Maryborough–Biggenden Road is an road route in the

Fraser Coast The Fraser Coast Region is a local government area in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, the state capital. It is centred on the twin cities of Hervey Bay and Maryborough and also contains Fraser I ...

and North Burnett regions of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. The entire route is signed as State Route 86. The Maryborough–Biggenden Road (number 478) is a state-controlled district road, rated as a local road of regional significance (LRRS). Road 478 is not continuous from end to end, being broken midway by a part of Brooweena - Woolooga Road (number 487) and by Boompa Road (number 479).

Route description

The road commences at an intersection with Ferry Street (State Route 57) in Maryborough. It leaves Maryborough as Alice Street, running north-west until it reaches the

Bruce Highway The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast on its way to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is part of the Australian Na ...

which it crosses at a roundabout intersection. It then enters the locality of

Maryborough West Maryborough West or West Maryborough () is a barony in County Laois (formerly called ''Queen's County'' or ''County Leix''), Ireland. Etymology Maryborough is the former name of the town of Portlaoise, established in 1548 and named after Qu ...

where it continues north-west as Alma Street, running parallel to the Mary River. The road enters Oakhurst and continues west while the Mary River turns south-west. It passes the northern end of Mungar Road and crosses the North Coast railway line just south of

Maryborough West railway station Maryborough West railway station is located on the North Coast line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the city of Maryborough. History Maryborough West was opened in 1989 as a replacement for Maryborough and Baddow stations, when the latt ...

. After passing through farmland to the south of Wongi Forest Reserve, it veers to the south-west and passes through or beside several rural localities and Thinoomba State Forest before reaching Aramara, the site of a former railway station on the now defunct

Mungar Junction to Monto railway line The Mungar Junction to Monto railway line is a railway in Queensland, Australia. Progressively opened in eleven stages between 1889 and 1928 the line branched from the North Coast line at Mungar Junction a short distance west of Maryborou ...

which opened to

Brooweena Brooweena is a rural town and locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Brooweena had a population of 104 people. Geography The town is located in the Wide Bay–Burnett area and is north of the state capital, Brisban ...

in 1889 and to

Biggenden Biggenden is a rural town and locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Biggenden had a population of 845 people. Geography Biggenden is on the Isis Highway north-west of the state capital Brisbane, and west of M ...

in 1891. It then runs west to Booweena before again turning south-west to Teebar where it follows part of Brooweena - Woolooga Road, and then west and north on Boompa Road to Boompa, the site of another former railway station. From there it continues north-west via

Lakeside Lakeside or Lake Side may refer to: Places Australia * Lakeside College, Pakenham, Victoria * Lakeside Joondalup Shopping City, Joondalup, Western Australia * Lakeside, near Reservoir, Victoria * Lakeside International Raceway, Pine Rivers, Quee ...

to Biggenden, passing to the north of

Mount Walsh National Park Mount Walsh is a national park in Queensland, Australia, northwest of Brisbane. A prominent landmark in the Biggenden region is the granite bluff area of Mount Walsh which rises to above sea level in the northern part of park. The summit has ...

. It enters Biggenden as George Street and terminates at an intersection with the

Isis Highway The Isis Highway is a state highway in southern Queensland, Australia. The highway is relatively short, and runs for in a north-east / south-west direction between Bundaberg North and the Burnett Highway at Ban Ban Springs. The Isis Highway link ...

(State Route 52).

History

Pastoral leases were taken up in the Fraser Coast Region from 1843 and European settlement of what is now Maryborough began in 1847, with a survey for a township done in 1850. It was proclaimed a port of entry in 1859 and a municipality in 1861, and soon became a major port of entry for immigrants whose final destination was more accessible from Maryborough than from Brisbane. In 1865,

Cobb & Co Cobb & Co was the name used by many successful sometimes quite independent Australian coaching businesses. The first was established in 1853 by American Freeman Cobb and his partners. The name Cobb & Co grew to great prominence in the late 19th ...

expanded into Queensland and soon established a depot in Maryborough to service the flow of immigrants. While the

Gympie goldfield During the Australian gold rushes, starting in 1851, significant numbers of workers moved from elsewhere in Australia and overseas to where gold had been discovered. Gold had been found several times before, but the colonial government of Ne ...

was the destination of some, others were bound for the Upper Burnett Region or further west. A track suitable for stagecoaches was soon cut through to Biggenden and beyond. An undated Cobb & Co route map shows, as well as the route to

Gympie Gympie ( ) is a city and a Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Wide Bay-Burnett District, Gympie is about north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city lies on the Mary River (Queen ...

, a coach route from Maryborough to the Shamrock goldfield near

Degilbo Degilbo is a rural town and locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Degilbo had a population of 174 people. History The name ''Degilbo'' was the name of a pastoral run owned by William Henry Walsh ( ...

, which would have passed through Biggenden. Biggenden was founded in 1889 as a service centre for the nearby gold mining areas of

Paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...

and Shamrock, and for coach passengers travelling west from Maryborough. The arrival of the railway in 1891 reduced the usage of the road, but other factors soon led to increased demands for road improvements. Settlements grew around the railway stations, resulting in more road-going vehicles, and some pastoral leases were partly opened up for closer settlement, further increasing the need for reliable roads. In 1887, of land were resumed from the Teebar pastoral run for the establishment of small farms. The land was offered for selection on 17 April 1887. The opening of new farms led to the development of roads from Brooweena and Boompa to Teebar.

The missing link

It is almost certain that the stagecoach track followed a more direct route from Brooweena to Boompa than the present road. The railway line certainly followed a more direct path. The former rail line alignment can be clearly seen on the satellite view in Google Maps. An unsealed road runs between the two villages, closely following the rail line. After the railway line was opened west of Brooweena, there was little need for a direct road link from there to Boompa, given the existence of an alternate route via Teebar that was being improved to service the farms in that locality. This situation remains to the present day.

Intersecting state-controlled roads

This road intersects with the following state-controlled roads: * Mungar Road * Brooweena-Woolooga Road * Boompa Road

Mungar Road

Mungar Road (number 4807) is a state-controlled district road rated as a local road of regional significance (LRRS). It runs from Maryborough–Biggenden Road in , travelling via , to the

in , a distance of . It services communities on the western side of the Mary River as far south as

St Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

before crossing the river to Tiaro. This road has no major intersections.

Brooweena–Woolooga Road

Brooweena–Woolooga Road (number 487) is a state-controlled district road rated as a local road of regional significance (LRRS). It runs from Maryborough–Biggenden Road in to as part of Maryborough - Biggenden Road, and then continues south to Bauple–Woolooga Road in

Woolooga Woolooga is a rural town and locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the the locality of Woolooga had a population of 247 people. The town is located in the Gympie Region local government area, north of the state capital, Bri ...

, a total distance of . This road intersects with Boompa Road in Teebar.

Boompa Road

Boompa Road (number 479) is a state-controlled district road rated as a local road of regional significance (LRRS). It runs from Brooweena–Woolooga Road in to Maryborough–Biggenden Road in as part of Maryborough–Biggenden Road (State Route 86), a distance of . This road has no major intersections.

Major intersections

All distances are from Google Maps.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maryborough-Biggenden Road Roads in Queensland