Have those roadworks been going THAT long.....

rockylizard · Guru

Have those roadworks been going THAT long.....

Meredith · Senior Member

The Hume was fully sealed by 1940 so either this photo is from earlier or it was a section of roadworks.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Well picked Meredith

This is a History of the Hume - http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/projects/south-western/hume-highway/history-begins-with-a-road.pdf

This is from that history - During the Depression years from the late 1920s several projects on the Hume Highway were funded by the Unemployment Relief Works Program, which funded a wide range of capital works aimed at providing work for the unemployed. Examples on the Hume Highway include the Governors Hill Deviation at north Goulburn, the Tumblong-Tarcutta deviation and the Razorback deviation. As a result of these projects, the Hume Highway had by 1940 been sealed over its full length in NSW, and similarly through Victoria to Melbourne.

And this picture appears again ... and also stating 1951 ... so I guess it must have been roadworks ..... they sure have been going at it for a VERY long time.

Hume 02.JPG

Cheers - John

vanman · Senior Member

The photo even pictures an old caravan behind the also old Rover.

Chris

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

In July 1956 after very heavy rain, the road surface broke down completely resulting in a complete closure of the road with many trucks bogged to the axles.

http://www.fairfaxsyndication.com/archive/Trucks-and-drivers-sit-stranded-2F3XC5N7JH7Q.htm

I can remember driving back and forth to Melbourne in the sixties when there were quite a number of single lane bridges the most memorable bridge was the one at Gundagai across the Murrumbidgee.

http://www.visitgundagai.com.au/2011/historic-bridges/

https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-gundagai-historic-bridges-landscape-dominated-four-spanning-murrumbidgee-flats-prince-alfred-bridge-image51261996

Cheers

David

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Wow! Great pics there everyone. I can remember when the highway went through all the little towns before the now freeway. The freeway does make for a quick trip though and can never understand the major accidents along it's length.

Keep Safe on the roads and out there.

Craig1 · Guru

The first time I dove into Sydney from Albury in 1970, the concrete road was in about 6 foot bits,maybe Picton ? area. talk about clunk rattle rock and roll. the gaps were 2" wide at least.(maybe 6ft deep) We did see Jose Feliciano live at a Sydney Venue and that made up for it though.

Dickodownunder · Guru

Hi Rocky,
Great link and fantastic history.

From the same link the same photo appears with an entirely different title with rgards to the date of the picture.

Here it is...

Delta18 · Guru

Dickodownunder wrote:
Hi Rocky,
Great link and fantastic history.

From the same link the same photo appears with an entirely different title with rgards to the date of the picture.

Here it is...

I doubt the accuracy of that title. The Austin A40 only came out in 1948 I believe.

Dickodownunder · Guru

Delta18 wrote:
Dickodownunder wrote:
Hi Rocky,
Great link and fantastic history.

From the same link the same photo appears with an entirely different title with rgards to the date of the picture.

Here it is...
I doubt the accuracy of that title. The Austin A40 only came out in 1948 I believe.

Hi Delta18

yes I had the same thought about the validity if that is an Austin A40.

I found it strange that the same pic was displayed within the same link with such varying dates.

I even wondered if the vehicle behind the Austin was an FX Holden or a Chev or Dodge of around the same vintage.

Rob Driver · Guru

My Dad rest his sole, drove trucks on the Hume Highway in the late '40s 50's and 60's.
He always said that the road followed the farmers fence lines in those days.
I will never forget that he used to comment about a narrow bridge that they called The Little Sydney Harbour.
He used to say it was very dangerous as you couldnt see over the bridge until you were virtually on it.

Thanks for the link, I know my husband and I will enjoy the read and the great history on the road.

Long Weekend · Guru

The 'Little Sydney Harbour' bridge still exists and can be seen off to the west of the main Hume Highway somewhere around Gundagai (I never took any notice of exactly where!). The bridge is down a slope in what is obviously private land now. I believe that it can only be seen from the northbound side of the Hume.

Each time I see it I tell my wife it is a 'baby Sydney Harbour bridge!'

Regards,

Murray

Long Weekend · Guru

The little Sydney Harbour Bridge still exists. It is off to the west of the Hume Highway just to the south of Gundagai (I think - I never took notice of exactly where it is). It is down a slope and crosses a creek or gully, obviously no longer used as the road at each end has disappeared. I believe that it can only be seen from the northbound side of the Hume.

Each time I see it I tell my wife that it is a 'baby Sydney Harbour Bridge!'

Regards,

Murray

Rob Driver · Guru

Hi Long Weekend,

I have read most of the information in the link provided above on the history of the Hume Highway and I have found the bridge.

It appears you are correct and it has no public access at present although it is still visible from parts of the surrounding roads.

The detail appears on page 89 of the article.

Long Weekend · Guru

Thanks Angie (Bentaxlebabe)

It gives more precise detail than I had - despite passing by it more than fifty times since 1985.

For those who want more details there is a lot of information available by Googling 'Hillas Creek Concrete Bowstring Arch Bridge.' It seems that the bridge has historical significance which is apparently why it has been left standing.

Regard,

Murray

msg · Guru

That looks like us. The last one. Heading Melbourne to Narranderra, as we did every Christmas. lol

dogbox · Guru

bentaxlebabe wrote:

Hi Long Weekend,
I have read most of the information in the link provided above on the history of the Hume Highway and I have found the bridge.
It appears you are correct and it has no public access at present although it is still visible from parts of the surrounding roads.
The detail appears on page 89 of the article.

30 klm south of gundagi only visible north bound nearly grown over

second one at shark creek north of grafton visible from road

Dickodownunder · Guru

I drove the Hume with trucks in the late 70s and early 80s and that bridge was a nightmare.
It was in the days of AM cb radios and the procedure was to call when approaching but many times there was just too much chatter on the air or there may be a driver who has not travelled that road and did not realise that the bridge posed such a danger.
I can vividly remember my first time onto that bridge...
IMO I am glad it has gone but the history should be preserved.
Its a shame there is no access for the public at least to view the structure.

dogbox · Guru

first time I kept hearing north bound harbour bridge an thought gee this is a good radio I can hear Sydney from here

then" holy crap"

Dickodownunder · Guru

dogbox wrote:
first time I kept hearing north bound harbour bridge an thought gee this is a good radio I can hear Sydney from here

then" holy crap"

Hahaha!!

I laugh now but it was not funny at the time... biggrin biggrin