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Gunbarrel Highway

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For the Midnight Oil song, see Diesel and Dust.

Gunbarrel Highway

Northern Territory
–Western Australia
The highway is "as straight as a gun barrel" in some places
Map
Gunbarrel Highway is located in Australia
West end
West end
East end
East end
Coordinates
General information
TypeTrack
Length1,347 km (837 mi)[1]
Major junctions
West endCarnegie Road
Carnegie Homestead, Western Australia
 
East endMulga Park Road
Victory Downs Homestead, Northern Territory
Location(s)
RegionGoldfields-Esperance (WA), Far North (SA)[2] Central Australia (NT)[3]
Restrictions
Permits4 required
Fuel supplyCarnegie Homestead 25°47′45″S 122°58′31″E / 25.795831°S 122.975319°E / -25.795831; 122.975319
Warburton (26°07′55″S 126°34′08″E / 26.131861°S 126.569026°E / -26.131861; 126.569026
Warakurna Roadhouse 25°02′34″S 128°18′12″E / 25.042906°S 128.303417°E / -25.042906; 128.303417
A sign marking the boundary of Victory Downs, the beginning of the original Gunbarrel Highway. This section is now known as Mulga Park Road.
A sign at Wiluna, Western Australia.

The Gunbarrel Highway is an isolated desert track in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia.[4] It consists of about 1,350 km (840 mi) of washaways, heavy corrugations, stone, sand and flood plains. The Gunbarrel Highway connects Victory Downs in the Northern Territory to Carnegie Station in Western Australia.[5] Some sources incorrectly show the highway extending west to Wiluna.[6]

The road was built as part of Australia's role in the weapons research establishment called Woomera which included Emu Field and Maralinga, both atomic bomb testing sites. The name comes from Len Beadell's Gunbarrel Road Construction Party, so named as his intention was to build roads as straight as a gunbarrel.[7] The highway was protested by the Australian group Midnight Oil in their song of the same name as the highway.

History

[edit]

There were three main reasons for the construction of the Gunbarrel Highway. The first was to provide access for a future meteorological station which was needed to forecast upper winds prior to the testing of atomic weapons in South Australia.[8] The second was for instrumentation along the centre-line of fire for rockets launched from Woomera. The third was to allow surveyors from the Australian Division of National Mapping to continue the geodetic survey of little known areas of outback Australia. A consequence of the construction was the completion of the first east-west road link across the centre of Australia.

First stage

[edit]

The road was built in four stages beginning in 1955. In early November, the Gunbarrel Road Construction Party (GRCP) assembled near Coober Pedy in South Australia, half coming from Adelaide together with a bulldozer, and half with a grader from Maralinga, led by Len Beadell. The starting point was Victory Downs homestead just north of the border with the Northern Territory, and 24 km (15 mi) west of the Stuart Highway.[9]

Work began on 13 November 1955, and continued westward to Mulga Park. An interruption occurred after about 35 km (22 mi) when the grader's blade mounting bolts were snapped after hitting a submerged Mulga tree root. Beadell made a hurried return trip to Alice Springs for parts. The road reached Mulga Park on 2 December, where construction ceased for the year, as the bulldozer's starting pilot motor had failed.[8]

Beadell continued ahead on a ground reconnaissance, then on 7 December made an aerial survey which departed from a natural airstrip in the Mount Davies vicinity, and flew towards the Rawlinson Ranges where the future weather station was to be located. With the knowledge gained, Beadell led a ground party of four Land Rovers to the site where a stone cairn was built on 12 December. The site was named Giles after Ernest Giles, the first European to explore the area in 1874. Beadell's Land Rover suffered a broken rear axle during the return towards Mount Davies, so an axle was borrowed from one of the other vehicles which was left behind to be recovered the following year.[8]

Second stage

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In February 1956, the second stage continued from Mulga Park to the Musgrave Ranges, then in March via the Mann Ranges and Tomkinson Ranges to Giles where the party arrived on 29 March.[5] Beadell had hoped to take the road via Surveyor Generals Corner, but it was too rocky for road building. The first priority in establishing the weather station was to find water.[9]

A boring plant was obtained from the nearest railhead 800 km (500 mi) to the east. It was slowly towed to Giles by the grader, and on the fourth drilling attempt, suitable drinking water was discovered. Work on the Giles establishment continued throughout April and May, which included laying out the airstrip. In June Beadell and the GRCP were called away to begin work on the Mount Davies road.[9]

In 1957, no further work took place on the Gunbarrel Highway. Beadell continued work at Giles during the early months.

Third stage

[edit]

The third stage of the highway began with a solo reconnaissance by Beadell from Giles to Warburton on 12 March 1958, when the weather was still very hot. In his book Too Long in the Bush, Beadell described the forbidding conditions in a chapter which he called "An Unshared Nightmare".[8] Daytime temperatures were between 40 and 45 °C (104 and 113 °F), which resulted in an overheating engine and fuel vaporisation. The extreme heat melted plastic parts of his instrument panel and radio transmitter, and loosened nails in his boots which caused the heels to fall off.

He lost his appetite and drank hot water only. His course took him along the southern edge of the Rawlinson Range towards Lake Christopher, then southwards through the eastern edge of the Gibson Desert. After battling through a series of jumbled sand ridges, and having three flat tyres, he found that his water supply was almost exhausted. When clear of the ridges, some rocky hills led to his discovery of a small pool of water in a creek run-off, which saved his life. He arrived at Warburton and rested for three days prior to the return journey to Giles via a different route.

After a delay caused by rain, building of the next section started on 22 March from Giles, keeping to the north and west of his earlier reconnaissance route, avoiding known obstacles. The road passed close by the position where it was estimated that Alfred Gibson had perished, then turned south towards Warburton, which was reached by early May. While at Warburton, Beadell and his team built a new airstrip much closer to the mission settlement.[8]

Fourth stage

[edit]
Mt. Beadell on the Gunbarrel Highway

Building of the fourth stage did not commence until an altered arrangement for the survey took place.[9] On this occasion, the survey reconnaissance from near Warburton to Carnegie was led by H A (Bill) Johnson from the Senior Geodetic Surveyor Division of National Mapping, who was responsible for the planning and conduct of the Australian Geodetic Survey in that area. Johnson and Beadell both served in the Australian Survey Corps in the Second World War.[10][11]

Johnson and Beadell each had a Land Rover in the advance party, and they were followed by two other Land Rovers and a supply truck. The second group included an officer from headquarters in Woomera, and an aboriginal affairs officer.[8] Meanwhile, most of the GRCP returned to Giles, leaving the heavy equipment at a future turn-off (Jackie Junction) 69 km (43 mi) north of Warburton. The survey from the turn-off west towards Carnegie Station took place from 14 to 28 May during which a mountain was found. It was named Mount Beadell in honour of Beadell.[5]

Construction of the final section began at Jackie Junction on 3 September, was abeam Mount Beadell on the 25 September, Everard Junction (with the Gary Highway) around 15 October, and reached Carnegie Station on 15 November 1958, just over three years from when the Gunbarrel Highway was begun. The length of new road built from Victory Downs was 1,347 km (837 mi).[5]

Conditions

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The route is a long and tough haul through very remote territory. Its isolation requires travellers to be totally self-sufficient with water, food and fuel. The longest distance between fuel outlets is 489 km (304 mi), between Warburton and Carnegie Station. Part of the road between Jackie Junction and Warakurna, near Giles, is now known as the Old Gunbarrel Highway, and is no longer maintained due to the construction of the more direct route, the Great Central Road.[12]

The route passes directly into Aboriginal land. It is a legal requirement for travellers to hold a valid transit permit at the time of travel. Three free permits are required in Western Australia and a permit is required to enter the APY Lands in South Australia.[13][14]

Permits for the abandoned section from Warakurna and Warburton require at least two vehicles and either a HF radio or satellite telephone and requires a minimum of five working days turnaround.[15] Entry to the abandoned section is only permitted at Warakurna or Warburton. Access to the abandoned section via Jackie Junction is not permitted. Jackie Junction Road is on sacred land and not open to the public.[16]

Map

[edit]
The Gunbarrel Highway, as originally constructed, is shown in black.

Major intersections

[edit]
State/TerritoryLGALocation[1]km[1]miDestinationsNotes
Western AustraliaWilunaCarnegie Homestead00.0Wiluna–Carnegie Road (west) – Wiluna, Lake Carnegie
Penti Downs–Carnegie Road (south) – Prenti Downs		Western terminus of highway
Mangkili Claypan Nature Reserve15395Eagle Highway (north) – Warri and Yatungka Hills
David Carnegie Road (south) – Tjukayirla Roadhouse
Geraldton Bore208129Hunt Oil Road – Hunt Oil drilling camp
NgaanyatjarrakuEverard Junction240150Gary Highway – Gary Junction
Mount Samuel402250Heather Highway – WarburtonRoad not open to public (sacred land): through traffic via Warburton
Jackie Junction449279Warburton North Road – Warburton
Warakurna/Giles710440Great Central Road (Outback Highway) (west) – Laverton, WarburtonConcurrency with Great Central Road (Outback Highway)
749465Great Central Road (Outback Highway) (east) – Kaltukatjara, Yulara, Erldunda
Wingellina855531Blackstone–Warburton Road – Warburton, Blackstone
State border884549Western Australia – South Australia state border
South AustraliaAPY LandsPipalyatjara908564Mount Davies Road – Anne's Corner
Nyapari1,092679Kintore Avenue – Anne's Corner
State border1,154717South Australia – Northern Territory state border
Northern TerritoryMacDonnell RegionMulga Park1,173729Mulga Park Road (west) – Mount Conner
Victory Downs1,347837Mulga Park Road (east), to Stuart Highway – Alice Springs, Darwin, Coober Pedy, Port AugustaEastern terminus of highway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Closed/former
  •       Concurrency terminus
  •       Route transition

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Gunbarrel Highway" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Location SA Map viewer with regional layers". Government of South Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  3. ^ "investNT - Northern Territory Interactive Map". Archived from the original on 5 June 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  4. ^ Hema, Maps (2005). Australia’s Great Desert Tracks NW Sheet (Map). Eight Mile Plains Queensland: Hema Maps. ISBN 978-1-86500-159-3.
  5. ^ a b c d Shephard, Mark (1998). A Lifetime in the Bush:The biography of Len Beadell. Adelaide: Corkwood Press. ISBN 1-876247-05-3.
  6. ^ "Author to speak at Hd. Valley". Trove.nla.gov.au. Victor Harbour Times (SA : 1932 - 1986)(55). 24 April 1974. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Author to speak at Hd. Valley". Trove.nla.gov.au. Victor Harbour Times (SA : 1932 - 1986)(55). 24 April 1974. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Beadell, Len (1965). Too Long in the Bush. New Holland Publishers (Australia). ISBN 1864367199.
  9. ^ a b c d Bayly, Ian (2009). Len Beadell's Legacy. Seaford Vic: Bas Publishing. ISBN 9781921496028.
  10. ^ Macdonald D Brigadier (Retd), obituary Lieutenant-Colonel HA (Bill) Johnson, 1990
  11. ^ "Personal Communications". Letter to H A Johnson. 1989.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  12. ^ Hema, Maps (2005). Australia’s Great Desert Tracks SW Sheet (Map). Eight Mile Plains Queensland: Hema Maps. ISBN 978-1-86500-161-6.
  13. ^ "Entry permits for access to Aboriginal Lands - Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage". Department of Aboriginal Affairs (Western Australia). Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  14. ^ "Permits". Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara. Archived from the original on 9 March 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  15. ^ "Permits". Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku. Archived from the original on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  16. ^ "Permit Application" (PDF). Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
[edit]
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Gunbarrel Highway.
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