New South Wales in 1818. He crossed the southern end of the northern tableland and camped on the Apsley River in 1818 near the present Walcha.

History:

• 1868: A road between Tamworth and Gunnedah via Carroll surveyed and proclaimed a parish road. 1
• 1928: The Oxley Highway was proclaimed. 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. 2
• 1985: Bendemeer bypassed.
• 2001: Realignment of the highway at Bendemeer.

Background:

Bendemeer was bypassed back in 1985. Since then, a realignment occured in 2001 around the Rose Valley Creek area.

This part of the highway is littered with old alignments converted to local roads, etc, but doesn't really offer too many relics.

Northbound			Southbound
Preview:	Description:		Preview:	Description:
	Jalna Road Bendemeer: This is an old segment of the highway at Bendemeer. It seems this area has seen many alignments of the highway as there are plenty of remnants of old road. This is now a local road. Photo taken October 2004. You can see after the hazard sign where a small bridge once was and also where the pavement used to go beyond the watercourse. Image © Paul Rands			Caroline Street Bendemeer: Former alignment of New England Highway, looking south in the township of Bendemeer. September 2005. Image © Paul Rands
	Caroline Street Bendemeer: Once this road was the highway, it's the main street of Bendemeer. Much of what was once part of the town (ie. shops, etc.) have closed. October 2005. Image © Paul Rands
	Bendemeer Bridge Plaque: The commemorative plaque next to the Bendemeer Bridge, which explains the history of the bridge and bypassing of the town. April 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Bendemeer Bridge: This bridge over the McDonald River once carried semi trailers and all the traffic between Tamworth and Armidale. Since replaced by a floodway. October 2004. Image © Paul Rands
	Bendemeer Bridge Deck: Timber and bitumen deck of the Bendemeer Bridge over the McDonald River. October 2004. Image © Paul Rands
	Bendemeer Bridge: Full view of the Bendemeer Bridge, October 2004. Image © Paul Rands
	Old Highway Alignment: Eastbound view of the old Oxley Hwy (NR34) alignment at Bendemeer, February 2004. Image © Paul Rands

1 Department of Main Roads, Historical Roads of New South Wales, Oxley Highway, Extract from March 1953 issue of "Main Roads" journal.
2 Department of Main Roads, The Roadmakers, A History of Main Roads in New South Wales, ISBN 0 7240 0439 4

Last updated: 17-Dec-2019 0:55

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