Road Photos & Information: New South Wales
Silver City Highway and Calder Highway (National Route 79) (Decommissioned)
Statistics:
- Length:
- 274 km
- Termini:
- Northern: Barrier Hwy (NR32) and Argent St (unnumbered), Broken Hill
- Southern: VIC Border (Murray River), Curlwaa
- Miscellaneous:
- Continues as Calder Hwy (A79) in Victoria
- Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:
- Curlwaa, Wentworth, Buronga, Mourguong, Dareton, Curlwaa, Wentworth, Anabranch, South Broken Hill and Broken Hill
Route Numbering:
- Current: B79
- Former: 79
- Road Authority Internal Classification: 1
- HW22
General Information:
The Silver City Highway is the western most highway in NSW running north / south for 660 km. Over half of the highway is sealed in areas that get the most use. 2 The Silver City Highway then continues from Broken Hill, unnumbered, to the Queensland border at Warri Gate and passes through generally arid country. 3
The name "Silver City Highway" was given to the road for the reason that its primary purpose is to connect the city of Broken Hill with points north and south and to serve the great silver-lead industry of the area. The road has a wider significance from an Australian point of view, as it connects directly with the road systems of Victoria and Western Queensland. At Broken Hill it intersects the Barrier Highway which, some 48 km to the west, connects with the South Australian road system. In effect therefore, the Silver City Highway serves to connect the road systems of four of the States of the Commonwealth, and because of this, consideration was given, at one stage, to naming it the "Four States Highway". 4
At its southern end, National Route 79 was signposted in 2 different directions. At Curlwaa, signs reported NR79 travelling south via Calder Highway to the Abbotsford Bridge over the Murray River into Victoria to connect with Calder Hwy (A79), but the signs also reported NR79 travelling from Curlwaa to Buronga to meet the Sturt Hwy (NH20), as such both alignments are shown on this page as there are no clear maps or descriptions available to confirm which alignment is the correct one, including GIS data. Given that NR79 joins A79 at the Victoria border at Curlwaa, and there was no duplex of NR79 along NH20, it can be assumed that the signage between Curlwaa and Buronga is incorrect.
History:
- 1893: Timber bridge over the Darling River at Wentworth was constructed. 4
- 1925: Construction of Abbotsford Bridge over Murray River.
- 1928: Abbotsford Bridge opened to traffic.
- 1969: Sealing of the last 19.5 miles of gravel surface on the Silver City Highway between Wentworth and Broken Hill completed. 5
- 23 January 1969: Replacement Bridge over the Darling River at Wentworth opened to traffic. The bridge is 532 feet long, is two lanes wide, and features six spans, one of which is a lift span. 4
- 12 November 1976: State Highway 22, later Highway 22, gazetted. 6
- 2013: National Route 79 decommissioned and replaced by B79 between Curlwaa and Broken Hill.
Click or tap here for photos of the unnumbered section of Silver City Highway between Broken Hill and the Queensland Border
VIC Border to Broken Hill
Abbotsford Bridge:
NSW-Vic Border / Murray River at Curlwaa, 2001. This is the southern terminus of Silver City Hwy (NR79), and the vantage point is Calder Hwy (A79) at Yelta in Victoria.
Image © Jamie Scuglia
Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign on Silver City Hwy (NR79) approaching Patton St, Broken Hill, June 2012.
Image © Peter Renshaw
UPDATED Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign at Broken Hill approaching Gypsum St, June 2012. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Jamie Scuglia from 2003.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign approaching Crystal St and Iodide St, Broken Hill, June 2012.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Intersection Directional Signs:
ID signs on the corner of Iodide St and Crystal St in Broken Hill, June 2012.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign at Broken Hill approaching Barrier Hwy (NR32) and Iodide St, June 2012. NR79 turns right at this junction.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign at Broken Hill at the intersection with Barrier Hwy (NR32) and Iodide St, June 2012. NR79 turns right at this junction.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Intersection Directional Sign:
ID sign at Broken Hill at the intersection with William St, June 2012.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Reassurance Directional Sign:
Distance sign as Silver City Hwy (NR79) leaves the Broken Hill township, June 2012.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Broken Hill to VIC Border
Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign on Bonanza St in Broken Hill approaching Silver City Hwy (NR79), June 2012.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Distance Sign:
RD sign looking south at South Broken Hill, June 2012.
Image © Peter Renshaw
Distance Sign:
RD sign looking south at South Broken Hill, December 2003.
Image © Michael Greenslade
Adams Street & Sandwych Street:
Corner of Silver City Hwy (NR79), Adamss St and Sandwych St at Wentworth, January 2004.
Image © Michael Greenslade
Darling River:
Silver City Hwy (NR24) as it crosses Darling River at Wentworth, January 2004.
Image © Michael Greenslade
Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign at Curlwaa showing NR79 both via Silver City Hwy and Calder Hwy (Abbotsford Rd), January 2004.
Image © Michael Greenslade
Reassurance Directional Sign:
Distance sign at Curlwaa, January 2004.
Image © Michael Greenslade
2 Broken Hill City Council, About The City, Accessibility.
3 NSW Government, Department of Main Roads, The Roadmakers, A History of Main Roads in New South Wales, ISBN 0724004394, page 236,1976.
4 NSW Government, Department of Main Roads, Historical Roads of New South Wales, Silver City Highway, an extract from Main Roads, September 1962.
5 Western Herald, Silver City Highway Construction, Page 5, 22 November 1968.
6 NSW Government, Government Gazette, Issue 145, 12 November 1976.