Lawrence Hargrave Drive

Lawrence Hargrave Drive

New South Wales
Lawrence Hargrave Drive; New South Wales
	Lawrence Hargrave Drive
	North end South end
Coordinates	34°12′11″S 150°58′04″E / 34.2031°S 150.9678°E (North end); 34°19′22″S 150°54′48″E / 34.3227°S 150.9134°E (South end);
General information
Type	Road
Length	19.5 km (12 mi)
Gazetted	August 1928
Major junctions
North end	Old Princes Highway; Helensburgh, New South Wales
	Lady Wakehurst Drive
South end	Princes Highway; Thirroul, New South Wales
Location(s)
Major suburbs	Stanwell Park, Coalcliff, Clifton, Austinmer

Lawrence Hargrave Drive, part of the Grand Pacific Drive, is a scenic coastal road and popular tourist drive connecting the northernmost suburbs of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, to Wollongong, in the south, and Sydney, in the north across the scenic Sea Cliff Bridges. It was named after Lawrence Hargrave, an Australian aviation pioneer who lived nearby.

View from Bald Hill lookout, with Lawrence Hargrave Drive visible following the coast towards Wollongong and the Sea Cliff Bridge on the second headland.

Route

The road begins at the Old Princes Highway, Helensburgh^[3] (Princes Motorway exit) and passes through Stanwell Tops to descend the steep Illawarra Escarpment at Bald Hill, the site of a spectacular lookout and hang gliding area. The road then passes south through Stanwell Park and Coalcliff to cross the Sea Cliff Bridge and adjoining Lawrence Hargrave Drive Bridge. Together, the Sea Cliff Bridge and Lawrence Hargrave Drive Bridge construction were completed in December 2005, replacing the former cliff-hugging route which was prone to rockfalls and consequent closures.^[4] Remnants of the former road can still be seen to this day, including some of the guard rail and most of the road section which is now overgrown with trees and ridden with boulders and rocks that have fallen freely since the roads closure, essentially acting as a ditch.

The road then winds its way through the coastal villages of Clifton, Scarborough, Wombarra, Coledale, Austinmer and finally Thirroul where it meets the Princes Highway at the bottom of Bulli Pass.^[3]

History

The road was originally constructed in the 1870s as Lower Coast Road. It was renamed Lawrence Hargrave Drive after Lawrence Hargrave, an Australian aviation pioneer and explorer who had a house at Stanwell Park and flew his devices from Bald Hill, on 18 December 1946.^[5]

The passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924^[6] 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. 185 was declared along Lower Coast Road on 8 August 1928, from the intersection with Princes Highway in "The Dummies", via Bald Hill, Stanwell Park, Clifton, Austinmer, and Thirroul to the intersection with Princes Highway at the foot of Bull Pass;^[2] with the passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929^[7] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, this was amended to Main Road 185 on 8 April 1929. Main Road 185 was later extended north along the former Princes Highway alignment to Waterfall on 25 October 2002.^[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, Lawrence Hargrave Drive retains its declaration as part of Main Road 185.^[10]

Major intersections

Lawrence Hargrave Drive is entirely contained within the City of Wollongong local government area.

Location	km^[1]	mi	Destinations	Notes
Helensburgh	0.0	0.0	Princes Highway – Waterfall, Bulli, Wollongong	Northern terminus of road
Helensburgh	0.0	0.0	Princes Motorway (M1) – Heathcote, Mount Pleasant, Dapto, Kiama	Southbound exit and entrance only
Stanwell Tops	3.4	2.1	South Coast railway line
Stanwell Tops	3.9	2.4	Lady Wakehurst Drive – Otford, Lilyvale
Coalcliff	8.5– 8.8	5.3– 5.5	Lawrence Hargrave Drive Bridge
Clifton	9.0– 9.6	5.6– 6.0	Sea Cliff Bridge
Thirroul	18.5	11.5	South Coast railway line
Thirroul–Bulli boundary	19.5	12.1	Princes Highway (B65) – Fairy Meadow, Wollongong	Southern terminus of road
Incomplete access Route transition

References

^ ^a ^b "Lawrence Hargrave Drive" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Main Roads Act, 1924-1927". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 110. National Library of Australia. 17 August 1928. pp. 3814–20. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
^ ^a ^b Wollongong Street Directory, 18th Edition. UBD (A Division of Universal Publishers Pty Ltd). 2006. ISBN 0-7319-1706-5.
^ "Lawrence Hargrave Drive". Roads and Traffic Authority, NSW. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
^ "Main Roads Act, 1924-1945". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 12. National Library of Australia. 17 January 1947. p. 78. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
^ 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
^ "Roads Act 1993" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 189. Legislation NSW. 25 October 2002. p. 9185. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 7 June 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.

External links

"Map of Lawrence Hargrave Drive, NSW". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 3 January 2009.

This New South Wales geography article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[gmaps-1] "Lawrence Hargrave Drive" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 19 August 2022.

[nswgovgaz28-2] "Main Roads Act, 1924-1927". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 110. National Library of Australia. 17 August 1928. pp. 3814–20. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.

[ubd_wsd-3] Wollongong Street Directory, 18th Edition. UBD (A Division of Universal Publishers Pty Ltd). 2006. ISBN 0-7319-1706-5.

[rta_lhd-4] "Lawrence Hargrave Drive". Roads and Traffic Authority, NSW. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2009.

[nswgovgaz47-5] "Main Roads Act, 1924-1945". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 12. National Library of Australia. 17 January 1947. p. 78. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.

[6] 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

[7] 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

[nswgovgaz02-8] "Roads Act 1993" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 189. Legislation NSW. 25 October 2002. p. 9185. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2023.

[9] 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

[nswroadsched-10] Transport for NSW (August 2022). "Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2022.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]