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Mitchell Highway (National Route 71) (Decommissioned)

Statistics:

• Length: NSW: 337 km (QLD (A71) & NSW Total: 654 km)
• Northern Terminus: NSW / QLD Border north of Barringun
• Southern Terminus: Barrier Highway (NR32) / Mitchell Highway (NR32) intersection
• Miscellaneous: Continues as Mitchell Highway (A71) to Charleville QLD and continues as Mitchell Highway (NR32) from Nyngan NSW.
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Nyngan, Girilambone, Coolabah, Byrock, Bourke, Enngonia and Barringun

Route Numbering:

• Former:
• Road Authority Internal Classification: State Highway No. 7 1
• Decommissioned: 2013

General Information:

The Mitchell Highway, named after Major Thomas Mitchell, who was Surveyor-General of New South Wales in the 1820s and explored much of inland New South Wales and Victoria.

The route consists of typical NSW rural highway standard, undivided single carriageway.

History:

• 1930s: Formation of the route to Bourke. 2
• 9 October 1936: A proclamation was published in the Government Gazette, indicating the road from Bathurst, through Bourke to the Queensland border at Barringun, formerly known as the North-western Highway was named the Mitchell Highway in order to perpetuate the name of Sir Thomas Mitchell, one time Surveyor-General of New South Wales and a noted Australian explorer. 3
• 1958: Reconstruction between Bourke and Queensland border and bitumous surfacing construction for 13 miles in the Bourke area. 2
• 1965: Further reconstruction and sealing between Bourke and Queensland, in various sections, as required, eventually totalling 67 miles. 2
• 6 November 1972: Completion of sealing along entire length of Mitchell Hwy, with the finalisation of sealing along an 85 mile length from Bourke to Queensland Border. 2

Click here for photos of the former Mitchell Highway alignment.

Nyngan to QLD Border			QLD Border To Nyngan
Preview:	Description:		Preview:	Description:
	Distance Sign: RD sign at Nyngan on the outskirts of town. August 2008. Click here for a photo of this location by Michael Greenslade from December 2003. Image © Rick Wardle			NSW Welcome Sign: Crossing from QLD into NSW, southbound, at Barringun. August 2008. Image © Rick Wardle
	Distance Sign: Another distance sign but for rest areas, this time leaving Nyngan. August 2008. Image © Rick Wardle			Kidman Way Sign: Southbound sign on Mitchell Hwy (NR71) at Barringun showing the towns along the Kidman Way, which starts in Bourke. August 2008. Image © Rick Wardle
	No Fuel Sign: Typical NSW sign indicating no service stations for a specified distance. This one is leaving Bourke. August 2008. Image © Rick Wardle			Advance Directional Sign: Southbound AD sign on Mitchell Hwy (NR71) (Warraweena St) in Bourke as you approach the intersection with Kamilaroi Hwy (NR37) (Mitchell St). Kidman Way reference should be prefixed with "To" as it does not originate as this junction. August 2008. Image © Rick Wardle
	Black Intersection Directional Sign: Black ID sign at the Lednapper Crossing Rd between Bourke and the Queensland border. August 2008. Image © Rick Wardle			Entering Nyngan: Mitchell Hwy (NR71) as it enters the town of Nyngan. August 2008. Image © Rick Wardle
Click here for the continuation of Mitchell Highway as NR32 between Nyngan and Bathurst.

1 Roads & Traffic Authority
2 Department of Main Roads, The Roadmakers, A History of Main Roads in New South Wales, ISBN 0 7240 0439 4
3 Department of Main Roads New South Wales , Main Road Journal, June 1956

Last updated: 11-Sep-2020 20:14

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