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New England Highway (National Highway 15) - Muswellbrook to Scone (Decommissioned) |
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Route Numbering:
General Information:
National Highway 15 is one the major routes in New South Wales and Queensland. It links the farming regions of NSW to the ports at Newcastle and also to other major roads to Sydney and it's also a link to Brisbane's metropolitan area.
The route consists of single carriageway 2-lane rural highway, through to multi-lane divided sections, and includes two multiplexes: National Route 34, the Oxley Highway, between Tamworth and Bendemeer, and also National Route 38, the Gwydir Highway at Glen Innes.
History:
The New England Highway originally formed part of the Great Northern Road from Sydney via Wiseman's Ferry to the Queensland border (near Mt Lindesay), taking shape as settlement spread northward from the lower Hunter Valley. By 1851 the Great Northern Road had reached the Gap, two miles beyond Murrurundi. In 1858 it was classified as one of three Main Roads in the colony (Great Western and Great Southern) and extended from Morpeth via Maitland, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Scone, Murrurundi and Tamworth, to Armidale, a distance of about 236 miles. Captain Martindale, Chief Railway Commissioner, who was also responsible for roads, stressed the need for bridges as in many cases long circuits had to be made to find a crossing over a stream. In 1860 arrangements were in progress for building 90 culverts and minor bridges and for forming new sections of road, including a new ascent to Murrurundi Gap, which was previously steep with sharp dangerous turns. In 1865 the section of road between Muswellbrook and Murrurundi was metalled and a deviation suggested between Blandford and Murrurundi to skirt the Page River, obviating two bridges, however, such a deviation was never constructed. With the construction of the Northern Railway line from Newcastle, commenced in the 1850s and reaching Murrurundi in 1872, attention was diverted away from roads and sections of the Great Northern Road were in poor condition. Despite the impact of the railway, roads developed steadily and considerable progress was made in the bridging of rivers and creeks. 2
Click here for photos of the former alignment in the Aberdeen area
Click here for photos from the construction of the Halcombe Hill deviation near Aberdeen
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Entering Muswellbrook: New England Hwy as it enters the town of Muswellbrook, December 2008. Image © Paul Rands |
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Halcombe Hill Deviation: New England Highway as it passes over Halcombe Hill at Aberdeen. September 2007. Image © Paul Rands |
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Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching the Sydney Street junction in Muswellbrook. July 2007. Image © Paul Rands |
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Halcombe Hill Deviation: New England Highway as it passes over Halcombe Hill at Aberdeen. September 2007. Image © Paul Rands |
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Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the Sydney Street intersection in Muswellbrook. The New England Highway turns right at this intersection, December 2008. Image © Paul Rands |
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Main Northern Railway: New England Hwy crossing the Main Northern Railway at Aberdeen, September 2007. Image © Paul Rands |
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Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign used as a reassurance in the Muswellbrook CBD, December 2008. Image © Paul Rands |
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Aberdeen: Southbound near Halcombe Hill at Aberdeen, September 2007. Image © Paul Rands |
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Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Market St & Williams St in Muswellbrook, December 2008. Image © Paul Rands |
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Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Aberdeen approaching Segenhoe Rd, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands |
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Intersection Directional Sign: Older style ID sign on the corner of Market and Williams Street in Muswellbrook, December 2008. Click here for a photo of the old sign from November 2004. Image © Paul Rands |
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Segenhoe Road: New England Hwy (NH15) at the junction with Segenhoe Rd at Aberdeen, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands |
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Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign approaching Aberdeen St in Muswellbrook, December 2008. Image © Paul Rands |
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Dartbrook Road: Corner of New England Hwy (NH15) and Dartbrook Rd, Aberdeen, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands |
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AD Sign: Advance directional sign approaching Aberdeen Street, Muswellbrook, December 2008. Image © Paul Rands |
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Entering Aberdeen: Entering the town of Aberdeen, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands |
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Distance Sign: RD sign as you leave Muswellbrook, December 2008. Image © Paul Rands |
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Hunter River: New England Hwy (NH15) as it crosses the Hunter River via Fitzgerald Bridge at Aberdeen, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands |
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Entering Aberdeen: Entering the town of Aberdeen, December 2008. Image © Paul Rands |
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Hunter River: New England Hwy (NH15) as it crosses the Hunter River via Fitzgerald Bridge at Aberdeen, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands |
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Milepost: Old concrete milepost on the New England Hwy in the Aberdeen town centre. S = Scone and M = Muswellbrook, February 2005. Image © Paul Rands |
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McAdam Street: Corner of New England Hwy (NH15) and McAdam St, Aberdeen, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands |
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Aberdeen Town Centre: New England Hwy as it passes through the Aberdeen town centre, November 2004. Image © Paul Rands |
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Aberdeen: New England Hwy (NH15) as it passes through the town of Aberdeen, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands |
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Black Intersection Directional Sign Assembly: Old black ID signs facing McAdam Street in Aberdeen. February 2005. These signs have since been replaced. Image © Paul Rands |
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Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Aberdeen, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands |
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Hunter River: New England Hwy (NH15) as it crosses the Hunter River via Fitzgerald Bridge at Aberdeen, December 2008. Image © Paul Rands |
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Shire of Muswellbrook: Sign welcoming people to the Shire of Muswellbrook, between Aberdeen and Muswellbrook, August 2011. Click here for a photo of this location from December 2008. Image © Paul Rands |
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Hunter River: New England Hwy (NH15) as it crosses the Hunter River via Fitzgerald Bridge at Aberdeen, December 2008. Image © Paul Rands |
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Entering Muswellbrook: New England Hwy as it enters the town of Muswellbrook, December 2008. Image © Paul Rands |
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Black Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on the corner of the Dartbrook Road junction at Aberdeen, December 2008. Click here for a photo of the old black sign from November 2004. Image © Paul Rands |
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Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign approaching Aberdeen St in Muswellbrook, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands |
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AD Sign: New England Highway as it approaches the intersection with Segenhoe Road in Aberdeen, December 2008. Image © Paul Rands |
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Aberdeen Street Approach: Southbound at Muswellbrook, approaching Aberdeen Street. August 2011. Click here for a photo of this location from December 2004. Image © Paul Rands |
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Segenhoe Road: New England Hwy (NH15) at the junction with Segenhoe Rd at Aberdeen, December 2008. Image © Paul Rands |
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Aberdeen Street: Corner of New England Hwy (NH15) and Aberdeen St in Muswellbrook, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands |
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RD Sign: Southbound distance signage at Muswellbrook, after Aberdeen Street, December 2004. Image © Paul Rands |
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Muswellbrook: New England Hwy (NH15) passing through the Muswellbrook town centre, August 2011. Note the older style hospital sign. Image © Paul Rands |
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Advance Directional Sign: Diagrammatic AD sign approaching the roundabout with Market and Williams Street in Muswellbrook, December 2004. Image © Paul Rands |
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Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on the roundabout with Williams St & Market St in Muswellbrook, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands |
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Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Muswellbrook approaching Sydney St, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands |
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Sydney Street Junction: Intersection with Sydney Street in Muswellbrook. The New England Highway turns left here, August 2011. Click here for a photo of this location from December 2004. Image © Paul Rands |
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RD Sign: Southbound distance signage at Muswellbrook, just outside the town centre, August 2011. Click here for a photo of this location from December 2004. Image © Paul Rands |
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Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Muswellbrook, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands |
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| Click here for the contiuation of National Highway 15 between Scone and Murrurundi Click here for the continuation of National Highway 15 between Muswellbrook and Singleton |
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1 National Library of Australia
2 Roads and Traffic Authority
3 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
Last updated: 15-Sep-2020 17:32
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