The Horsley Drive
The Horsley Drive is a 13-kilometre (8.1 mi)[1] urban sealed road located in the City of Fairfield in Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The road's northwestern terminus is located at the entrance of Western Sydney Parklands in Horsley Park and its southeastern terminus at its intersection with Hume Highway in Carramar.[3]
The Horsley Drive | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The Horsley Drive, near Westlink M7 exit, in Horsley Park | |
  West end East end | |
| Coordinates |
|
| General information | |
| Type | Road |
| Length | 14.7 km (9.1 mi)[1] |
| Gazetted | March 1970[2] |
| Major junctions | |
| West end | Arundel Road Horsley Park, Sydney |
| |
| East end |  Hume HighwayCarramar, Sydney |
| Location(s) | |
| Major suburbs | Horsley Park, Bossley Park, Wetherill Park, Smithfield, Fairfield, Fairfield East, Carramar, Villawood |
Route
The Horsley Drive commences at the intersection of Arundel Road and the entrance to Horsley House in Horsley Park and heads in an easterly direction as a two-lane, single-carriageway road, widening to a four-lane road at the intersection with Wallgrove Road and the interchange with Westlink M7, and further to a dual-carriageway road at the roundabout with Cowpasture Road through the Wetherill Park industrial area, before narrowing back to a single carriageway road through Smithfield, where it meets Cumberland Highway. It continues in a southeasterly direction through Fairfield, to eventually terminate at the intersection with Hume Highway in Carramar.
There are three main pedestrian and cycle access points to The Horsley Drive: at the intersections with Westlink M7, Ferrers Road, and the Upper Canal System. Recreational areas situated on the road include Wetherill Park Nature Reserve and several picnic spots in Western Sydney Parklands such as Lizard Log.
History
Horsley Park was originally part of Colonel George Johnston's 2,000-acre (8.1 km2) property "Kings Gift". After his death it passed to his daughter Blanche who in 1829 married Major George Nicholas Weston. He built an Indian colonial style homestead on the property and named it "Horsley" after his birthplace in Surrey, England. In 1959, The Horsley Drive (so named because it leads to Horsley Park) opened up as a continuous route from Carramar. Fairfield Hospital was constructed on The Horsley Drive in Fairfield on September 1956, but was then relocated in 1988.[4]
The passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924[5] 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 the Department of Main Roads, and eventually Transport for NSW). With the subsequent passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[6] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, the Department of Main Roads (having succeeded the MRB in 1932) declared Main Road 609 along the eastern half of The Horsley Drive, from the intersection with Hume Highway in Carramar to the intersection with Liverpool Road (today Cumberland Highway) in Smithfield, on 25 March 1970;[2] this was extended west along the western half of The Horsley Drive from Smithfield to the intersection with Wallgrove Road in Horsley Park on 15 February 1991.[7] It was later re-aligned to run along Victoria and Elizabeth Streets through Smithfield and Wetherill Park respectively, instead of The Horsley Drive, on 12 March 2010.[8]
The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[9] updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, The Horsley Drive retains its declaration as part of Main Road 609.[10]
Major intersections
The Horsley Drive is entirely contained within the Fairfield City Council local government area.
| Location | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horsley Park | 0.0 | 0.0 | Arundel Road – Horsley Park | Western terminus of road at entranceway to Horsley Home | |
| 0.8 | 0.50 | Wallgrove Road – Minchinbury, Cecil Hills | |||
| 1.0 | 0.62 |  Westlink M7 (M7) – Dean Park, Bella Vista, Prestons | Diamond interchange | ||
| 2.5 | 1.6 | Ferrars Road – Eastern Creek | |||
| Wetherill Park–Abbotsbury–Bossley Park tripoint | 3.5 | 2.2 | Cowpasture Road – Hinchinbrook, Horningsea Park | Roundabout | |
| Smithfield | 9.5 | 5.9 |  Smithfield Road (Cumberland Highway) (A28) – Wahroonga, Pennant Hills, Parramatta, Liverpool | ||
| Fairfield | 12.3 | 7.6 | Old Main South railway line | ||
| Carramar–Fairfield East–Villawood tripoint | 13.9 | 8.6 | Main Southern railway line | ||
| Carramar–Villawood–Lansdowne tripoint | 14.7 | 9.1 | Hume Highway (A22) – Summer Hill, Liverpool | Eastern terminus of road | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
See also
References
- Google (12 July 2023). "The Horlsey Drive" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- "Main Roads Act, 1924-1967". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 56. National Library of Australia. 24 April 1970. p. 1493. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- Bob Oakley & Associates Heritage Consultants. 2005. Indigenous Heritage Assessment Proposed Upgrade The Horsley Drive Westlink M7 to Cowpasture Road Horsley Park, Sydney NSW. Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW, Sydney, Australia.
- The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, p.2/24
- State of New South Wales, An Act to provide for the better construction, maintenance, and financing of main roads; to provide for developmental roads; to constitute a Main Roads Board Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
- State of New South Wales, An Act to amend the Main Roads Act, 1924-1927; to confer certain further powers upon the Main Roads Board; to amend the Local Government Act, 1919, and certain other Acts; to validate certain payments and other matters; and for purposes connected therewith. Archived 12 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 8 April 1929
- "State Roads Act". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 31. National Library of Australia. 15 February 1991. pp. 1441–3. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- "Roads Act 1993" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 38. Legislation NSW. 12 March 2010. pp. 1248–51. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- State of New South Wales, An Act to make provision with respect to the roads of New South Wales; to repeal the State Roads Act 1986, the Crown and Other Roads Act 1990 and certain other enactments; and for other purposes. Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
- Transport for NSW (August 2022). "Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2022.