Length:

2371 km (Mundabullangana to Northern Territory Border: 1649 km)

Termini:

Eastern: (Northern Section) WA-NT Border, Lake Argyle

Western: (Northern Section) Great Northern Hwy (NH95) and North West Coastal Hwy (NR1), Mundabullangana (near Port Hedland)

Miscellaneous:

Northern Section continues in Northern Territory as Victoria Hwy (A1)

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Northern Section: Mundabullangana (near Port Hedland), Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Warmun, Wijilawarrim (near Wyndham) and Kununurra

Current: 1

Former: 1

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

H006 (Wijilawarrim (near Wyndham) to Mundabullangana (near Port Hedland))

H011 (NT Border to Wijilawarrim (near Wyndham))

General Information:

National Highway 1 is split into 2 segments in Western Australia and is the only paved route linking Western Australia with the eastern states. Along the southern end of WA it is known as Eyre Highway, which is a 2 lane undivided rural highway that runs from the WA-SA border near Eucla to Norseman in Western Australia's mining country. At the northern end of WA, it is known as Great Northern Highway and Victoria Highway. Great Northern Highway travels from Port Hedland to Wyndham, and then from there National Highway 1 is known as the Victoria Highway to the WA-NT border. At each western terminus of National Highway 1, the route continues as National Route 1, and the Auslink funded National Highway is routed via other route numbers through the state.

The northern section is subject to seasonal weather closures, usually during cyclone season.

National Highway 1 from Port Hedland to the Northern Territory border forms part of the main land transport link between Perth and the Kimberley and the only sealed road connecting Perth with the Northern Territory. ²

It's a rural highway, generally featuring 1 lane in each direction. The route forms part of the Savannah Way which traverses the 3 states - Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland. Savannah Way in WA runs from Broome to the NT Border, which shares over 1050 km with NH1 in WA.

Great Northern Highway:

1974: National Route 1 replaced by National Highway 1 with the introduction of the federally funded The National Highway system. ³

February 2005: Opening to traffic of four new bridges and associated roadworks at Elvire River, Palm Creek, Upper Panton River and Roses Yard Creek. This project was part of an ongoing strategy to upgrade Great Northern Highway between Halls Creek and Victoria Highway. The new bridges provide significant safety and access improvements over the old floodway crossings, which were subject to annual closures of up to three weeks. ²

August 2008: Reconstruction and strengthening of the Mt Wynne Bridge between Broome and Fitzroy Crossing. Also upgrade works to the 13 km Colourstone section of the Great Northern Highway between Broome and Derby. The project involved rehabilitation and widening of the existing pavement. ²

Victoria Highway:

1974: National Route 1 replaced by National Highway 1 with the introduction of the federally funded The National Highway system. ³

July 2008: Bridges at Frog Hollow and Mistake Creeks near Warmun strengthened to increase their structural capacity and upgraded guard railing installed. New guard railing also installed at the bridge over Dunham River on Victoria Highway. Other highway upgrades include work to improve pavement strength, road alignment, road safety and overall flood serviceability at Elvire to Sandy Creek (20 km north of Halls Creek), Fletchers Creek Bridge (120 km north of Halls Creek), Big Mabel Creek Bridge (20 km south of Warmun), Telegraph Creek Bridge (20 km north of Warmun) and Bow River (20 km north of Warmun). ²

Mundabullangana to Northern Territory Border

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Great Northern Hwy at Wyndham approaching the NH1 section of Great Northern Hwy and Victoria Hwy. September 2008.

Image © Kate Pilling

Great Northern Hwy / Victoria Hwy Junction:

ID sign showing the NH1 section of Great Northern Hwy near Wyndham. September 2008.

Image © Kate Pilling

Distance Sign:

Large RD on Victoria Hwy as you leave Wyndham after the Great Northern Hwy intersection, September 2008.

Image © Kate Pilling

Entering Kununurra:

Entering the town of Kununurra, September 2008.

Image © Kate Pilling

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Lake Argyle Road (Parker Road) (TD256) near Kununurra. September 2008.

Image © Kate Pilling

Intersection Directional Sign Assembly:

ID signs on the intersection with Lake Argyle Road (Parker Road) (TD256) near Kununurra. September 2008.

Image © Kate Pilling

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Kunnunurra, September 2008.

Image © Kate Pilling

Northern Territory Border to Mundabullangana

NEW Welcome to Western Australia:

Welcome sign at the NT-WA Border near Lake Argyle, July 2023.

Image © Marcus Allan

Black Distance Sign:

Black reassurance directional sign located after the Quarantine Checkpoint, Lake Arygle, September 2008. This sign has since been replaced.

Image © Kate Pilling

Entering Kununurra:

Sign indicating the town of Kununurra, September 2008.

Image © Kate Pilling

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Victoria Hwy approaching the Great Northern Hwy. NH1 turns left at this intersection to connect to Port Hedland and other towns south of Wyndham, September 2008.

Image © Kate Pilling

Great Northern Hwy / Victoria Hwy Junction:

ID sign showing the NH1 section of Great Northern Hwy near Wyndham. September 2008.

Image © Kate Pilling

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Great Northern Hwy (NH1) approaching Marble Bar Rd (SR138), August 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry