Brad's Australian Highways Page

A photographic chronicle of road transport arrangements for the 2000 Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Various links to other great road-related sites on the World Wide Web.

An explanation of what those numbers you see on road signs really mean - also, a guide to the new British-style route numbering system in many states of Australia.

A history and a brief guide to Australia's National Highway, a system of Federally-maintained roads which connect all major cities and span all states and territories.

Pictures from a short 150km roadtrip through southern Sydney and the Southern Highlands.

A travelogue (complete with pictures) of a three-day 1900km roadtrip through New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria.

Miscellaneous pictures of roads and signage that I've taken here and there over the many years that I've been interested in all things roadly.

Your guide to Sydney's system of freeways and motorways, including histories and guides to exits along the freeways. The M2, M4, M5, F3 and F6 are covered, with more planned.

A detailed explanation of Sydney's extensive system of Metroad route numbering system, signifying the 9 major routes into, out of and around Sydney. A map is included.

A map, a brief history and many pictures around my current hometown, Wollongong, New South Wales.

Hello there, and welcome to my page devoted to the wonder and the glory that is Australia's highway system. However, a couple of disclaimers first:

This website is not a travel information site. If you want to find about one of Australia's many wonderful tourist attractions, charming towns, and areas of wondrous scenic beauty (and how to get there by highway), may I suggest that you visit Explore Australia.

This website is not a street directory or road navigational aid. A large proportion of e-mails in my inbox are along the lines of 'I need to get from A to B, what's the best route to take?' While for quite a long time I was more than happy to provide such assistance, the sheer volume of mail I received on this matter was simply too much to keep up with. While I share your frustration at the fact that there aren't any really decent road navigation websites that cover all of Australia, may I suggest two excellent interactive street directories - Whereis, provided by UBD and Telstra, and Ausway, publishers of the hugely popular Melway and Sydway directories.

So, what is this site about then?

It's the result of hundreds of photographs, dozens of hours spent researching in libraries, weekends spent in second hand bookshops searching through dusty cardboard boxes of old maps, many phone calls to government departments and a lifelong fascination with transportation and general geography.

Roads, you may ask? Heck, how can you be fascinated with roads? It's not easy to explain. To me, they are much more than just a surface upon which one drives - they're also an intrinsic part of Australian popular culture. They're deeply entrenched in the human experience of everybody in the western world, and Australia is no exception. How many Australians remember their childhood holidays on the crowded and twisty Princes Highway, or marvelling at the speed of the Holden Kingswood dashing along the South-Eastern Freeway with Dad at the wheel, all those big green signs and bright white stripes nothing but a blur?

Roads are not only part of our geography and culture, but our history. By looking at old road maps, we can trace the development of this continent. The growth of Australia's prosperity can be seen in the rate of spread of paved bitumen, further and further away from the five largest cities, right until the late 1980's when it was finally possible to drive all the way around Australia in a big circle on paved surfaces. We can see how cities, towns and regions gained prominence throughout the decades.

I hope that all visitors enjoy this website. I endeavour to make this site more than just a dry monologue listing roads and distances, nearly identical photographs and bland histories - I want this page to reflect the human experience of highway travel in Australia, peppered with my own praise, humour and the occasional critcisms. So, enjoy!

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since 19-Sep-1999

© Bradley Torr. Last updated 15-Jan-2003. DISCLAIMER: This page is in no way afilliated with any governmental agency or corporation. All opinions expressed in this website are solely mine. While all effort has been undertaken to ensure the accuracy of the content, there still may be many mistakes. The author of this website takes no responsibility for any mishap that may result from any information or data given on this page. The author acknowledges various road authorities and members of the general public for information which may have been used in this site - they have my gratitude.

	A photographic chronicle of road transport arrangements for the 2000 Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games.
	Various links to other great road-related sites on the World Wide Web.
	An explanation of what those numbers you see on road signs really mean - also, a guide to the new British-style route numbering system in many states of Australia.
	A history and a brief guide to Australia's National Highway, a system of Federally-maintained roads which connect all major cities and span all states and territories.
	Pictures from a short 150km roadtrip through southern Sydney and the Southern Highlands.
	A travelogue (complete with pictures) of a three-day 1900km roadtrip through New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria.
	Miscellaneous pictures of roads and signage that I've taken here and there over the many years that I've been interested in all things roadly.
	Your guide to Sydney's system of freeways and motorways, including histories and guides to exits along the freeways. The M2, M4, M5, F3 and F6 are covered, with more planned.
	A detailed explanation of Sydney's extensive system of Metroad route numbering system, signifying the 9 major routes into, out of and around Sydney. A map is included.
	A map, a brief history and many pictures around my current hometown, Wollongong, New South Wales.