Sydney Sydney Surrounds North Coast South Coast Snowy Mountains Heart of Country Outback Lord Howe Island Inner Sydney Greater Sydney Back to main Sydney map Northern Beaches Manly Mosman Sydney Harbour The Rocks Darling Harbour Balmain Leichhardt Glebe Newtown Chinatown City Centre Kings Cross Double Bay Darlinghurst Paddington Moore Park Coogee Bondi Back to main Sydney map Hawkesbury Valley Hawkesbury River Penrith Parramatta Cabramatta Sydney Olympic Park Picton Macarthur Cronulla
Sydney

The London Hotel, Balmain (Photo: J. Morgan/Tourism NSW) Balmain One of Sydney's oldest suburbs, now a vibrant and artistic community.

Bondi Icebergs Swimming Pool, Sydney. Bondi One of Sydney's most eclectic and exciting precincts.

Cultural activities in Cabramatta, Sydney Cabramatta An authentic slice of South-East Asian sights and tastes.

Strolling in Chinatown, Sydney Chinatown and Haymarket Asian streetlife with a bit of Spanish pizzaz.

An aerial view of Sydney's Central Business District City Centre A beautiful harbourside capital, with historic precincts and cosmopolitan style.

Family fun on Coogee Beach, Sydney Coogee and Randwick Classic Sydney surf scene popular with everyone

Bushwalking in Maianbar, Cronulla, Sydney Cronulla Coast Sydney's longest beach is just a ferry ride from the Royal National Park.

Darling Harbour, Sydney Darling Harbour A lively harbourside precinct that throbs with activity day and night.

Cafes on Victoria Street, Darlinghurst (Photo: Tony Yeates) Darlinghurst Boutiques and bookshops by day, bars and nightclubs by night.

Dee Bee's Café, Double Bay, Sydney Double Bay Fashion central and the playground of Sydney’s beautiful people.

Waterside strolls at the end of Glebe Point Road, Glebe, Sydney Glebe is one of Sydney's most vibrant alternative areas.

Explore the Hawkesbury River (Photo: P. Blackmore/Tourism NSW)Hawkesbury River A fascinating mix of natural attractions and a peaceful country ambience.

Tizzana Winery, Ebenezer, Hawkesbury Valley (Photo: P. Blackmore/Tourism NSW) Hawkesbury Valley The Hawkesbury River winds its way through a fertile valley.

Dining on Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf, Sydney (Photo: F. Quimby) Kings Cross and Woolloomooloo This lively entertainment area buzzes with nightclubs, bars and...

The Leichhardt Forum, Sydney Leichhardt Sydney's Little Italy, the place to go for all things Italian, from gelato to espresso.

St John's Anglican Church, Camden, Sydney Macarthur A vibrant, bustling area with country charm

Manly BeachManly 

Nestled between the harbour and a surf beach – a quintessential Sydney experience.

Bent Street, Fox Studios, Moore Park, Sydney Moore Park Major sports stadiums, entertainment venues and an expansive park.

Taronga Zoo, Sydney Mosman and Balmoral Beach Harbourside suburbs blessed with great cafes, shops and views

One of Newtown's many café spots on King Street, Sydney (R. Billington/Tourism NSW) Newtown Colourful, unconventional and gay-friendly with a strong arts culture, great shopping and dining.

Manly Walk, Sydney (H. Lund/Tourism NSW) Northern Beaches and Pittwater Peninsula with the Pacific Ocean on one side and Pittwater on the other

Shopping for the latest trends in Paddington, Sydney (J. Morgan/Tourism NSW) Paddington Stylish terraces, a great shopping precinct lined with cafés and restaurants.

St Johns Cathedral, Parramatta, Sydney (3stroke Photography/Tourism NSW) Parramatta Parramatta is a city of historic charm with a multicultural footprint.

Overlooking the Nepean River, Penrith precinct Penrith Valley An aquatic playground at the foothills of the Blue Mountains.

George IV Hotel in Picton, Sydney Picton and Surrounds All the charm and tranquillity of the country.

Fort Denison, Sydney Harbour (Photo: Hamilton Lund / Tourism NSW). Sydney Harbour and Islands All kinds of water craft jostle for a piece of the world's best harbour.

Biking around Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney. Sydney Olympic Park Home of the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, major social and sporting venue.

Some architectural details in The Rocks, Sydney The Rocks and Circular Quay Historic harbourside area with shops, pubs and restaurants.

Attraction

Old Great North Road The - Building and Structure, Educational, Historic Site, Natural


The Great North Road, surveyed in 1825 and completed in 1836, was constructed using convict labour. Up to 720 convicts - some in chains - worked on the road, which spanned 264 km, connecting Sydney to the settlements of the Hunter Valley. It features spectacular and beautifully preserved examples of stonework, including buttresses, culverts, bridges and twelve metre high retaining walls.

Unfortunately the road was not popular. It was isolated, had no permanent watercourses, and bypassed existing settlements. By 1836, as the few remaining convict gangs were completing the last northern sections of the road, it had been almost entirely abandoned as a route to the Hunter Valley. Coastal steamers became the preferred mode of travel and transportation.

Only 43 km of the road remains undeveloped and relatively intact. Running through and alongside Dharug National Park and Yengo National Park, this section has been named the Old Great North Road. It goes from Wisemans Ferry in the south to Mount Manning (near Bucketty) in the north, and includes the oldest surviving stone bridges in mainland Australia. The road is closed to motor vehicles, but makes a great walk over two or three days – or an exhilarating day's cycle.

Finchs Line and Devines Hill:
Finchs Line was the original ascent up the steep escarpment from Wisemans Ferry. Construction began in March 1828, carried out by the No 25 Road Party and part of the No 3 Iron Gang under the supervision of Lieutenant Jonathon Warner. The gangs worked from either end of the line. Governor Darling inspected the route later in 1828, and found it too steep and winding. Work was abandoned in January 1829 in favour of this new route, which travelled up Devines Hill.

The Devines Hill route, was selected by surveyor general Sir Thomas Mitchell. Over 500 convicts, many in irons, constructed the road. It features impressive 12-metre-high buttressed retaining walls and an elaborate drainage system.

Clares Bridge:
Clares Bridge is the second oldest bridge in mainland Australia (the oldest is on Wisemans Ferry Road, near the start of Devines Hill). It was built between January and September 1830, and is named after overseer Arnold Clare, supervisor of the convicts who built the bridge.

The bridge's sandstone blocks were quarried from an outcrop above it. Jumper marks, split rock faces, shaped stone and unsplit wedge pits can be seen here. If you look closely underneath the bridge, you can also see large cobblestones. They prevent the bridge's foundations from being undermined during heavy water flows.

Ten-Mile Hollow:
This area was used as a stockade while the road was being built. Solomon Wiseman was given 100 acres here to set up an inn. It is not known whether the inn was ever built, but some sandstone foundation blocks can be seen amongst the bracken ferns.

For more information visit www.convicttrail.org		 

Contact Details:


Old Great North Road The
.
Wisemans Ferry, NSW 2775
Telephone: 02 - 4787 8877
Fax: 02 - 4787 8514
Website: www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au
Entry is free!