Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
s Highway 1 is a network of highways that circumnavigate the country, joining all mainland capital cities except the national capital of
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
. At a total length of approximately it is the longest national highway in the world, surpassing the
Trans-Siberian Highway
The Trans-Siberian Highway is the unofficial name for a network of federal highways that span the width of Russia from the Baltic Sea of the Atlantic Ocean to the Sea of Japan. In the Asian Highway Network, the route is known as AH6. It stretche ...
(over ) and the
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway ( French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Atlantic Ocean o ...
(). Over a million people traverse some part of the highway network every day.
History
Highway 1 was created as part of the
National Route Numbering system, adopted in 1955.
The route was compiled from an existing network of
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
and
local
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
* Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administrat ...
roads and tracks.
Highway 1 is the only route to reach across all Australian states, plus the Northern Territory. Many of the other national routes are tributaries of Highway 1.
Under the original Highway 1 scheme, certain major traffic routes that ran parallel to the main route were designated National Route Alternative 1. Most of these route designations have been replaced by either a state route designation, or an alpha-numeric route designation, depending on which state the section is in. An example of the Alternative 1 designation remaining is on the
old Princes Highway route from Dandenong to South Melbourne in Victoria.
Route markers
The entirety of Highway 1 was originally marked with a National Route 1 shield (black number on a white shield). In 1974, the segments of the route that were declared part of the
National Highway network were updated to use the National Highway shield (gold number on a green shield).
Since that time, all states and territories except for
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
have adopted (or are in the process of adopting) alphanumeric route numbers. As a consequence, much of Highway 1 is now marked with a M1, A1 or B1 route marker (depending on the route's quality and importance). A notable exception is in
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
, which was the first state to adopt alphanumeric route numbers but Highway 1 is still marked with a National Highway 1 shield.
In
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
, sections of Highway 1 which were once part of the
National Highway are marked as A1 or M1 but retain the National Highway "shield".
Track
Large sections of Highway 1 are shared with the Australian
National Highway, though the two are not synonymous. Where they diverge, Highway 1 follows a coastal route, such as the
Princes Highway
Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...
from Sydney to Melbourne, whereas the National Highway follows an inland (and generally more direct) route between major cities, such as the
Hume Highway and Freeway from Sydney to Melbourne.
![PrincesHighwayMoruya](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/PrincesHighwayMoruya.jpg)
From
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, it heads southwards to
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
and onwards toward
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
. This section mostly follows the
Princes Highway
Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...
, except sections where that highway has been bypassed by freeways. It leaves the Sydney central business district via the
Eastern Distributor
The Eastern Distributor is a motorway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Part of the M1, the motorway links the Sydney central business district with Sydney Airport. The centre-piece is a tunnel running from Woolloomooloo to Surry Hills. ...
, and continues southward through the Sydney metropolitan area via
Southern Cross Drive
:''Distinguish from the road of the same name in Cape Town, South Africa, on the eastern side of Table Mountain.''
The Southern Cross Drive is a dual carriage untolled motorway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Part of the M1 and Syd ...
,
General Holmes Drive
General Holmes Drive is a major divided road located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The road forms part of the M1, the A1, the Sydney Orbital Network, and the Australian Highway 1 network. Initially built in 1919 as a two-lane road ...
, The Grand Parade, President Avenue, and the
Princes Highway (NSW). From Sydney's southern outskirts, it proceeds to
Wollongong
Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wate ...
via the
Princes Motorway
The Princes Motorway is a predominantly dual carriage untolled motorway that links Sydney to Wollongong and further south through the Illawarra region to . Part of the Australian Highway 1 network, the motorway is designated with the route ...
, which bypasses the parallel section of the Princes Highway. Highway 1 returns to the Princes Highway south of Wollongong, from which it traverses the length of the
NSW South Coast and into Victoria. East of Melbourne, Highway 1/Princes Highway turns into the eastern section of the
Princes Freeway
Princes Freeway is a Australian freeway, divided into two sections, both located in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The freeway links Melbourne to Geelong in the west, and to Morwell, Victoria, Morwell in the east. It continues be ...
. Within Melbourne, this freeway turns into the
Monash Freeway
The Monash Freeway is a major urban freeway in Victoria, Australia, linking Melbourne's CBD to its south-eastern suburbs and beyond to the Gippsland region. It carries up to 180,000 vehicles per day and is one of Australia's busiest freeways ...
, and then into
CityLink
CityLink is a network of tollways in Melbourne, Australia, linking the Tullamarine, West Gate and Monash Freeways and incorporating Bolte Bridge, Burnley Tunnel and other works. In 1996, Transurban was awarded the contract to augment two exi ...
, which passes just south of the Melbourne central business district.
Highway 1 exits Melbourne to the west via the
West Gate Freeway
The West Gate Freeway is a major freeway in Melbourne, the busiest urban freeway and the busiest road in Australia, carrying upwards of 200,000 vehicles per day. It links Geelong (via the Princes Freeway) and Melbourne's western suburbs to ce ...
and the western section of the
Princes Freeway
Princes Freeway is a Australian freeway, divided into two sections, both located in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The freeway links Melbourne to Geelong in the west, and to Morwell, Victoria, Morwell in the east. It continues be ...
towards
Geelong
Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...
, which it bypasses via the
Geelong Ring Road
The Geelong Ring Road (formerly known as the Geelong Bypass and the Geelong Outer Freeway, officially part of Princes Freeway West) is a freeway ring road in Australia beside Geelong's western suburbs from the Princes Freeway at Corio, Victoria ...
. It then proceeds west following the Princes Highway to
Warrnambool
Warrnambool ( Maar: ''Peetoop'' or ''Wheringkernitch'' or ''Warrnambool'') is a city on the south-western coast of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 census, Warrnambool had a population of 35,743. Situated on the Princes Highway, Warrnambool (Al ...
, into South Australia to
Mount Gambier
Mount Gambier is the second most populated city in South Australia, with an estimated urban population of 33,233 . The city is located on the slopes of Mount Gambier, a volcano in the south east of the state, about south-east of the capital Ad ...
, and then to Adelaide.
From there it runs to Perth via
Port Wakefield Road
Port Wakefield Highway (and its southern section as Port Wakefield Road) is an important South Australian highway, connecting Adelaide to the Yorke Peninsula, Port Augusta, northern and western South Australia, the Northern Territory and Wester ...
,
Augusta Highway
Augusta Highway is the part of Australia's ring route ( Highway 1) located in South Australia between Port Wakefield and Port Augusta.
Route
Augusta Highway starts at the intersection with Eyre and Stuart Highways in Port Augusta West, then ...
,
Eyre Highway
Eyre Highway is a highway linking Western Australia and South Australia via the Nullarbor Plain. Signed as National Highways 1 and A1, it forms part of Highway 1 and the Australian National Highway network linking Perth and Adelaide. It ...
,
Coolgardie-Esperance Highway,
South Coast Highway
South Coast Highway is a Western Australian highway. It is a part of the Highway 1 network.
With a length of , it runs from Esperance to Walpole roughly in parallel to Western Australia's south coast. Even then the journey is pretty much i ...
and
South Western Highway
South Western Highway is a highway in the South West region of Western Australia connecting Perth's southeast with Walpole. It is a part of the Highway 1 network for most of its length. It is about long.
Route description
Perth to Bunbury
...
.
It then heads to Darwin via
Brand Highway
Brand Highway is a main highway linking the northern outskirts of Perth to Geraldton in Western Australia. Together with North West Coastal Highway, it forms part of the Western Australian coastal link to the Northern Territory. The highway i ...
,
North West Coastal Highway
North West Coastal Highway is a generally north-south Western Australian highway which links the coastal city of Geraldton with the town of Port Hedland. The road, constructed as a sealed two-lane single carriageway, travels through remote and ...
,
Great Northern Highway
Great Northern Highway is an Australian highway that links Western Australia's capital city Perth with its northernmost port, Wyndham. With a length of almost , it is the longest highway in Australia, with the majority included as part of the ...
,
Victoria Highway
The Victoria Highway links the Great Northern Highway in Western Australia with the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory. The highway is a part of the Perth - Darwin National Highway link. It is signed as National Highway 1, and is par ...
, and
Stuart Highway
Stuart Highway is a major Australia, Australian highway. It runs from Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin, in the Northern Territory, via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to Port Augusta in South Australia; a distance of . Its northern and sou ...
.
From Darwin, Highway 1 follows the
Stuart Highway
Stuart Highway is a major Australia, Australian highway. It runs from Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin, in the Northern Territory, via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to Port Augusta in South Australia; a distance of . Its northern and sou ...
to
Daly Waters, and thereafter the
Carpentaria Highway
The Carpentaria Highway is a highway, which runs from near Daly Waters to Borroloola in the Northern Territory, Australia. It is a sealed road and is part of National Highway 1. The Highway takes its name from the Gulf of Carpentaria, which i ...
to
Borroloola
Borroloola ( local Aboriginal languages: ''Burrulula'') is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located on the McArthur River, about 50 km upstream from the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Location
Borroloola lies on the traditional c ...
. The
Savannah Way
The Savannah Way is a route of highways and major roads across the tropical savannahs of northern Australia, linking Cairns in Queensland with Broome in Western Australia. Promoted as a self-drive tourist route, it joins Cairns, Normanton, ...
is the largely unsignposted route for Highway 1 between the QLD/NT border, east of Borroloola, and
Normanton, Queensland
Normanton is an outback town and coastal locality in the Shire of Carpentaria, Queensland, Australia. In the the locality of Normanton had a population of 1,257 people, of whom 750 (60%) identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander pe ...
.
From there, it follows the
Gulf Developmental Road
Gulf Developmental Road is an Australian highway linking the Cairns and Normanton regions in northern Queensland, Australia. It is the only sealed (asphalt) road linking these two regions.
In the east, the road begins at an unnamed junction o ...
and
Kennedy Highway
The Kennedy Highway is a highway in northern Queensland, Australia. It runs as National Route 1 for approximately 243 km from Smithfield, on the northern outskirts of Cairns, to the Gulf Developmental Road in the vicinity of Forty Mile S ...
to
Cairns
Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
and southwards via 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 ...
to
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
.
It then returns to Sydney via the Queensland/northern NSW section of the
Pacific Motorway (QLD/NSW), the
Pacific Highway (NSW), and the Sydney–Newcastle section of the
Pacific Motorway. The motorway ends in Sydney's northern suburbs, and Highway 1 follows the Pacific Highway through Sydney's upper north shore, before turning onto the
Gore Hill Freeway
The Gore Hill Freeway is a divided freeway located in Sydney, New South Wales that is part of the Sydney Orbital Network and the Highway 1. The primary function of the freeway is to provide an alternative high-grade route from to and to red ...
,
Warringah Freeway
The Warringah Freeway (also known as the Warringah Expressway) is a divided freeway located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The freeway forms part of the M1, the Sydney Orbital Network, and the Highway 1 network. The primary fun ...
. It crosses beneath Sydney Harbour in the
Sydney Harbour Tunnel
The Sydney Harbour Tunnel is a twin-tube road tunnel in Sydney, Australia. The tunnel was completed and opened to traffic in August 1992 to provide a second vehicular crossing of Sydney Harbour to alleviate congestion on the Sydney Harbour Brid ...
, and follows the
Cahill Expressway
The Cahill Expressway is an urban freeway in Sydney and was the first freeway constructed in Australia, opening to traffic in 1958. It starts from the Eastern Distributor and Cross City Tunnel in Woolloomooloo, and runs through a series of s ...
for a short stretch before joining the Eastern Distributor.
In
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
it starts at the
Brooker Highway
The Brooker Highway is a highway in the State of Tasmania, Australia. As one of Hobart's 3 major radials, the highway connects traffic from the Hobart city centre with the northern suburbs and is the major road connection to the cities and town ...
in
Hobart
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
and heads towards
Launceston via the
Midland Highway. At Launceston it becomes the
Bass Highway to
Burnie
Burnie is a port city on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. When founded in 1827, it was named Emu Bay, being renamed after William Burnie, a director of the Van Diemen's Land Company, in the early 1840s.
, Burnie had an urban popul ...
. Highway 1 ends at Burnie; the Bass Highway continues to
Marrawah
Marrawah is a small town in the north of the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia. Marrawah is located in the former shire of Wellington, now part of the Circular Head Council area. At the 2006 census, Marrawah had a population of 407.
Marrawah ...
on the west coast as Highway A2.
Route markers
The Savannah Way section
The section from the eastern end of the Carpentaria Highway at
Borroloola
Borroloola ( local Aboriginal languages: ''Burrulula'') is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located on the McArthur River, about 50 km upstream from the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Location
Borroloola lies on the traditional c ...
in the Northern Territory to the western end of the Gulf Developmental Road near
Normanton in Queensland is part of the Savannah Way but has no highway name/s. Wollogorang Road runs from Borroloola to the NT/QLD border, and Westmoreland Road runs from there to
Doomadgee. From there Doomadgee Road runs to
Burketown
Burketown is an isolated outback town and coastal locality in the Shire of Burke, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Burketown had a population of 238 people.
It is located west of Cairns and west of Normanton on the Albert Riv ...
, and Nardoo Burketown Road then runs to the
Leichhardt River
The Leichhardt River is a river in north west Queensland, Australia.
Course
The source of the river is in the Selwyn Range under Rifle Creek Hill and fed by Rifle Creek approximately south of the mining town Mount Isa. It runs in a generally n ...
. Burketown Normanton Road runs from the river to the
Burke Developmental Road
The Burke Developmental Road is a Queensland (Australia) developmental road. It links Cloncurry and Normanton in a south–north direction, then turns to the north-east north of Normanton for before turning south-east till Dimbulah, where it ...
near Normanton. National Highway 1 follows this south for to the Gulf Developmental Road.
Road conditions
With such a vast length, road conditions vary greatly;
from multi-lane freeways in populous urban and rural areas, to sealed two-laners in remote areas, such as the
Nullarbor Plain
The Nullarbor Plain ( ; Latin: feminine of , 'no', and , 'tree') is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its ...
, to single lane roads, such as in northern
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_ ...
.
Some stretches are very isolated, such as the
Eyre Highway
Eyre Highway is a highway linking Western Australia and South Australia via the Nullarbor Plain. Signed as National Highways 1 and A1, it forms part of Highway 1 and the Australian National Highway network linking Perth and Adelaide. It ...
, which crosses the Nullarbor Plain, and the
Great Northern Highway
Great Northern Highway is an Australian highway that links Western Australia's capital city Perth with its northernmost port, Wyndham. With a length of almost , it is the longest highway in Australia, with the majority included as part of the ...
, which runs close to the north-western coastline. Isolated
roadhouses serving the small amount of passing traffic are often the only signs of human activity for hundreds of kilometres.
Highway 1 has been described as a "death trap",
particularly two-lane sections in northern Queensland, due to driver fatigue.
The vast distances between destinations and limited rest areas, especially those suitable to trucks, contribute to the problem.
Sights
Highway 1 covers practically every major inhabited part of Australia. Large capital cities, busy holiday resorts, dramatic coastlines, forests ranging from tropical to temperate gum forests, giant
karri
''Eucalyptus diversicolor'', commonly known as karri, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is Endemism, endemic to the Southwest Australia, south-west of Western Australia. It is a tall tree with smooth light grey to cre ...
stands, scrubland, deserts, and huge tropical swamps are some of the variety of landscapes that can be found along the route.
Stretches of Highway 1 are very popular with interstate and overseas tourists. A drive around Highway 1 with a major detour to
Uluru
Uluru (; pjt, Uluṟu ), also known as Ayers Rock ( ) and officially Gazette#Gazette as a verb, gazetted as UluruAyers Rock, is a large sandstone geological formation, formation in the centre of Australia. It is in the southern part of the ...
and back again practically covers most of Australia. The number 1 shield became part of the bush landscape to many travellers, truckers/truckies, and country people.
Record
On 18 June 2017 team Highway 1 to Hell set a new record for a complete lap of Australia.
[Caradvice.com.au- Around Australia speed record broken](_blank)
/ref> While there have been previous attempts (notably Motor Magazine's 2004 record of 6 days, 8 hours and 52 minutes) which skipped inland direct to Mt Isa, the Highway 1 to Hell team travelled the route of Highway 1 skipping Tasmania's stretch of road (equaling ) in 5 days, 13 hours and 43 minutes.
See also
* Highway 1 (New South Wales)
In New South Wales, Highway 1 is a long route that crosses the state, from the Queensland/New South Wales border near Tweed Heads to the Victorian border near Timbillica. It provides the main coastal route between and via . Highway 1 conti ...
* Highway 1 (Northern Territory)
In the Northern Territory, Highway 1 is a long route with a long spur, that connects Darwin to northern Western Australia and Queensland. The route traverses the territory, from the Western Australian border near Kununurra, to Katherine, an ...
* Highway 1 (Queensland)
In Queensland, Highway 1 is a long route that crosses the state, from the Northern Territory (NT) border near Wollogorang to Cairns, and then travels along the coastline to the New South Wales (NSW) border near Coolangatta. Highway 1 continue ...
* Highway 1 (South Australia)
In South Australia, Highway 1 is a long route that follows the coastline of the state, from the Victorian border near Mount Gambier to the Western Australian border near Eucla. Highway 1 continues around the rest of Australia, joining all ma ...
* Highway 1 (Tasmania)
In Tasmania, Highway 1 is a long route that connects Hobart to the state's north coast, and to Launceston, Tasmania, Launceston via a long spur. Highway 1 also exists on the mainland of Australia, linking the state capitals via a circular rou ...
* Highway 1 (Victoria)
In Victoria, Highway 1 is a long route that follows the coastline of the state, from the New South Wales border near Genoa to the South Australian border near Dartmoor. Highway 1 continues around the rest of Australia, joining all mainland st ...
* Highway 1 (Western Australia)
In Western Australia, Highway 1 is a long route around the state, from the South Australian border near Eucla to the Northern Territory border near Kununurra. Highway 1 continues around the rest of Australia, joining all mainland state capit ...
* Highways in Australia
Highways in Australia are generally high capacity roads managed by state and territory government agencies, though Australia's federal government contributes funding for important links between capital cities and major regional centres. Prio ...
* List of A1 roads
A list of road designation, roads designated A1 (disambiguation), A1, sorted by alphabetical order of country.
* A01 highway (Afghanistan), a long ring road or beltway connecting Kabul, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar
* A1 motorway (Albania), connecti ...
* List of highways numbered 1
The following highways are numbered 1.
For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads.
For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads.
For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads.
For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads.
For roads numbered S ...
References
External links
*
Further reading
*
*
{{refend
Highways in Australia