Road Photos & Information: New South Wales
Oxley Highway and New England Highway (B56)
Statistics:
- Length:
- 448 km
- Termini:
- Eastern: Ocean Drive, Hastings River Drive and Gordon Street (TD10), Port Macquarie
- Western: Newell Highway (A39), Coonabarabran
- Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:
- Port Macquarie, Wauchope, Yarrowitch, Walcha, Walcha Road, Bendemeer, Moonbi, Kootingal, Nemingha, Tamworth, West Tamworth, Westdale, Somerton, Gunnedah, Mullaley and Coonabarabran
Route Numbering:
- Current: B56
- Multiplexed with: A15 B51 8 21 25
- Road Authority Internal Classification:
- HW9 (Bendemeer to Tamworth)
- HW11 (Port Macquarie to Bendemeer and Tamworth to Coonabarabran)
General Information:
B56 is a key route that crosses the Great Dividing Range, linking the mid-north coast of NSW with the New England and Northwest Slopes and Plains.
Between the Pacific Hwy and Port Macquarie CBD, and also in the town of Tamworth, the route is multi-lane divided urban arterial road, which then becomes a rural 2-lane highway for the majority of its length. At First Moonbi Hill, the route features a rural expressway dual carriageway to make the trip from the mountains onto the plains. The route services commercial, residential, agricultural and industrial zones.
The Oxley Highway was named in 1928, after explorer and Surveyor-General John Oxley, who was the first European to explore much of inland New South Wales in 1818. He crossed the southern end of the northern tableland and camped on the Apsley River in 1818 near the present Walcha. 2
- A15 (New England Highway) for 40 km, from Bendemeer to Tamworth
- B51 (Kamilaroi Highway) for 2 km, through Gunnedah
- Tourist Drive 8 for 21 km, from Sancrox to Harty's Plains
- Tourist Drive 21 for 50 km, from Walcha to Bendemeer
- Tourist Drive 25 for 4 km, from Tamworth to West Tamworth
History:
- 18 November 1840: Approval and proclamation of a route between Port Macquarie and the Yarrowitch area. 3
- 1841: Work commences on a road between Walcha and Port Macquarie constructed by convicts. 3
- 1842: First cargo carried along the newly built route. 3
- 9 September 1842: Official opening of the route advertised by the Government Gazette. 3
- 1857: A route from Walcha to the Great North Road (now New England Highway) at Bendemeer appears on maps. 3
- 1867: The Walcha to Bendemeer route surveyed. 3
- 1868: A road between Tamworth and Gunnedah via Carroll surveyed and proclaimed a parish road. 3
- 1869: The Walcha to Bendemeer route is proclaimed as a parish road. 3
- 1879: A survey line completed from Gunnedah to Coonabarabran by surveyor Thomas Goodwin. 3
- 1882: The Thomas Goodwin survey line proclaimed a parish road. 3
- 1928: Tobins Creek Deviation between Yarras and Black Hill totalling 21 miles commenced. The Oxley Highway was proclaimed. The highway generally followed the line of existing roads but many sections of the route were soon improved as a result of the proclamation of the highway. 4
- 1929: Work begins on a 5 mile section of road at Yarrowitch. 3
- 1931: The Yarrowitch deviation is completed. 3
- 1932: Work on a 13 mile section of road to complete the link between Yarras and Yarrowitch begins. 3
- 1934: Completion of the Yarras to Yarrowitch roadway. Also work commenced on the Woolbrook to Bendemeer section of the highway. 3
- December 1935: Completion of works between Woolbrook and Bendemeer. 3
- 1969: Bituminous sealing of the route between Walcha and Wauchope. 4
- 1985: Bendemeer bypassed.
- 2001: Realignment of the highway at Bendemeer.
- February 2008: Work begins on 6 kilometre dual lane divided road upgrade of the Oxley Highway between Wrights Road and the Pacific Highway at Port Macquarie. 5
Port Macquarie to Coonabarabran
Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign on Hastings River Dr at Port Macquarie, approaching Ocean Dr and Gordon St (TD10), August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Advance Directional Sign:
Northbound AD sign on Pacific Hwy (A1) at Lake Innes approaching Oxley Hwy (B56), August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Advance Directional Sign:
Northbound AD sign on offramp from Pacific Hwy (A1) at Lake Innes to Oxley Hwy (B56), August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Intersection Directional Sign:
Northbound ID sign on the interchange with Pacific Hwy (A1) at Lake Innes to Oxley Hwy (B56), August 2013. TD5 is in error and should be TD8.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Distance Sign:
Reassurance directional sign at Harty's Plains, August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign facing Doyles River Rd at Doyles River, August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign approaching Thunderbolts Way (TD21) at Walcha, August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign approaching Kamilaroi Hwy (B51) at Gunnedah, September 2013. B56 turns right at this junction and the B51 duplex starts here too.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign assembly facing Newell Hwy (A39) at Coonabarabran, November 2012. This is the western terminus of B56.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Coonabarabran to Port Macquarie
Distance Sign:
RD sign near Newell Hwy (A39) as Oxley Hwy (B56) leaves Coonabarabran, November 2012.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Advance Directional Sign:
Oxley Hwy (B56 / B51) as it approaches the roundabout with Kamilaroi Hwy (B51) at Gunnedah, September 2013. The B51 duplex ends at this junction.
Image © Peter Renshaw
RD Sign:
Distance sign at Gunnedah, September 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw
NEW Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign on Oxley Hwy (Marius St) (B56), Tamworth, approaching New England Hwy (A15 / B56) and Murray St, April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands
NEW Reassurance Directional Sign:
Reassurance directional sign after the Oxley Hwy (Marius St) (B56), New England Hwy (A15 / B56) and Murray St roundabout at Tamworth, April 2019.
Image © Paul Rands
Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign facing Woolbrook Rd at Walcha Road, August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign approaching Thunderbolts Way (TD21) at Walcha, August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Distance Sign:
Reassurance directional sign at Harty's Plains, August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign facing John Oxley Dr (former Oxley Hwy) at Thrumster, August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign approaching Clifton Dr and Fernhill Rd at Port Macquarie, August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw
2 NSW Government, Department of Main Roads, Journal of Department of Main Roads, March 1953.
3 NSW Government, Department of Main Roads, Historical Roads of New South Wales, Oxley Highway, Extract from March 1953 issue of "Main Roads" journal.
4 NSW Government, Department of Main Roads, The Roadmakers, A History of Main Roads in New South Wales, ISBN 0 7240 0439 4.
5 NSW Government, Roads and Traffic Authority, Oxley Highway upgrade, Community Update, June 2009.