Road Photos & Information: Australian Capital Territory
Northbourne Avenue, Vernon Circle, Commonwealth Avenue, State Circle, Capital Circle, Canberra Avenue, Hume Place and Monaro Highway (National Route 23) - Downer to Acton

Statistics:

Route Numbering:

General Information:

In the ACT, NR23 serves as the main connector route through suburban Canberra.

The route varies from multi-laned dual carriageway in the urban areas of North and South Canberra to rural highway further south of the city. It passes directly past Australia's Parliament House and other significant areas containing offices for the administration of the country. It also passes through suburban areas, industrial areas at Fyshwick and Hume, plus farming zones and bushland.

Between the spans on the southern side of the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge over Lake Burley Griffin, there's two granite stones from the 1817 Waterloo Bridge across the River Thames in London. These were presented to Australia after the 1817 Waterloo Bridge was demolished in the 1940s and replaced by a modern structure. A plaque reads, in part, "Stones such as these from the bridge were presented to Australia and other parts of the British world to further historic links in the British Commonwealth of Nations".

History:

Northbourne Avenue:

Vernon Circle:

Commonwealth Avenue:

Downer to Acton Acton to Downer
Preview: Description: Preview: Description:
Southbound at Downer:
Looking towards Civic from the intersection with the Barton Highway at Downer, July 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Approaching Albert Street:
Northbound near Albert Street at Acton,just after Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Tourist Drive 4 Trailblazer:
Old shield indicating that NR23 was duplexed with TD4 along this section, southbound at Downer, January 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

Black Diagrammatic Sign:
Northbound black AD sign from the 1970s on Commonwealth Avenue, outside the western section of Commonwealth Park at Acton, July 2006. Note the unusual lack of white border around the edge of the sign. Also note the obsolete hospital legend - Royal Canberra Hospital, which this is indicating, closed some years ago.

Image © Paul Rands

NR23 Trailblazer:
NR23 trailbazer attached to lamp post at Downer, near Swinden Street. January 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

Parkes Way Interchange:
Northbound through the interchange with Parkes Way (the ramps are named Commonwealth Place) at Acton, October 2013. Click here for a photo of this location from December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Swinden Street Junction:
Corner of Northbourne Av & Swinden St Downer. January 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

Parkes Way Interchange:
Northbound through the interchange with Parkes Way (the ramps are named Commonwealth Place) at Acton, October 2013. Click here for a photo of this junction from July 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:
Southbound AD sign approaching Antill & Mouat Streets at Downer, January 2010. Click here for a photo of this sign in July 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Parkes Way and London Circuit Interchange:
Northbound through the interchange with Parkes Way and London Cct (the ramps are named Commonwealth Place) at Acton, December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Antill & Mouat Streets:
Southbound at the junction with Antill Street Dickson and Mouat Street at Downer. Mouat Street used to be the Barton Highway until it was rerouted in the 1960s. January 2010. Click here for a photo of this area from July 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

London Circuit Exit:
Commonwealth Avenue at the ramp to London Circuit, and also approaching Vernon Circle and City Hill in Civic. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Supplemental AD Sign:
Supplemnental advance directional sign approaching the Antill Street and Mouat St junction at Downer. January 2010,

Image © Paul Rands

Road Safety Sign:
Road safety sign on Vernon Circle in Civic. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Entering Dickson:
Northbourne Av as it enters Dickson, at the Antill St / Mouat St intersection. January 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign where Vernon Circle transitions into Nortbourne Avenue, approaching London Circuit in Civic. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Tourist Drive 4 Trailblazer:
Old shield indicating that NR23 was duplexed with TD4 along this section, southbound at Dickson, January 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

London Circuit Intersection:
Northbound at the London Cct intersection in Civic. The intersection is the location of the first ever traffic signals to ever be installed in the ACT. December 1996. Since this image was taken, the signals have been updated to LED models.

Image © Paul Rands

Southbound at Dickson:
AD sign for the tourist information centre at Dickson. January 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

Trailblazer:
NR23 trailblazer outside the Jolimont Centre in Civic at the junction with Rudd and Bunda Streets. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Murdoch & Morphett Street Junction:
Northbourne Avenue approaching Murdoch and Morphett Streets at Dickson. January 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign on Northbourne Avenue approaching Cooyong Street and Barry Drive in Civic. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Southbound at Dickson:
Looking south approaching the tourist information centre at Dickson. January 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign for Cooyong Street in Civic. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:
Southbound AD sign at Dickson as you approach Macarthur Avenue & Wakefield Avenue, January 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

Directional Sign:
AD sign acting as an ID sign on Northbourne Avenue facing Cooyong Street at the junction with Barry Drive. January 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

Wakefield & Macarthur Avenue Intersection:
Southbound through the Wakefield and Macarthur Avenue junction at Dickson, January 2010. Click here for a photo of this junction taken in July 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign for Girrawheen Street and Masson Street in Turner. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Wakefield & Macarthur Avenue Intersection:
Southbound through the Wakefield and Macarthur Avenue junction at Dickson, January 2010. Click here for a photo of this junction taken in July 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign facing Masson Street in Turner. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Girrahween & Masson Street intersection:
Southbound on Northbourne Av as you approach the Masson St and Girrahween St in Braddon, January 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

Approaching Macarthur Avenue & Wakefield Avenue:
Northbourne Av in Turner approaching Macarthur Av and Wakefield Av. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:
Southbound AD sign approaching the junction with Barry Drive and Cooyong Street at Braddon. January 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign facing Macarthur Av in Turner. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign at the Cooyong Street and Barry Drive intersection. January 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

Northbound at Dickson:
AD sign at Lyneham for the tourist information centre. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:
AD sign acting as an ID sign at the Cooyong Street and Barry Drive intersection. January 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

Morphett Street Junction:
Corner of Northbourne Av and Morphett St in Lyneham. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Civic:
Entering Civic. Southbound at the intersection with Barry Drive and Cooyong Street, July 2006. Note the extra wide median, which was designed for use with trams in Walter Burley Griffin's original plan for Canbera. July 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Murdoch Street Junction:
Corner of Northbourne Av and Murdoch St in Lyneham. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Bunda & Rudd Street Junction:
Southbound approaching Bunda and Rudd Streets in Civic. Note the old TD2 shield on the left. July 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign at Lyneham approaching Mouat St & Antill St. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Southbound at Civic:
Passing the Sydney Building - it along with the Melbourne building across the road from were the first 2 commercial buildings in the Civic part of the ACT. July 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign approaching the Antill Street turn lane. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

London Circuit Intersection:
Southbound at the London Cct intersection in Civic. The intersection that boasts having the first ever traffic signals installed in the ACT, they have since been upgraded of course. July 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Mouat Street & Antill Street Intersection:
Northbourne Av at the junction with Antill St and Mouat St (former Barton Hwy) at Lyneham. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Parkes Way Overpass & Interchange:
Southbound approaching the bridge over Parkes Way at Civic, July 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign at the Antill Street turn lane at Lyneham. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign on Commonwealth Avenue, approaching Albert Street near Civic. February 2010.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign in Lyneham at the junction with Swinden St. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Commonwealth Avenue Bridge:
Southbound near Albert Street just outside Civic, as you approach the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge over Lake Burley Griffin, February 2010. Note Parliament House atop of Capital Hill in the distance.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign at Lyneham approaching Barton Hwy (NH25) and Federal Hwy (NH23). December 2009. Not the incorrect route number for Barton Hwy.

Image © Paul Rands

Commonwealth Avenue Bridge:
Looking towards Parliament House, standing on the northern shoreline of Lake Burley Griffin. October 2007.

Image © Lee-Ann Wooster

Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign at Lyneham approaching Barton Hwy (NH25) and Federal Hwy (NH23). December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign near the Barton Hwy (formerly Dunsmore St) junction at Lyneham. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign near the Barton Hwy junction at Lyneham. December 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Click here for the continuation of NR23 between Acton & Fyshwick
Click here for the Federal Highway (National Highway 23)

1 Canberra - Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, John Overall, p. 12, ISBN 0-9593910-6-1
2 ACT Planning & Land Authority, Place Name Search, Northbourne Avenue
3 Canberra Times, Page 4, 2 October 1937
4 Canberra Times, Page 4, 18 April 1946 5 Canberra Times, Page 2, 15 October 1951 6 Canberra Times, Page 14, 17 May 1957 7 Canberra Times, Page 3, 20 October 1959
8 Canberra Times, Page 2, 5 April 1960
9 Canberra Times, Page 10, 9 August 1962
10 Canberra Times, Page 3, 30 June 1964
11 Canberra Times, Page 9, 24 August 1965
12 Canberra Times, Page 1, 23 October 1965
13 Canberra Times, Page 4, 27 October 1965
14 Canberra Times, Page 8, 8 April 1966
15 Canberra Times, Page 3, 27 August 1966
16 Canberra Times, Page 3, 12 November 1966
17 Canberra Times, Page 8, 9 December 1968
18 Canberra Times, Page 7, 5 May 1969
19 Canberra Times, Page 9, 11 July 1969
20 Canberra Times, Page 7, 28 March 1970
21 Canberra Times, Page 7, 22 July 1974
22 Canberra Times, Page 7, 22 July 1974
23 ACT Planning & Land Authority, Place Name Search, Vernon Circle
24 Canberra Times, Page 2, 5 April 1960
25 Canberra Times, Page 7, 5 May 1969
26 Canberra Times, Page 15, 30 September 1960
27 ACT Heritage Library, ImagesACT, Second Commonwealth Avenue Bridge
28 Canberra’s Engineering Heritage, 2nd edition, 1990
29 Northern Star, Page 7, 6 August 1923
30 Canberra Times, Page 1, 25 March 1929
31 Canberra Times, Page 4, 31 October 1929
32 Canberra Times, Page 2, 4 June 1945
33 Canberra Times, Page 3, 25 September 1945
34 Canberra Times, Page 3, 2 April 1946
35 Canberra Times, Page 4, 1 April 1947
36 Canberra Times, Page 5, 3 July 1958
37 Canberra Times, Page 3, 3 March 1960
38 Canberra Times, Page 9, 5 May 1961
39 Canberra Times, Page 3, 14 November 1961
40 Canberra Times, Page 1, 29 March 1962
41 Canberra Times, Page 31, 7 March 1963
42 Canberra Times, Page 3, 7 May 1963
43 Canberra Times, Page 1, 10 September 1963
44 Canberra Times, Page 1, 31 October 1963
45 ACT Heritage Library, ImagesACT, Commonwealth Avenue bridge, with Scotts Crossing in the foreground, the Albert Hall at left and the Canadian flagpole at Regatta Point at right
46 Canberra Times, Page 8, 19 January 1965
47 Canberra Times, Page 3, 21 June 1965
48 Canberra Times, Page 3, 2 October 1965
49 Canberra Times, Page 8, 5 June 1969
50 Canberra Times, Page 3, 27 June 1969
51 Canberra Times,
52 ACT Planning & Land Authority, Place Name Search, Commonwealth Avenue

Last updated: 05-Feb-2019 22:20

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