All Topics  
Eyre Highway

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Eyre Highway
 
 
  Topics Eyre Highway Topic Home


d after Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre

Edward John Eyre was an England land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, and a controversial Governor of Jamaica.South Australia's Lake Eyre, Eyre Peninsula, Eyre Creek, South Australia, Eyre Highway , and the Eyre Hotel in Whyalla are named in his honour, as are the villages of Eyreton and West Eyreton in Canterb...
 the Eyre Highway is a highway linking Western Australia
Western Australia

Western Australia is a States and territories of Australia occupying the entire western third of the Australia . The nation's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.1 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state....
 and South Australia
South Australia

South Australia is a States and territories of Australia of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....
. It forms part of Highway 1
Highway 1 (Australia)

Highway 1 is Australia's coastal highway, joining all mainland's state capitals and coastal towns, and circumnavigating the entire Australian continent....
 and the Australian National Highway
National Highway (Australia)

The National Highway is a system of roads connecting all the States and Territories of Australia, and is the major network of highways connecting Australia's largest and most important cities....
 network linking Perth
Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the List of Australian capital cities and largest city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of Western Australia. With a population of 1,554,769 , Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average....
 and Adelaide
Adelaide

Adelaide is the List of Australian capital cities and most populous city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of South Australia, and is the fifth-largest city in Australia, with a population of more than 1.1 million....
. Its route number is National Highway 1 in Western Australia and National Highway A1 in South Australia.

Westwards, the Eyre Highway starts at Port Augusta, South Australia and ends in Norseman, Western Australia
Norseman, Western Australia

Norseman is a town located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia along the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, east of Perth, Western Australia and above sea level....
 and the National Route 94 continues to the gold town of Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a Western Australian city located east-northeast of Perth, Western Australia located in the Eastern Goldfields.The city was founded in 1893 during the Yilgarn-Goldfields gold rush, and is located close to the so-called "Golden Mile"....
, Western Australia and then as Great Eastern Highway
Great Eastern Highway

Great Eastern Highway, Western Australia is a major road linking Perth, Western Australia with Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. It is a key route for vehicles accessing eastern Wheatbelt and the eastern Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia....
 to Perth, Western Australia.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Eyre Highway'
Start a new discussion about 'Eyre Highway'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Eyrehighway

Location

Named after Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre

Edward John Eyre was an England land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, and a controversial Governor of Jamaica.South Australia's Lake Eyre, Eyre Peninsula, Eyre Creek, South Australia, Eyre Highway , and the Eyre Hotel in Whyalla are named in his honour, as are the villages of Eyreton and West Eyreton in Canterb...
 the Eyre Highway is a highway linking Western Australia
Western Australia

Western Australia is a States and territories of Australia occupying the entire western third of the Australia . The nation's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.1 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state....
 and South Australia
South Australia

South Australia is a States and territories of Australia of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....
. It forms part of Highway 1
Highway 1 (Australia)

Highway 1 is Australia's coastal highway, joining all mainland's state capitals and coastal towns, and circumnavigating the entire Australian continent....
 and the Australian National Highway
National Highway (Australia)

The National Highway is a system of roads connecting all the States and Territories of Australia, and is the major network of highways connecting Australia's largest and most important cities....
 network linking Perth
Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the List of Australian capital cities and largest city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of Western Australia. With a population of 1,554,769 , Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average....
 and Adelaide
Adelaide

Adelaide is the List of Australian capital cities and most populous city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of South Australia, and is the fifth-largest city in Australia, with a population of more than 1.1 million....
. Its route number is National Highway 1 in Western Australia and National Highway A1 in South Australia.

Westwards, the Eyre Highway starts at Port Augusta, South Australia and ends in Norseman, Western Australia
Norseman, Western Australia

Norseman is a town located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia along the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, east of Perth, Western Australia and above sea level....
 and the National Route 94 continues to the gold town of Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a Western Australian city located east-northeast of Perth, Western Australia located in the Eastern Goldfields.The city was founded in 1893 during the Yilgarn-Goldfields gold rush, and is located close to the so-called "Golden Mile"....
, Western Australia and then as Great Eastern Highway
Great Eastern Highway

Great Eastern Highway, Western Australia is a major road linking Perth, Western Australia with Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. It is a key route for vehicles accessing eastern Wheatbelt and the eastern Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia....
 to Perth, Western Australia. The highway between Adelaide and Port Augusta is Port Wakefield Road
Port Wakefield Road

Port Wakefield Road is an important highway connecting the South Australian capital, Adelaide to Yorke Peninsula, Port Augusta, South Australia, northern and western South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia....
 (National Highway 1).

History

Originally the roads that followed closely to the route were very rough in condition, and during the round-Australia road trials in the 1950s, movie newsreels would show cars on very sandy tracks. Constructed during World War II, the current route of the highway has not been deviated from significantly during various upgrades to the highway. The differences between the condition of the road on either side of Eucla were notable as late as the mid-1980s - the last section was finally sealed on the South Australian section in 1976.

There are two parts of the Nullarbor crossing that are now distinct and separate routes to the current Eyre Highway - on the Western Australian side there is a mapped Old Coach Road that is further north towards the Trans Australia Railway line, and on the South Australian side the older highway route runs from Border Village to the Nullarbor Roadhouse - well away from the coast and running through the centre of the Nullarbor National Park
Nullarbor National Park

Nullarbor is a national park in South Australia , 887 km west of Adelaide, Australia.The northern boundary is with the Nullarbor Regional Reserve, its western ends is at the Western Australia-South Australia state border - with Border Village as the main locality at that boundary....
.

Conditions

Eyre highway in the past was considered to be a highway with extreme conditions; however, many other Australian highways are now considerably more dangerous and remote. The improved current conditions of the highway are illustrated by the type of traffic utilising the highway and the facilities that are available at the localities on the highway. However as with all country driving in Australia awareness of basic preparation and equipment requirements are essential for care free driving.

Mundrabilla, Western Australia

South Australian section

Some towns/settlements and features along the way (westwards from Adelaide):

Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges

Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts approximately 200 km north west of Adelaide, Australia. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over 430 km from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna....
. Stretching from South of Crystal Brook to north of Port Augusta. Spectacular scenery and plenty of picnic places.

Port Augusta. One of South Australia's busiest towns. It is the highway and railway crossroads for Australia. Once considered as being the site for a national capital instead of Canberra
Canberra

Canberra is the List of Australian capital cities of Australia. With a population of over 340,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall....
.
Great Australian Bight Marine Park
Eyre Peninsula
Eyre Peninsula

Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded on the east by Spencer Gulf, the west by the Great Australian Bight, and the north by the Gawler Ranges....
. A vast region of South Australia with national parks, historic buildings, spectacular coastline and beaches. An alternative way via Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway (Australia)

Lincoln Highway links Port Augusta, South Australia and Port Lincoln, South Australia, both located in South Australia, a distance of 327 kilometres....
 and Flinders Highway
Flinders Highway, South Australia

Flinders Highway connects the South Australian towns of Ceduna, South Australia and Port Lincoln, South Australia, a distance of 410 kilometres....
 (both are formerly National Alternative Route 1 now B100) to reach Ceduna before the Nullarbor Crossing.

Poochera
Poochera, South Australia

Poochera is a small grain belt town located 60km North West of Streaky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. The township of Poochera was not surveyed until 1920, and its name is thought to be taken from the name of King Poojeri, a local Indigenous Australians who died in 1917....
. A small, yet not unpleasant town, the entrance of which is distinguished by spectacular native pines. Poochera is the home of the dinosaur ant
Prionomyrmex macrops

Nothomyrmecia macrops, sometimes called Dinosaur ants, and incorrectly known under the synonym Prionomyrmex macrops is the only extant species of the genus found in the cool regions of the mallee of southern South Australia and Western Australia....
, the most primitive surviving ant species. Poochera should be considered if needing a rest before moving onto Ceduna and the Nullarbor.

Ceduna
Ceduna, South Australia

Ceduna is a small town in the West Coast region of South Australia. It is situated in the northwest corner of Eyre Peninsula, west of the junction of the Flinders Highway, South Australia and Eyre Highways around 786 km northwest of the capital Adelaide....
 . Westernmost big town in South Australia, located near the Great Australian Bight
Great Australian Bight

File:Great Australian Bight map.pngThe Great Australian Bight is a large bight , or open bay located off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia....
. Offers fishing and whale watching between May and September.

Eyre Highway Rfds
Nullarbor Plain
Nullarbor Plain

The Nullarbor Plain is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country immediately north of the Great Australian Bight. The word Nullarbor is derived from the Latin nullus for 'nothing' or 'no one' and arbor for 'tree', and is pronounced "NULL-uh-bore" ....
 . The long, flat Nullarbor gets its name from Latin for 'no trees'. It is a long and arduous trip across the Nullarbor Plain (a desert). The typical view is an endless long straight monotonous drive with practically unchanging flat saltbush covered terrain. Petrol is expensive and as scarce as fresh water in these parts. Road hazards include fatigue and at nighttime, kangaroo
Kangaroo

A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the Red Kangaroo, the Antilopine Kangaroo, and the Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo of the Macropus genus....
s darting across the highway.

Western Australian section

Spectacular coastline of Great Australian Bight is just a short detour south of the highway in many places. On the average the settlements are 200 km (124 miles) to 300 km (186 miles) apart.

Eucla
Eucla, Western Australia

Eucla is the easternmost locality in Western Australia, located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia along the Eyre Highway, approximately west of the South Australian border....
. Situated just over the W.A. border. This roadhouse is situated close to the Bight. An historic telegraph station, half buried in sand dunes, can also be viewed nearby.

Madura Pass
Madura, Western Australia

Madura is a small roadhouse community located on the Eyre Highway in Western Australia, on the Nullarbor Plain. It is from Perth, Western Australia....
. Once a homestead where horses were bred for use in the British Cavalry and for polo. This is now a peaceful roadhouse and hotel located on the pass through Hampton Tablelands. A lookout over the pass is located nearby.

Cocklebiddy
Cocklebiddy, Western Australia

Cocklebiddy is a small roadhouse community located on the Eyre Highway in Western Australia. It is the third stop east of Norseman, Western Australia on the long journey east across the Nullarbor Plain....
. South of Cocklebiddy is the Eyre Bird Observatory
Eyre Bird Observatory

Eyre Bird Observatory is an educational, scientific and recreational facility in the Nuytsland Nature Reserve, Western Australia.Cocklebiddy, Western Australia is the nearest locality on the Eyre Highway 49 km to the north....
, located in a restored telegraph station. Many caves are also located in this area - they are popular among cave divers and fossil hunters.

Norseman
Norseman, Western Australia

Norseman is a town located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia along the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, east of Perth, Western Australia and above sea level....
. Officially the end of the Eyre Highway, it is a small town and a junction of the Eyre Highway and the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway
Coolgardie-Esperance Highway

The Coolgardie-Esperance Highway is a 368 km Western Australian highway between Coolgardie, Western Australia and Esperance, Western Australia. It runs in a north-south direction linking the WA's Eastern Goldfields to the coast....
. Northwards to Perth via Kalgoorlie and southwards to Albany
Albany, Western Australia

Albany is located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, situated around a port on the southern coast.Its metropolitan area has a population of 25,196 as of the 2006 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state....
 via Esperance
Esperance, Western Australia

Esperance is a town in Western Australia, located on the south coast around half-way between Albany, Western Australia and the South Australian border; 7 hours drive and 1 hour flight from the capital, Perth, Western Australia....
.

Because of its remoteness, some sections of the Highway serve as emergency airstrips for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. These airstrips are signposted, have runway "piano keys" painted on the road, and turnaround bays for small aircraft.

This section of the highway also includes what is regarded as the longest straight stretch of road in Australia, and probably the world, between Balladonia and Caiguna; the road stretches for 146.6km without a turn.

Towns


Port Augusta

Iron Knob, off road

Kimba
Kimba

Kimba may refer to:*Kimba, South Australia, a town on the Eyre Peninsula*District Council of Kimba, a local government area based in Kimba, South Australia...


Kyancutta

Wudinna

Minnipa

Poochera

Cungena

Wirrulla

Ceduna

Nundroo

Yalata

Nullarbor

Eucla

Mundrabilla

Madura
Madura

Madura is an Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java . The island comprises an area of approximately 4,250 km? and a population of about four million, most of whom are ethnicity Madurese people....


Cocklebiddy

Caiguna

Balladonia

Norseman

See also


  • Highways in Australia
    Highways in Australia

    This is a list of highways in Australia, listed alphabetically along with its route number and location. Note that some highways service more than one state or territory....
  • List of highways in South Australia
    List of highways in South Australia

    South Australia is distinctly divided into two main areas; the well watered and populated southeastern corner and the arid outback for the rest of the state....
  • List of highways in Western Australia
    List of highways in Western Australia

    Western Australia's population is mainly concentrated in the Southwest, Western Australia. Outside of Perth, Western Australia the population is relatively sparse when compared to rural areas of the eastern states....
  • List of roadhouses in Western Australia
    List of roadhouses in Western Australia

    Western Australia has extensive long distance highways that have few localities spaced on them - so the presence of roadhouses as an important utility for accommodation, emergency facilities, petrol and supplies cannot be under-rated....


External links

  • Driving Guide by Roderick Eime


Further reading

  • Main Roads, Western Australia (2006) Distance book: distances to towns and localities in Western Australia East Perth, W.A. Main Roads ISBN 0730976688
  • Western Australia. Dept. of Tourism. (1978) Eyre highway traveller survey, 1978 : a study of travellers prior and subsequent to sealing of the highway Perth: Western Australian Dept. of Tourism. ISBN 0724478000 (Roads. Use. Australia. Eyre Highway. Reports, surveys (ANB/PRECIS SIN 0061603)