Road Photos & Information: Queensland: Lindsay Street, Bridge Street, New England Highway, Murphys Creek Road, Postmans Ridge Road, Warrego Highway, Gatton-Helidon Road, Western Drive, Railway Street, Eastern Drive, Gatton-Laidley Road, Rosewood-Laidley Road, Karrabin-Rosewood Road, Dixon Street, J. Hansons Road, Toongarra Road, Old Toowoomba Road, Brisbane Street, Limestone Street, Burnett Street, East Street, Pine Street, The Terrace, Downs Street, Delacy Street, Tantivy Road & Mt Crosby Road (Cobb & Co Tourist Drive)

Road Photos & Information: Queensland

Lindsay Street, Bridge Street, New England Highway, Murphys Creek Road, Postmans Ridge Road, Warrego Highway, Gatton-Helidon Road, Western Drive, Railway Street, Eastern Drive, Gatton-Laidley Road, Rosewood-Laidley Road, Karrabin-Rosewood Road, Dixon Street, J. Hansons Road, Toongarra Road, Old Toowoomba Road, Brisbane Street, Limestone Street, Burnett Street, East Street, Pine Street, The Terrace, Downs Street, Delacy Street, Tantivy Road & Mt Crosby Road (Cobb & Co Tourist Drive)

Statistics:

Length: 122 km
Eastern Terminus: Warrego Hwy (A2) and Mt Crosby Rd (SR38) at North Tivoli
Western Terminus: Cobb & Co Museum, Lindsay St Toowoomba
Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along The Route: Toowoomba, North Toowoomba, Harlaxton, Blue Mountain Heights, Ballard, Spring Bluff, Murphys Creek, Upper Lockyer, Postmans Ridge, Helidon Spa, Helidon, Grantham, Gatton, Forest Hill, Laidley, Grandchester, Calvert, Rosewood, Thagoona, Walloon, Leichhardt, West Ipswich, Ipswich, North Ipswich, Tivoli and North Tivoli

Route Numbering:

Current:
Former:

Multiplexes: A2 A3
Road Authority Internal Classification: 18A (Helidon Spa to Helidon), 22A (Toowoomba to Blue Mountain Heights), 302 (North Ipswich to Tivoli), 308 (Laidley to Rosewood, 312 (Gatton to Laidley), 314 (Helidon to Gatton), 3002 (Rosewood to Wulkaraka), 3042 (Tivoli to North Tivoli) and 4104 (Postmans Ridge to Blue Mountain Heights) 1 2

General Information:

The Cobb and Co Tourist Drive forms one of the original routes between Ipswich and Toowoomba. It passes through several small towns, and consists almost two-lane undivided rural road, suburban arterial road and divided highway standards.

The route, in part, traces the steps of the famous Cobb and Co coaches, which were awarded the first ever mail route in Queensland.

The first Cobb & Co mail service in Queensland operated from Brisbane to Ipswich. Passengers and mail heading further west were taken from Ipswich to Grandchester by train and then by another Cobb & Co coach for the rest of the journey to Toowoomba.

After the railway line from Brisbane to the Darling Downs was completed in 1875, Cobb & Co operated from the western railheads, carrying passengers and mail to many outback towns and settlements.

Up to 40 horses and 6 staff were needed for an average day’s journey of about 80 kilometres. Teams of horses were changed at depots spaced every 25 to 40 kilometres along the routes. At its peak Cobb & Co owned thousands of horses and numerous coaches, workshops, offices and stables and employed hundreds of drivers, grooms, coach builders and office staff.

Cobb & Co completed its last coach run on August 14 1924, from Surat to Yuleba in south-west Queensland. The company was wound up in 1929.

Multiplexes along the route include:

A2 (Warrego Highway) for 3 km, between Helidon Spa and Helidon
A3 (New England Highway) for 6 km, between Toowoomba and Blue Mountain Heights
State Route 38 (East Street, Pine Street, The Terrace, Downs Street, Delacy Street, Tantivy Road and Mt Crosby Road)
State Route 62 (Toongarra Road, Old Toowoomba Road, Brisbane Street, Limestone Street and Burnett Street) for
State Route 80 (Gatton-Helidon Road & Western Drive), for 8 km between Grantham and Gatton
Tourist Drive 1 (Lindsay Street) for 500 m at Toowoomba

History:

1 January 1866: The Cobb and Co mail route between Brisbane to Ipswich and then Grandchester to Toowoomba commenced. 3
22 May 1947: Rosewood Laidley Road was proclaimed a "Secondary Road" under the Main Roads Acts 1920-1943 on 22 May 1947, and the powers originally vested in the Little Liverpool Main Road Board were assumed by the Commissioner for Main Roads. 4
1965: David Trumpy Bridge across the Bremer River was opened, and the 1865 road bridge was demolished, leaving only its abutments. 5
1980s: Construction of the Southern Ipswich Bypass, with Cunningham Hwy eventually redirected along new bypass upon completion. 3 As a result, NR15 shifted to new route and the old one renumbered to BUS-NR15. 6
1985: Construction begins on Gatton Bypass. 7
1989: Gatton Bypass (current Warrego Hwy alignment) opens to traffic as a single carriageway route. 7
May 2010: New traffic lights were turned on at the intersection of Toongarra Road and Aspinall Street in Leichhardt. 8

Route Map

North Tivoli to Toowoomba		Toowoomba to North Tivoli
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Trailblazer: Trailblazer on Limetsone St Ipswich, as the route becomes Burnett St, March 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign facing the Warrego Hwy (A2) off ramp in Helidon at the Turner St junction, April 2011. The Cobb & Co Tourist Drive turns right at this junction. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Ipswich approaching Burnett St (unnumbered) and Brisbane St (SR62), March 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at the Warrego Hwy (A2) off ramp in Helidon, April 2011. Image © Rob Tilley
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign with incorrect NR shield at the corner of Burnett St and Brisbane St (SR62) in Ipswich, March 2013. The Cobb & Co Tourist Drive turns left at this junction. Image © Paul Rands		Distance Sign: RD sign as Cobb & Co Tourist Drive leaves Helidon, April 2011. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Brisbane St at West Ipswich, approaching Hooper St, Moffatt St and Lobb St, March 2013. Cobb & Co Tourist Drive continues straight and becomes Old Toowoomba Rd. Image © Paul Rands		Entering Grantham: Cobb & Co Tourist Drive as it enters the small town of Grantham, April 2011. Image © Rob Tilley
	Lobb Street : Old Toowoomba Rd at the ramp to Lobb St at West Ipswich, March 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: AD sign at the junction with Gatton-Clifton Rd (SR80) at Grantham, April 2011. The SR80 duplex begins at this junction. Image © Rob Tilley
	Bremer River : Crossing Bremer River via One Mile Birdge at West Ipswich, March 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Cobb & Co Tourist Drive (Western Drive) approaching Spencer and Railway Streets in Gatton, April 2011. Image © Rob Tilley
	Trailblazer: Cobb & Co Tourist Drive trailblazer on Old Toowoomba Rd, Leichhardt, March 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on Cobb & Co Tourist Drive (Western Drive) at the junction with Spencer and Railway Streets in Gatton, April 2011. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign : AD sign on approaching Shine St, the unnumbered section of Old Toowoomba Rd and Toongarra Rd (SR62) at Leichhardt, March 2013. The Cobb & Co Tourist Drive follows SR62 at this junction. Image © Paul Rands		Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign on Cobb & Co Tourist Drive (Eastern Drive) at Gatton approaching Gatton-Laidley Road, April 2011. The Cobb & Co Tourist Drive turns right at this junction. Image © Rob Tilley
	Old Toowoomba Road & Shine Street : ID sign on the roundabout with Old Toowoomba Rd and Shine St, Leichhardt, March 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Cobb & Co Tourist Drive (Eastern Drive) at Gatton approaching Gatton-Laidley Road, April 2011. The Cobb & Co Tourist Drive turns right at this junction. Image © Rob Tilley
	Old Toowoomba Road & Shine Street : ID sign on the roundabout with Old Toowoomba Rd and Shine St, Leichhardt, March 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on Cobb & Co Tourist Drive (Eastern Drive) at Gatton at the junction with Gatton-Laidley Road, April 2011. The Cobb & Co Tourist Drive turns right at this junction. Image © Rob Tilley
	Reassurance Directional Sign : Distance sign at Leichhardt, March 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Laidley, June 2009. Image © Michael Greenslade
	Reassurance Sign : Reassurance sign on Toongarra Rd at Leichhardt, March 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on John St at Rosewood, approaching Rosewood-Laidley Rd & Karrabin-Rosewood Rd, June 2009. Image © Michael Greenslade
	Intersection Directional Sign : ID sign at the corner of Karrabin-Rosewood Rd and Sherman Rd at Karrabin, March 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Sign : Reassurance sign on Karrabin-Rosewood Rd approaching Wulkuraka Connection Rd at Karrabin, March 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering Walloon : Karrabin-Roswood Rd as it enters the town of Walloon, March 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign : AD sign at Walloon, approaching Haigslea-Amberley Rd (SR93), March 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign : ID sign on the roundabout with Haigslea-Amberley Rd (SR93) in Walloon, March 2013. Image © Paul Rands

1 Transport and Main Roads, Queensland state-controlled roads and region maps, Metropolitan Region: east
2 Transport and Main Roads, Queensland state-controlled roads and region maps, Metropolitan Region: west
3 Lockyer Valley Council Cobb & Co Tourist Drive Brochure
4 Queensland State Archives, Little Liverpool Main Road Board
5 Queensland Government, Environment & Resource Management, Queensland Heritage Register, Heiner Road Railway Overpass
6 University of Southern Queensland, Library, The construction of the southern Ipswich bypass from Saunders Street to Deebing Creek thesis by Elton John Walker
7 Lachlan Sims
8 Ipswich City Council, Media Releases, Traffic lights to make it safer at Leichhardt intersection, 21 May 2010

Last updated: 29-Mar-2019 21:24

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