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Sturt Highway

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120-542: Sturt Highway is an Australian national highway in New South Wales , Victoria, and South Australia . It is an important road link for the transport of passengers and freight between Sydney and Adelaide and the regions along the route. Initially an amalgam of trunk routes , the 947-kilometre (588 mi) Sturt Highway was proclaimed a state highway in 1933. In 1955, the Australian Government gazetted

240-544: A ropewalk for 4 pence a day. His next work was in a brickyard, describing it as "breaking stones on the Queen's highway with hardly enough clothing to protect him from the cold". He was then apprenticed to John Holding, a bone and ivory turner at Birmingham , and around 1832 joined the Birmingham political union. Between then and 1838 he was associated with the political movements that aimed to improve living and working conditions for

360-707: A "radical". He was generally in favour of Sir John Robertson's land policy, of the extension of education, and of free trade. He was a strong supporter of free trade , immigration programmes and education reforms. He was also strongly in favour of developing manufactures as he was of encouraging agriculture. He introduced laws that gave the Government the power to employ teachers and create public schools, abolished government funding to religious schools and improved prisons. Parkes also believed in immigration, and his well-known powers as an orator led to his being sent to England with William Dalley as commissioners of emigration at

480-631: A bill to establish the proposed federal council was introduced by him and passed through both the New South Wales houses. This was afterwards shelved by the action of the Secretary of State for the Colonies. Various other conferences were held in the next 20 years at which the question came up, in which Parkes took a leading part, but in October 1884 he was blowing cold and suggesting that it would be "better to let

600-543: A bitter struggle to make ends meet. After the loss of their two children at an early age and a few unsuccessful weeks living in London, Parkes and his wife emigrated to New South Wales . They travelled aboard the Strathfieldsaye , which arrived at Sydney on 25 July 1839. Another child was born two days before. On arrival they had only a few shillings between them and had to sell their belongings as Parkes looked for work. He

720-453: A bridge across the harbour, and a railway line going inland from North Shore. The ministry was defeated and was succeeded by a Robertson ministry which lasted only two months. The next ministry, under Sir Patrick Jennings , lasted nine months and was defeated in January 1887. In the meantime, Robertson had retired from politics and Parkes, as leader of the opposition, formed a ministry and obtained

840-438: A dispute with the colony of Victoria over a question of border duties, and Parkes effectively threw ridicule on the proceedings. When parliament met, the government was defeated and a dissolution was granted. In the general election which followed in which Parkes was generally recognised as the leader of the opposition, and the ministry was defeated at the polls. When parliament assembled, Parkes (now back representing East Sydney)

960-400: A dissolution. He fought a strenuous campaign pointing out that in the four years since he was last in office, the public debt had more than doubled and the surplus of £2,000,000 had become a deficit of £2,500,000. He proposed to do away with the recent increase in duties, to bring in an amended land act, and to create a body to control the railways free of political influence. Parkes' faction won

1080-513: A federal conference in 1890 and a Constitutional Convention in 1891 , the first of a series of meetings that led to the federation of Australia. He died in 1896, five years before this process was completed. He was described during his lifetime by The Times as "the most commanding figure in Australian politics". Alfred Deakin described Sir Henry Parkes as having flaws but nonetheless being "a large-brained self-educated Titan whose natural field

1200-558: A federal parliament for the conduct of national undertaking". Parkes convened the 1890 Federation Conference of February 1890 and may be considered the first real step towards Federation. In May he moved resolutions in the assembly approving of the proceedings of the conference that had just been held in Melbourne, and appointing him and three other members' delegates to the Sydney 1891 National Australasian Convention. On 18 May he broke his leg and

1320-501: A federation on 1 January 1901. The negotiations to form the federation followed directly from the conferences that Parkes had instigated. Parkes was known for his commanding personality and skills as an orator, despite having a minor speech impediment with controlling aspirates . He spoke to his supporters in plain, down-to-earth language, and pursued his causes with great determination. Some of his acquaintances perceived him as being vain, temperamental and even rude. Despite this, he had

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1440-463: A government, but Sir James Martin was sent for and Parkes was given the position of Colonial Secretary . This ministry remained in office for nearly three years, from January 1866 to October 1868. An important piece of legislation carried through was the Public Schools Act 1866, introduced by Parkes, which required teachers to have training and created a funding mechanism. A council of education

1560-530: A narrow majority. When parliament met, free trade was soon restored and there was a well-meant but abortive inquiry into the state of the civil service. Parkes campaigned against Chinese immigration at the point when it became a political issue. He was received with "loud and continuous cheers" in the Legislative Assembly when he spoke of the need "to terminate a moral and social pestilence, and preserve to ourselves and to our children unaltered and unspotted

1680-621: A number of changes since the National Roads Act 1974 was originally established in 1974. The 1974 Act empowered the Federal Minister for Transport to declare as a National Highway, any existing or proposed road in a State , which (in the Minister's opinion), was the main route between two State capitals ; a State capital and Canberra ; a State capital and Darwin ; Brisbane and Cairns ; Hobart and Burnie ; or any other road which, in

1800-479: A powerful race capable of taking a great hold upon the country, and because I want to preserve the type of my own nation . . . that I am and always have been opposed to the influx of Chinese." In spite of some discouragement from the British Government, he succeeded in passing an act of parliament which raised the entrance tax to £100 per head. Though Parkes was personally opposed to it, a Payment of Members Act

1920-403: A referendum, but strongly favoured a convention delegates being chosen by premiers, rather than elected by the public. In quest of his political enemy, Parkes stood against Reid at the 1895 general election for Sydney-King , winning 44 percent of the vote. In 1896 he sought to re-enter parliament at the bye-election for the seat of Waverley, winning just 11.5 percent of the vote. This proved to be

2040-498: A salary of £1000 a year each in May 1861. Parkes left his wife and five, soon to become six, children in poverty, on a rented farm at Werrington . Their duties were confined to diffusing information, and Parkes spoke at about 60 meetings at towns in the west and north of England and in Scotland. He felt that he had done good work, but it was difficult to say how much effect his words had. During

2160-530: A state funeral was declined, but a very large number of people attended when he was placed by the side of his first wife at Faulconbridge in the grounds of his former home in the Blue Mountains. His portrait by the artist Julian Ashton is in a public collection in Sydney. Parkes was described during his lifetime by The Times as "the most commanding figure in Australian politics". Alfred Deakin described him as "though not rich or versatile, his personality

2280-789: A supporter of federation. After his departure from the Customs Service, Parkes worked in the private sector. He worked as an ivory and bone turner and later ran a shop of his own in Hunter Street. At one stage, he owned several newspapers, including The People's Advocate and New South Wales Vindicator Empire . He was not successful as a businessman and eventually went bankrupt after running up debts totaling £48,500. He continued to support Australian culture and published poetry in his newspapers. During his early years in Australia, Parkes took an interest in political issues. Most notably, he joined

2400-577: A voyage, but he declined to allow this to be brought forward. He also vetoed a suggestion that a substantial testimonial should be presented to him by his friends. Parkes decided to visit England at his own expenses. He stayed in America for about six weeks on his way to Europe and did his best to make Australia better known. In England, he was received as an honoured guest. Parkes argued in favour of good relations between England and her colonies while also arguing for their right to self-determination ; "the softer

2520-464: A warm reception when he met Thomas Carlyle and Alfred, Lord Tennyson while visiting the UK. He was interested in early Australian literary men, having been a friend of both Harpur and Kendall . He had received almost no formal education, but educated himself by reading widely. Parkes was not successful as a businessman or at managing his personal finances, and he had little wealth at the time of his death. On

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2640-500: Is current as of September 2012. Under AusLink a program that operated between July 2004 and 2009, the AusLink National Network had additional links, both road and rail. The Federal Government encouraged funding from state, territory and local governments and public–private partnerships to upgrade the network and requires state government funding contributions on parts of the network, especially for new links. For example,

2760-599: Is expected to start late in 2022 and be completed by the end of 2026. The project will adjust the alignment to reduce the steep hill between the Murray Flats and Truro. It will be built to a standard suitable for triple road trains . There is a proposed Mildura Truck Bypass, to be funded by Auslink 2. From east to west, the Sturt Highway follows much of the course of the Murrumbidgee River, on its southern banks, from

2880-567: Is sometimes used colloquially to describe the sea lines of communication between the state of Victoria on the Australian mainland and island state of Tasmania across the Bass Strait . The 16,000 kilometres (9,900 mi) of roads included in the original National Highway system had large variations in road quality. Some sections were no more than dirt tracks, whilst others were four lane dual carriageways. While 12,496 kilometres (7,765 mi)

3000-566: The Colony of New South Wales , the present-day state of New South Wales in the Commonwealth of Australia . He has been referred to as the "Father of Federation" due to his early promotion for the federation of the six colonies of Australia , as an early critic of British convict transportation and as a proponent for the expansion of the Australian continental rail network . Parkes delivered his famous Tenterfield Oration in 1889, which yielded

3120-501: The Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929 to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, these were amended to State Highways 4 and 6 and Trunk Road 58 on 8 April 1929. Mid-Western Highway was rerouted between Gunbar and Balranald to pass through Hay, and the western end of Trunk Road 58 was truncated to meet it at Hay, on 24 September 1929. The route of the main road from Narrandera to Darlington Point had shifted to

3240-777: The Main Roads Act of 1924 through the Parliament of New South Wales provided for the declaration of Main Roads, roads partially funded by the State government through the Main Roads Board (later Transport for NSW ). Main Road No. 4 was declared along this road from the intersection with Hume Highway from Lower Tarcutta to Wagga Wagga (and continuing eastwards via Tumut, Adaminaby, Cooma, and Bega to Tathra) as part of Monaro Highway , Main Road No. 6

3360-459: The North Riding of Cumberland . Parkes sat in this parliament for about six months but then resigned at the end of August 1858 on account of his insolvency. His liabilities were estimated at £50,000 and his assets at £48,500. The issuing of a certificate of insolvency was bitterly opposed and the proceedings were long drawn out. An investigation of Parkes' accounts found he had generally acted under

3480-541: The Northern Expressway and Northern Connector were assigned as route M2, route A20 reverted to following Main North Road south to Gepps Cross . A new alignment is proposed to be built to the north of the town of Truro , to remove the highway traffic from the main street of the town. The bypass is proposed to be funded by the Australian government for $ 161.6 million and state government $ 40.4 million. Construction

3600-714: The Pacific Highway and the Calder Highway are part of the National Network, yet new projects are being funded 50/50 by federal and state governments. State contributions (generally 20%) are required on some sections of the old network near major cities. The various superseded Acts defined National Highways as roads, or a series of connected roads, that were the primary connection between two State or Territory capital cities, as well as between Brisbane and Cairns , and between Hobart and Burnie . The term " Sea Highway "

3720-476: The 14 months he was in England he met Thomas Carlyle . He returned to Australia in January 1863. In August he opposed J. B. Darvall at East Maitland and was defeated; but in the following year, was elected for Kiama . In January 1866 the premier, Charles Cowper , resigned in consequence of an amendment moved by Parkes having been carried. Strictly speaking the governor should have asked Parkes whether he could form

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3840-545: The 1920s, with the federal government contributing to major roads managed by the state and territory governments. However, the Federal Government did not completely fund any roads until 1974, when the Whitlam government introduced the National Roads Act 1974 . Under the act, the states were still responsible for road construction and maintenance, but were fully compensated for money spent on approved projects. In 1977,

3960-641: The 1974 Act was replaced by the State Grants (Roads) Act 1977 , which contained similar provisions for the definition of "National Highways". In 1988, the National Highway became redefined under the Australian Land Transport Development (ALTD) Act 1988 , which had various amendments up to 2003. The 1988 Act was largely concerned with funding road development in cooperation with the state governments. The federal transport minister defined

4080-548: The 2000s and 2010s to help make it safer with the high volume of traffic. Major 'S'-bend curves near Waikerie were realigned, and further upgrades to the road were performed up to 2012. The original route of Sturt Highway in the Riverland passing through Berri and Glossop was bypassed to pass through Monash in 1995. The former alignment is now known as the Old Sturt Highway , route B201. The original route passed through

4200-518: The Auslink National Network after the implementation of the new Act, which occurred in 2005. All of the existing routes of the National Highway prior to 2005 were included in the new network. The routes added with the inception of the 2005 Act (as described in Appendix 1 referenced above, some of the descriptions are somewhat ambiguous but clarified in the ensuing regulations) are: Changes to

4320-534: The British M, A, B, C classifications. These states have retained the original National Highway numbering and shield decal, having added the appropriate M and A classification. The following roads were part of the original National Highway network. Most are still signposted with National Highway route markers. In 2013, New South Wales introduced a new alphanumeric route numbering system, which no longer includes national highways. Australia's National Highway Network has had

4440-483: The Commonwealth of Australia was framed. Parkes proposed the name of Commonwealth of Australia for the new nation. When it was about to be submitted to the New South Wales assembly, George Reid on the address-in-reply moved an amendment hostile to the bill. Parkes then announced that in view of Reid's amendment he proposed to put the federal bill third on the list. Dibbs moved a vote of no confidence, defeated only on

4560-463: The Customs Department after a disagreement with Colonel Gibbes over a press leak that concerned the alleged behaviour of one of Parkes' co-workers. Despite this, Parkes would continue to remain on friendly terms with Gibbes and his family for the rest of his life. Gibbes' grandson, Frederick Jamison Gibbes, was also a member of the Parliament of New South Wales in the 1880s and like Parkes became

4680-530: The Duke was shot in the back by one Henry James O'Farrell . The would-be assassin was Irish, and at the time claimed he was a Fenian . The wound, while painful, was not fatal. Despite the Duke's requests for leniency, the colonial government allowed O'Farrell to be executed. O'Farrell had, in the meantime, admitted he was not really a member of the Fenians, but by the time of the execution other acts of violence connected with

4800-605: The English explorer, travelled from Limestone Plains (now Canberra ) to Adelaide via this route in 1837, as did Charles Sturt in 1838. Eyre on his second run to South Australia headed west, following the northern bank of the Murrumbidgee River instead, crossing it at its junction with the Murray close to Boundary Bend , and travelled to Adelaide from there. The road pioneered by Eyre in 1839 left Hume Highway at Gundagai and followed

4920-576: The Federal Government does not contribute funding on the same basis. The following roads in and around Sydney are currently part of the designated National Land Transport Network In addition to the network of federally funded National Highways defined in 1974, there was also a system of "national routes". This scheme, which predated the National Highways in 1953, was a plan to coordinate State road authorities to allocate consistent highway numbers to major highways which traversed more than one State, for

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5040-471: The Fenians (most notably the murder of D'Arcy McGee in Canada) spurred anti-Fenian and anti-Irish Catholic feelings. Parkes pushed anti-Fenianism hard. For a while his claims of a vast Fenian conspiracy in New South Wales gained some traction, but when nothing further occurred public opinion began to reverse and he was accused of being anti-Irish. As a result, his political position was weakened. He resigned from

5160-590: The Legislative Council elections. The following year, he supported a petition to the Parliament of the United Kingdom for fewer restrictions on voting. He spoke in favour of universal suffrage for the first time. Parkes thought his own speech a very weak performance. The petition succeeded in securing less restrictive voting requirements. On 8 June 1849, Parkes attended a protest in Circular Quay against

5280-583: The Martin ministry in September 1868, and for the next three and a half years was out of office. In the first year of the Robertson government he moved a want-of-confidence motion which was defeated by four votes. Parkes continued to be one of the most conspicuous figures in the house, and at the 1869 election was returned at the head of the poll for East Sydney. In 1870, Henry Parkes was again in financial difficulties and

5400-429: The Minister's opinion, was important enough to be a National Highway. Subsequent replacement legislation in 1977, 1988, and 2005, along with other intervening amendments, contained similar provisions. Notably, important roads to near-metropolitan locations such as Geelong , Bunbury and Wollongong were added in 2005, although not within the original concept of interstate National Highways. The original components of

5520-426: The National Highway network for the first time. As sections of existing highways were upgraded or replaced by nearby parallel routes of a new higher standard, the "National Highway" designation was usually moved onto the new part of the route. The principal route between Sydney and Newcastle was shifted from the old Pacific Highway onto the new Sydney-Newcastle freeway in nine separate stages between 1966 and 1999 as

5640-455: The National Highway were officially declared on 20 September 1974, as "links" and terminated at the edge of each capital city. The parts of the routes within the major urban areas were not defined as National Highways, and the Sturt and Newell highway routes were not included in the original 1974 network. In June 1995, as a condition of federal funding, the National Highway route in New South Wales

5760-482: The National Land Transport Network made in 2007 Changes to the National Land Transport Network made in 2008 Changes to the National Land Transport Network made in 2009 In Sydney, only a subset of the network of motorways and major roads in the Sydney metropolitan area are part of the current National Land Transport (Roads) Network, the rest are not part of the national network and therefore

5880-587: The South Australian border as late as 1914 ran along the northern bank of the Murrumbidgee to Darlington Point – a bridge was built across the river in 1905, replacing a punt service operating from 1886 – and then continued along the river's southern bank to Hay, crossing the river again (a bridge in Hay was opened in 1874 by Sir Henry Parkes , replacing a ferry service operating since the 1850s). The route then travelled

6000-658: The Sturt's eastern terminus with the Hume Motorway . At Balranald , the Sturt Highway crosses the Murrumbidgee, carrying the highway to the north of the river via the Balranald Bridge. To the west and south-west, Sturt Highway crosses the Murray four times: The bridge at Blanchetown was originally opened in 1964. It replaced cable ferries, and was itself replaced in 1998 in response to concern about its ability to continue to carry B-double trucks. The bridge at Kingston On Murray

6120-475: The Upper House. The combination was unexpected, due to Parkes' rivalry with Robertson; nonetheless it produced two years of stable government after years of instability. It amended the electoral law, brought in a new education act, improved the water-supply and sewerage systems, appointed stipendiary magistrates, and regulated the liability of employers with regard to injuries to workers. In the 1880 election, Parkes

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6240-522: The advice of his banker, and he was ultimately exonerated by the chief commissioner in insolvency of any fraudulent intent. Relieved of his heavy work on the Empire , which was continued in other hands, Parkes stood for parliament and was elected for East Sydney on 10 June 1854. He stood as an independent candidate, but in the list of candidates elected he was described by the Sydney Morning Herald as

6360-568: The announcement of his appointment was made on 11 November 1873, Butler took the opportunity to make a statement, read publicly the correspondence between Parkes and himself, and resigned his seat in the cabinet. Parkes was accused of manoeuvring to get rid of Butler, who was seen as an opponent within Parkes' faction, but no evidence was found to support this. The ministry continued to government, though it did not succeed in creating an elected upper house. Two or three unsuccessful attempts were made to oust

6480-548: The anti-climactic end of his 40 year long career in the New South Wales Parliament. In 1887, a sum of £9,000 had been collected by his friends and placed in the hands of trustees for investment. From this fund he had been receiving an income of over £500 a year, but the financial crisis of 1893 reduced this to little more than £200. Parkes was obliged to sell his collection of autograph letters and many other things that he valued, to provide for his household. A movement

6600-457: The arrival of a convict ship in Sydney. He continued to support the anti-transportation cause with writings and speeches, until the British Government ended almost all transportation to Australia in 1853. In December 1850, Parkes founded the Empire newspaper. At first a broadsheet only published weekly, it soon became a daily. Parkes was loyal to the British Empire, but also wanted critics of

6720-511: The border with New South Wales in Mildura . None of the Sturt Highway was originally constructed as dual-carriageway . Work began in January 2007 to upgrade the highway to a four-lane, dual-carriageway road between Gawler Bypass and Greenock in the Barossa Valley. The project was completed in 2010 with budget savings directed towards further Sturt Highway improvements. Northern Expressway

6840-433: The casting vote of the speaker, and Parkes resigned on 22 October 1891. Parkes, now 77 years old, was replaced by Reid as the leader of the free traders, and he henceforth sat as an independent member. Parkes' political energies were now wholly occupied by Federation. In response to pressure from Parkes, Reid endorsed a scheme of a second, directly elected federal convention, followed by a referendum. Parkes had already mooted

6960-566: The components of the National Highway, and also a category of "Road of National Importance" (RONI), with federal funding implications. Section 10.5 of the Act required the state road authorities to place frequent, prominent, signs on the National Highways and RONI projects funded by the federal government. In 2005, the National Highway became the National Land Transport Network, under the AusLink (National Land Transport) Act 2005 . The criteria for inclusion in

7080-414: The convenience of travellers. The most notable example is "Highway 1", which follows the periphery of the continent, and only parts of which form part of the former National Highway and current National Land Transport (Roads) Network. Henry Parkes Sir Henry Parkes , GCMG (27 May 1815 – 27 April 1896) was a colonial Australian politician and the longest-serving non-consecutive premier of

7200-427: The cords" he said "the stronger will be the union between us". Among the friends he made in England was Tennyson , and Lord Leigh, being aware that Parkes had been born at Stoneleigh, invited him to stay at Stoneleigh Abbey. Parkes was able to visit the farmhouse where he was born and the church where he was christened. On his way home, he visited Melbourne where he was given a banquet on 15 August 1882. Two days later he

7320-535: The decision to use the route from Goondiwindi to Brisbane via the Gore Highway and Toowoomba, rather than the Cunningham Highway (via Warwick), was not finalized until October 1993. These were the only two major routes added to the National Highway network between 1974 and 2005. In addition, the urban ends of intercity routes, and some link roads and ring roads joining national routes, were explicitly added to

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7440-604: The duties in New South Wales that practically it became a free trade colony. Generally there was a forward policy. His government also sponsored the building of railway and telegraph lines and reduced some taxes. In 1873 the retirement of Sir Alfred Stephen , the Chief Justice, led Parkes into controversy. Parkes appears to have encouraged his Attorney-General, E. Butler to believe that he would be appointed Chief Justice of New South Wales. Opposition developed in many quarters and Parkes decided to appoint Sir James Martin instead. When

7560-473: The earlier national route network. Many of the routes that are now National Highways with the signature green and gold shields, continue beyond the official National Highway as the black and white shielded national routes. Certain stretches of the National Highways have "A" and "M" tag on their shields; particularly those in Victoria and South Australia. They have completely revised their route numbering, basing it on

7680-403: The end of 1856, he resigned his seat to focus on saving the newspaper business. He was not successful, and the liabilities of the paper amounted to £50,000. Though his friends tried to ease the situation by advancing the sum required to pay off a mortgage of £11,000 in 1858, the position became hopeless. Early in that year, Parkes had entered the Legislative Assembly again, this time as member for

7800-493: The ensuing election Parkes was returned with a small majority and formed his fifth administration, which began in March 1889 and lasted until October 1891. The proposal to join the colonies of Australia into a federation became a major political issue. As far back as 1867, Parkes had said at an intercolonial conference: "I think the time has arrived when these colonies should be united by some federal bond of connexion." Shortly afterwards,

7920-485: The establishment to have a voice. As a result, the paper became critical of the incumbent Governor Charles Augustus FitzRoy and the rest of the colonial government. He also attacked William Wentworth 's plans to introduce self-governance because it proposed an unelected Legislative Council and a restrictive franchise for the elected Legislative Assembly. The proposal was eventually passed after some amendments to make it more democratic. Some years later, Parkes said that, "in

8040-519: The extension of the power of the people, increased facilities for education and a bold railway policy. In any event, Parkes began his political career quietly. He was with the minority faction in the Legislative Council, and he and his political allies could afford to bide their time until the new constitution came into force. His workload at the Empire office was extremely heavy, and in December 1855 he announced his intention of retiring from parliament. He

8160-483: The federal National Roads Act 1974 , where roads declared as a National Highway were still the responsibility of the states for road construction and maintenance, but were fully compensated by the Federal government for money spent on approved projects. As an important interstate link between the capitals of New South Wales and South Australia, Sturt Highway was declared a National Highway in 1992. With all three states' conversion to their newer alphanumeric systems between

8280-413: The freeway was progressively implemented. Similar changes were made as the Hume Highway was re-developed. Appendix 1 of the 'Auslink (National Land Transport) Bill' of 2004 , listed the routes which were proposed to be included in 'The Auslink National Network'. The listing included here distinguished between the components of the "former National Highway system", and the additional routes to be added to

8400-474: The government without success, but in February 1875, Governor Robinson 's decision to release of the bushranger Frank Gardiner led to the defeat of the ministry. Subsequent discussions between Robinson, Parkes and the Colonial Office clarified the governor's responsibilities in pardoning prisoners. When Parkes was defeated Robertson came into power, and for the next two years little was done of real importance. Parkes became tired of his position as leader of

8520-515: The growing movement in the colony for self-governance. This was already a major political issue; the New South Wales Legislative Council had been reformed in 1843 to include elected members for the first time. He also became an opponent of the transportation of convicts to Australia and a supporter of land reform . He voiced his opinions on political issues in Atlas and the People's Advocate . He first became involved in politics in 1848 when he worked for Robert Lowe in his successful campaign in

8640-563: The heated opposition to the objectionable parts of Mr Wentworth's scheme, no sufficient attention was given to its great merits". Wentworth went to England to support the bill in its passage through the British Parliament in 1854, and resigned his seat as a representative for the City of Sydney . Charles Kemp and Parkes were nominated for the vacancy, and the latter was successful by 1427 votes to 779. Parkes in his election speeches had advocated

8760-563: The highway as a National Route, and upgraded it to a National Highway in 1992, forming the Sydney-Adelaide Link. Sturt Highway is allocated as route A20 for its entire length, the majority of which is a single carriageway , and freeway standard and 6-lane arterial road standard towards its western terminus in Gawler. The highway is the shortest, highest-standard route between Sydney and Adelaide. It runs generally east–west, roughly aligned to

8880-555: The highway passes through the city of Wagga Wagga and the towns of Narrandera , Darlington Point , Hay , Balranald , and Euston , leaving New South Wales by crossing the Murray River into Victoria from Buronga to Mildura . The highway continues more or less due west through the northwest of Victoria before entering South Australia. In South Australia, Sturt Highway passes Renmark , Monash , Barmera , Waikerie , Blanchetown and Nuriootpa , before reaching its western terminus at

9000-416: The idea of federation mature in men's minds", and New South Wales then stood out of the proposed federal council scheme. In October 1889 a report on the defences of Australia suggested among other things the federation of the forces of all the Australian colonies and a uniform gauge for railways. Parkes had come to the conclusion that the time had come for a new federal movement. He now felt more confidence in

9120-510: The interchange with Gawler Bypass and Northern Expressway on the outskirts of Gawler . The route now known as Sturt Highway originated from stock routes cut across southern New South Wales through the 19th century: overlanders would travel from Sydney's Main South Road (now Hume Highway ) to Albury , and follow along the southern bank of the Murray River to Adelaide . Edward John Eyre ,

9240-445: The intersection with Hume Highway at Lower Tarcutta via Wagga Wagga, Hay, Balranald, Euston and Wentworth to the state border with South Australia, subsuming the existing portions of Monaro Highway (State Highway 4) between Wagga Wagga and Lower Tarcutta, Sturt Trunk Road (Trunk Road 58) from Wagga Wagga to Hay, and Mid-Western Highway (State Highway 6) from Hay to the state border with South Australia. eventually to Adelaide via Renmark;

9360-485: The intersection with Hume Highway north of Tarcutta to the bridge over the Murray River at Mildura. The passing of the Road Management Act 2004 through the Parliament of Victoria granted the responsibility of overall management and development of Victoria's major arterial roads to VicRoads : in 2004, VicRoads re-declared Sturt Highway (Arterial #6610) from the border with South Australia at Murray-Sunset to

9480-470: The issue, a dissolution was obtained. Parkes' faction was not only defeated, but Parkes lost his own seat at East Sydney. He was soon returned to Parliament in another constituency ( Tenterfield ) but he took little interest in politics for some time. He went to England as representative of a Sydney financial company and did not return until August 1884, having been absent 14 months. In November, he resigned his seat and announced his retirement from politics. He

9600-505: The late 1990s to the early 2010s, its former route number was updated to A20 for the highway within Victoria (in 1997), South Australia (in 1998), and eventually the New South Wales section (in 2013). The passing of the Roads Act of 1993 through the Parliament of New South Wales updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, Sturt Highway today retains its declaration as Highway 14, from

9720-615: The middle of the Barossa Valley , along what is now the Barossa Valley Way . This first changed to a route passing to the north of Nuriootpa , around to the north and west of Gawler on the Gawler Bypass and Main North Road to Gepps Cross . It later changed to use the Northern Expressway instead. The more recent road duplication led to it bypassing Daveyston and Shea-Oak Log instead of passing through these small towns. When

9840-526: The movement and on 15 October 1889 telegraphed to the premiers of the other colonies suggesting a conference. On 24 October 1889, at the Tenterfield School of Arts , Parkes delivered the Tenterfield Oration . The oration was seen as a clarion call to federalists and he called for a convention "to devise the constitution which would be necessary for bringing into existence a federal government with

9960-572: The network was similar to the previous legislation, but expanded to include connections to major commercial centres, and inter-modal facilities . All of the roads included in National Land Transport Network as of 2005 were formally defined by regulation in October 2005. The Minister for Transport may alter the list of roads included in the network. Three amendments to the scheduled list of roads have been made, in February 2007, September 2008 and February 2009. The third variation, published in February 2009,

10080-418: The northern bank of the Murrumbidgee through the sites of Wagga Wagga, Narrandera, Hay and Balranald, and the north bank of the Murray River through the sites of Euston and Wentworth , passing north of Lake Victoria to the border with South Australia and onwards to Renmark. By 1852 a mail service by horseback operated from Wagga Wagga as far west as Balranald. The route used by coaches between Wagga Wagga and

10200-420: The northern side of the Murrumbidgee through Maude and Balranald and onwards to Adelaide. By 1919 the route from Hay had been altered to travel the river's southern bank to Maude, before departing the water course for a more-direct route to Balranald, crossing the river there by a bridge opened in 1876. By 1928, the route had shifted south of the Murrumbidgee River between Tarcutta and Narrandera. The passing of

10320-457: The officials. His ongoing financial woes had become a matter of some public notoriety, causing the barrister and fellow politician, William Dalley, to remark of Parkes, in 1872, that, "If he lives long, he will rule not over a nation of admirers and friends, but of creditors". It was not until December 1871 that a seat could be found for him and he was then elected at a by-election for Mudgee . The Martin-Robertson ministry had involved itself in

10440-468: The opposition and resigned early in 1877. In March, the Robertson ministry was defeated and Parkes formed one which lasted five months. The parties were equally divided and business was sometimes at a standstill. Parkes said of this ministry that it had "as smooth a time as the toad under the harrow". Robertson returned to the Premiership from August to December 1877, including an election in October. Parkes

10560-435: The other hand, his governments managed their finances well, largely due to the treasurers he appointed. Although he was not a socialist, he supported improving the living standards of the working class. He was less ambitious with social reform legislation in the later years of his career, due to the strong conservative opposition he encountered. In 1891, as Premier, he repulsed as "barbarous" a proposal to remove from Aboriginals

10680-456: The rights and privileges which we have received from our forefathers". Along with many politicians of his day, Parkes avoided the claim that the Chinese and other Asians should be excluded because they were an "inferior" race. Some years before, he had said of them: "They are a superior set of people . . . a nation of an old and deep-rooted civilisation. . . . It is because I believe the Chinese to be

10800-410: The southern bank of the Murrumbidgee River in New South Wales. Following that river's confluence with the Murray River , it is then roughly aligned to the Murray through north-western Victoria and eastern South Australia, before it heads towards the northern outskirts of Adelaide. The eastern terminus of Sturt Highway is at a junction with Hume Highway at Tarcutta , near Gundagai . Heading west,

10920-568: The southern side of the river at this stage, thus following the present route east from Balranald. On 16 September 1930, the road between Wagga Wagga and Hay (Trunk Road 58) was named Sturt Trunk Road , in honour of Captain Charles Sturt who explored the area a century earlier and opened it up for agriculture. The Department of Main Roads , which had succeeded the MRB in the previous year, declared Sturt Highway as State Highway 14 on 8 August 1933, from

11040-500: The upper portion of the shield, above the highway's number. The shield, text and number are coloured yellow while the background is dark green – the national colours of Australia . In 2014, the route makers retained the national colours, although the word "NATIONAL" was removed in the Australian Capital Territory , New South Wales , and parts of both Queensland and Victoria . National Highway numbering originates from

11160-502: The western end of Monaro Highway (today Snowy Mountains Highway ) was truncated to meet Hume Highway in Tarcutta, and the western end of Mid-Western Highway was truncated to meet Sturt Highway in Hay, as a result. On 1 July 1938, the South Australian government decreed "the road from Gawler through Blanchetown to the border beyond Renmark will be known as the Sturt Highway", to join with the same road in New South Wales. In 1939, Sturt Highway

11280-426: The working classes. As a young adult, Parkes educated himself by reading extensively, and also developed an interest in poetry. In 1835, he wrote poems (later included in his first volume of poems) that were addressed to Clarinda Varney, the daughter of a local butcher. On 11 July 1836 he married Clarinda Varney and went to live in a single room home. Parkes commenced business on his own account in Birmingham and had

11400-452: Was against him, on 31 March he won a by-election in Argyle . When he took his seat in September objection was taken to claims of parliamentary corruption he had made when resigning from Parliament in 1884, and Sir Alexander Stuart moved a resolution affirming that the words he had used were a gross libel on the house. His motion was carried by four votes. Parkes did not apologise, but his ministry

11520-412: Was back in Sydney. When Parkes returned, the government was apparently in no danger, and the topic of political debate turned to land reform. This aimed to reduce the amount of land that was in the hands of the large graziers and reduce dummying . Parkes had argued for land reform as far back as 1877, and Robertson's bill only proposed comparatively unimportant amendments. The government was defeated over

11640-524: Was built at the south-western end of Sturt Highway, as part of an AusLink / Government of South Australia project to build a new freeway-standard road, as part of the North–South Corridor project, providing better access for road transport to Port Adelaide and the industrial areas west and northwest of Adelaide. Other projects in South Australia include a number of overtaking lanes added in

11760-403: Was declared from Balranald via Euston and Wentworth to the state border with South Australia (and continuing eastwards via Oxley, Booligal, Gunbar, Rankins Springs, Wyalong and Cowra to Bathurst) as part of Mid-Western Highway , and Main Road No. 58 was declared from Hay via Narranderra to Wagga Wagga (and continuing westwards via Maude to Oxley), on the same day, 8 August 1928. With the passing of

11880-438: Was discouraged from going further. One of the supporters of the ministry moved that Parkes should be expelled but only obtained the support of his seconder. In October 1885 parliament was dissolved, the government was reconstructed and George Dibbs became Premier of New South Wales. At the election Parkes stood against Dibbs at St Leonards, and defeated him by 476 votes. Among the reasons for Parkes' victory were his campaign for

12000-439: Was elected leader of the opposition. The acting-governor had sent for William Forster before parliament met, but he was unable to form a ministry, and in May 1872 Parkes formed his first ministry which was to last for nearly three years. Parkes had always supported free trade, and his convictions were strengthened during a visit to England when he met Cobden and other leading advocates. During his first administration, he reduced

12120-485: Was eventually employed as a labourer with John Jamison , one of the colony's wealthiest settlers, on the Regentville estate near Penrith . He was paid with £ 25 a year and food rations. After spending six months at Regentville, he returned to Sydney and worked in various low-paying jobs, first with an ironmongery store and then with a firm of engineers and brass-founders. About a year after his arrival in Sydney, Parkes

12240-419: Was formed, and for the first four years after the passing of the act Parkes filled the office of president. As a result of the act, many new schools were established all over the colony. Parkes also initiated the introduction of nurses from England trained by Florence Nightingale . In 1867 to 1868 Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (Queen Victoria's second oldest son) visited the Australian colonies. On 12 March 1868

12360-569: Was found in Parliament". Parkes was born in Canley (now a suburb of Coventry ) in Warwickshire, England, and christened in the nearby village of Stoneleigh . His father, Thomas Parkes, was a small-scale tenant farmer. His mother, Martha Falconbridge, died in 1842 and would serve as the namesake for his home in New South Wales . He received little formal education, and at an early age was working on

12480-523: Was hired by the New South Wales Customs Department as a tide waiter , and given the task of inspecting merchant vessels to guard against smuggling. He had been recommended for this post by Jamison's son-in-law, William John Gibbes, who was the manager of Regentville and the son of Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes who led the Customs Department. Parkes' financial position improved due to his stable new government job, even though he

12600-412: Was laid up for some time. It was 14 weeks before he was able to be assisted to his seat in the house. When the convention met on 2 March 1891 Parkes was appointed as its president. The next business was the debating of a series of resolutions proposed by Parkes as a preliminary interchange of ideas and a laying down of guiding principles. It was at this convention that the first draft of a bill to constitute

12720-515: Was made in December 1895 to obtain a grant for him from the government but nothing had been done when he fell ill in April 1896. Towards the end of his life, Parkes resided at Kenilworth , a Gothic mansion in Johnston Street, Annandale , a Sydney suburb. Its owner sought the prestige of having Parkes as a tenant, and gave favourable terms. He died on 27 April; by that time he was living in poverty. He

12840-489: Was massive, durable and imposing, resting upon elementary qualities of human nature elevated by a strong mind. He was cast in the mould of a great man and though he suffered from numerous pettinesses, spites and failings, he was in himself a large-brained self-educated Titan whose natural field was found in Parliament and whose resources of character and intellect enabled him in his later years to overshadow all his contemporaries". Five years after Parkes' death, Australia became

12960-527: Was now 70 years old. He opened an office in Pitt Street as representative of the financial association which had sent him to England, and remained in this position until 1887. He could not, however, keep long away from politics. At the beginning of 1885 W. B. Dalley, while acting-premier, offered a contingent of troops to go to the Sudan and the offer was accepted. Parkes strongly disapproved and, though public opinion

13080-481: Was obliged to resign his seat. He had been in business as a merchant in a comparatively large way, and when declared insolvent he had liabilities of £32,000 and assets of £13,300. He was at once re-elected for Kiama, but an extremely hostile article in the Sydney Morning Herald led to his resigning again. The suggestion had been made that his presence in the assembly while in the insolvency court might influence

13200-561: Was opened in 1973, also replacing a very busy ferry crossing. South Australia Victoria New South Wales National Highway (Australia) The National Highway (part of the National Land Transport Network ) is a system of roads connecting all mainland states and territories of Australia , and is the major network of highways and motorways connecting Australia's capital cities and major regional centres. National funding for roads began in

13320-681: Was passed, and two important and valuable measures, the Government Railways Act and the Public Works Act both became law. The government, however, was defeated on allegations that William Meeke Fehon , whom he had appointed a rail commissioner, was corrupt. His wife Clarinda Varney (after whom Clarinda Falls at Faulconbridge, New South Wales were named) died in 1888. A year later, he married Eleanor Dixon. In February 1889, Parkes opened Fairfield Public School in Western Sydney . At

13440-516: Was persuaded to alter his mind, and a month later he stood as a liberal candidate for Sydney City in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly . The first parliament under responsible government commenced on 22 May 1856 but, for some months, no stable government could be formed. Parkes was once offered office but declined as he felt he would be deserting his friends. The Empire was not profitable despite its reputation. Around

13560-611: Was required to remove existing tolling on the former F3 and former F6 inter-urban freeways, even though the former F6 did not become part of a National Highway until 2005. The Sydney to Adelaide route via the Hume and Sturt highways, and the Melbourne to Brisbane route via the Newell Highway, were added as links of the National Highway network in November 1992 under the 1988 Act, however

13680-534: Was rerouted to run via Mildura , using the former alignment of Murray Valley Highway , to make it the most direct route to Adelaide. Murray Valley Highway had been constructed in 1927 to provide a shorter, all-weather road connection between Mildura and Renmark, and was declared a State Highway by the Country Roads Board of Victoria in September 1932. Sturt Highway was signed National Route 20 across its entire length in 1955. The Whitlam government introduced

13800-403: Was returned for Canterbury . James Squire Farnell then formed a stop-gap ministry which existed for a year from December 1877 to December 1878. In the middle of this year Parkes made a tour of the western districts of the colony speaking at many country centres. This gave him many opportunities of criticising the government then in power. At the end of the year it was defeated, but the situation

13920-530: Was returned for St Leonards . When the Parkes Government left office in there was a large surplus in the New South Wales Treasury. Towards the end of 1881 Parkes was in bad health. He still kept up his habit of working long hours, and except for week-end visits to his house in the mountains he had no relaxation. It was suggested that a grant should be made by Parliament to enable him to go away on

14040-472: Was sealed, there was also 3,807 kilometres (2,366 mi) worth of gravel roads. The National Highway was gradually improved, with the sealed proportion increased from 73 per cent in the early 1970s to 88 per cent by 1981. The sealing works were completed in 1989. Since 2005, National Highways were no longer defined in federal legislation. However, the routes were marked with a National Highway route marker up until 2013. These markers have "NATIONAL" printed in

14160-420: Was still burdened with a backlog of undischarged debts. Parkes continued to write poetry. A volume entitled Stolen Moments was published in Sydney in 1842. He met the poet Charles Harpur and William Augustine Duncan , the editor of a local newspaper; he mentions in his Fifty Years of Australian History , that these two men became his "chief advisers in matters of intellectual resource". In early 1846, he left

14280-474: Was still obscure, because the parties led by Robertson and Parkes were nearly equal. Robertson tried to form a government but failed, and tired of the unsatisfactory position which he was confronted with, resigned his seat in the Legislative Assembly. He was then approached by Parkes, and a government was formed with Robertson as vice-president of the Executive Council and representative of the government in

14400-565: Was survived by his third wife, five daughters and one son of the first marriage, and five sons and one daughter by the second. One of his sons, Varney Parkes , an architect, entered parliament and was postmaster-general in the Reid ministry from August 1898 to September 1899. Another, Cobden Parkes, eventually became the New South Wales Government Architect. Parkes had left directions that his funeral should be as simple as possible;

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