Old South Head Road is a major road in Sydney, linking the eastern suburb of

Bondi Junction Bondi Junction is an Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 6 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Local government in Australia, local governm ...

Watsons Bay Watsons Bay is a harbourside, Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Watsons Bay is located 11 km north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, ...

on the South Head peninsula. It is historically significant because its earliest origins can be traced back to the early days of the

colony of New South Wales The Colony of New South Wales was a colony of the British Empire from 1788 to 1901, when it became a State of the Commonwealth of Australia. At its greatest extent, the colony of New South Wales included the present-day Australian states of New ...

Route

Old South Head Road commences at the intersection with

Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road via Oxford Circus. It marks the notional boundary between the areas of Fitzrovia and Marylebone to t ...

Syd Einfeld Drive Syd Einfeld Drive, formerly the Bondi Junction Bypass, is a partially elevated dual carriageway in Sydney, Australia. It was built to bypass a section of Oxford Street through Bondi Junction. Route Syd Einfeld Drive commences at the intersect ...

and

Bondi Road Bondi Road is a major road through the Sydney suburb of Bondi, Australia. Route Bondi Road commences at the intersection of Syd Einfeld Drive, Oxford Street and Old South Head Road in Bondi Junction and heads in an easterly direction as a ...

and heads in a north-easterly direction as a four-lane, single carriageway road, passing through the suburbs of Bondi,

Bondi Beach Bondi Beach () is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Bondi Beach is located east of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local government area of ...

North Bondi North Bondi is a coastal, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 7 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council. North Bondi is a mostly residential ar ...

and Rose Bay. It meets

New South Head Road New South Head Road is a major road in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, linking the inner-eastern suburb of Rushcutters Bay to the southern reaches of the South Head peninsula. Route New South Head Road commences from the intersection with Baysw ...

at a roundabout in

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.

, continuing north until it eventually terminates at a roundabout with Robertson Place in

. Old South Head Road passes through predominantly residential areas, with sizeable shopping centres around the intersections with Towns Road and Dover Road. Housing varies from detached homes to blocks of flats and units. The style of housing includes

Federation A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...

homes,

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

homes and

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

blocks of flats towards Bondi Junction.

History

The colony at Sydney began on 21 January 1788, when the

First Fleet The First Fleet were eleven British ships which transported a group of settlers to mainland Australia, marking the beginning of the History of Australia (1788–1850), European colonisation of Australia. It consisted of two Royal Navy vessel ...

arrived in

Sydney Harbour Port Jackson, commonly known as Sydney Harbour, is a ria, natural harbour on the east coast of Australia, around which Sydney was built. It consists of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove River, Lane ...

and Captain

Arthur Phillip Arthur Phillip (11 October 1738 – 31 August 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer who served as the first Governor of New South Wales, governor of the Colony of New South Wales. Phillip was educated at Royal Hospital School, Gree ...

went ashore at what is now known as Camp Cove. The settlement itself was set up in

Sydney Cove Sydney Cove (Eora language, Eora: ) is a bay on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, one of several harbours in Port Jackson, on the coast of Sydney, New South Wales. Sydney Cove is a focal point for community celebrations, due to its central ...

, at the spot now known as Circular Quay. One of the reasons for the choice of that location was the desire to be safely out of range of hostile artillery. The colony needed to keep watch on the seas for potentially hostile ships or the Second Fleet, which meant that South Head became important as an observation post. The outer edge of South Head became a signal station from which ships could be seen; their approach could then be signalled with flags. The ships could then be met by pilots who were camped at Camp Cove (so named for that reason). A proper signal station was established in 1790; it was supplied by boat until a bridle trail was created along the ridge to South Head. Construction of a road followed and it was completed in 1811. A lighthouse was built just south of the signal station in 1816–18, to a design by

Francis Greenway Francis Greenway (20 November 1777 - September 1837) was an English-Australian convict and colonial architect. After being convicted of forgery in England and subsequently transported to New South Wales, Australia (known then as New Holland) ...

, the first notable architect in the colony. A semaphore system replaced flags at the signal station in the 1840s and the present building was constructed to a design by Colonial Architect

Mortimer Lewis Mortimer William Lewis (1796 – 9 March 1879) was an English-born architect, surveyor and public servant who migrated to Australia and became Colonial Architect in the colony of New South Wales (now a state of Australia) from 1835 to 1849. Le ...

. It has been in continuous use since then and is now heritage-listed. In 1858, the first telegraph line in New South Wales was used to connect the signal station with the Royal Exchange in Bridge Street. The passing of the ''Main Roads Act of 1924'' through the

Parliament of New South Wales The Parliament of New South Wales, formally the Legislature of New South Wales, (definition of "The Legislature") is the bicameral legislative body of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW). It consists of the Monarch, the New South Wa ...

provided for the declaration of Main Roads, roads partially funded by the State government through the

Main Roads Board The Main Roads Board was an agency of the Government of New South Wales, responsible for planning, constructing and maintaining road infrastructure in New South Wales, Australia. History The Main Roads Board (MRB) was founded on 1 January 1925 ...

(MRB). With the subsequent passing of the ''Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929'' 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 339 from the intersection with

to the intersection with Robertson Place in

on 18 July 1933. The passing of the ''Roads Act of 1993'' updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, Old South Head Road retains its declaration as Main Road 339.

Points of interest

(RNE) indicates that the structure or site is listed on the

Register of the National Estate The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heri ...

.The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Publishers, 1981, pp. 2/136-138 * St Peter's Anglican Church, Watsons bay, designed by

Edmund Blacket Edmund Thomas Blacket (25 August 1817 – 9 February 1883) was an Australian architect, best known for his designs for the University of Sydney, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney and Goulburn Cathedral (St. Saviour), St. Saviour's Cathedral, Goulbu ...

and built in 1864 (RNE) * Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Watsons Bay, built 1909–1910, with later additions in 1929, 1940 and 1966 (RNE) * Scout hall, Watsons Bay, formerly a school, designed by George Mansfield and built in 1876 (RNE) * A former school residence, next to the scout hall, designed by George Mansfield and built by George Murray (RNE) * Sandstone obelisk, Robertson Park (not situated in Old South Head Road), commemorating building of Old South Head Road in 1811 (RNE) * Signal Station, still functional and operated by

Transport for NSW Transport for NSW (TfNSW) is a Government of New South Wales, New South Wales Government transport services and roads List of New South Wales government agencies, agency established on 1 November 2011. The agency is a different entity to the NSW ...

(RNE)

* Signal Hill Battery is situated between Gap Park and Signal Station. The site includes two gun emplacements that are connected to underground bunker complexes. *

Macquarie Lighthouse The Macquarie Lighthouse, also known as South Head Upper Light, is the first, and is the longest serving, lighthouse site in Australia. It is located on Dunbar Head, on Old South Head Road, Vaucluse in the Municipality of Woollahra local gover ...

: the present lighthouse is a replica of Greenway's original building, which was demolished because it was in bad repair. The current building was built in 1883 to a design by

James Barnet James Johnstone Barnet, (1827 in Almericlose, Arbroath, Scotland – 16 December 1904 in Forest Lodge, Sydney, New South Wales) was the Colonial Architect for Colonial New South Wales, serving from 1862 to 1890. Early life Barnet was born ...

. The group also includes the keeper's cottage and an earlier cottage by Greenway (RNE) * Gap Park is situated between Old South Head Road and the cliff, and leads to the Gap, a notorious suicide spot * Coastal Cliff Walk is a walking trail that goes from Clarke Street to South head. * Christison Park is situated south of Macquarie Lighthouse *

South Head Cemetery The South Head General Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery located at 793 Old South Head Road, Vaucluse, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1845 to 1950. It is also known as Old South Head Cemetery and the South Head Cemetery. The ...

. Situated at the juncture of Old South Head Road and

, this cemetery was established in 1845 to service the growing

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.

area. Poor record keeping means the earliest recorded interment was in 1869. Some of the first Trustees of the cemetery in 1845 were Henry Gibson (Pilot of Watsons Bay), Richard Siddins, Rev L. E. Threlkeld. Well-known inhabitants include Sir John Robertson, the

Packer family The Packer family has played a significant role in the Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the i ...

, the

Fairfax family Members of the Fairfax Family were prominent as Australian media proprietors, especially in the area of newspaper publishing through the company John Fairfax and Sons (later known as Fairfax Media, although the Fairfax family no long ...

Juanita Nielsen Juanita Joan Nielsen (; 22 April 1937 – disappeared 4 July 1975) was an Australian newspaper publisher, urban conservationist, and heiress. She disappeared after attending a meeting at the Carousel nightclub (also called Les Girls) in Kings C ...

and Sir

Walter Edward Davidson Sir Walter Edward Davidson, (20 April 1859 – 16 September 1923) was a British colonial administrator and diplomat. He served periods as Governor of the Seychelles, Governor of Newfoundland and as Governor of New South Wales, where he died in ...

. * Former Methodist Church, built 1924, currently houses Magnolia Healing Centre. It is located at the corner of Old South Head Road and Dover Road, Rose Bay, and is supported by Bondi Beach Chapel by the Sea and Rose Bay/Vaucluse Uniting Church. * Royal Sydney Golf Course is situated between Old South Head Road and New South Head Road, Rose Bay. * Architecture: examples of

blocks of flats, single-storey Federation homes and Victorian-style cottages can be seen between Victoria Road and

. * A two-storey Victorian terrace home near Bondi Road used to house the Mahasiddha Kadampa Buddhist Centre, which holds meditation courses and drop-in classes. Image:WatsonsBay1.JPG, Scout hall, formerly a school, Watsons Bay Image:Former school residence Watsons Bay.jpg, Former school residence, Watsons Bay File:House on old south head road.JPG, Federation homes, Bondi Junction Image:1_Art_Deco_flats.JPG, Art Deco flats, Bondi Junction File:Signal hill, old south head road.JPG, Signal Station Image:1_Lighthouse_keepers_cottage.JPG, Lighthouse keeper's cottage Image:1_St_Peters_Church3.JPG, St Peter's Anglican Church, Watsons Bay Image:Our Lady Star of the Sea Church Watsons Bay.jpg, Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Watsons Bay

Major intersections

References

External links

{{Streets of Sydney Australia, state=collapsed Streets in Sydney Vaucluse, New South Wales