A look at the history of roads, streets, highways, freeways, bridges and tunnels of Melbourne and beyond.
Roads and Freeways
Off to work at the Sunshine Harvester Factory
October 6th, 2020
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For decades the Sunshine Harvester factory dominated Melbourne’s west. Established in 1904 as the Braybrook Implement Works, in 1906 industrialist H.V. McKay moved his Sunshine Harvester Works to the new township, expanding it to become the largest manufacturing plant in Australia. SLV photo H2016.33/103 Around the factory In the early years employees had to trudge […]
Another Tullamarine Freeway then and now
September 18th, 2020
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The Tullamarine Freeway is the main road link between Melbourne Airport and the rest of the city, with the first 7.2 kilometres (4.5 mile) stage opened to traffic in 1968 as the ‘Tullamarine Freeway By-pass Road’. Country Roads Board annual report 1968-69 Early years A bridge taking inbound traffic from the airport over outbound traffic […]
Another Sunshine street name saga
September 15th, 2020
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After my adventure into the history of ‘Graham Street South’ in Sunshine, I ended up following another rabbit hole – the streets cut in half by the railway. Charles Daniel Photograph, SLV H2016.33/102 Early years The first white settlement near Sunshine was the village of Braybrook, established on the banks of the Maribyrnong River in […]
Finding ‘Graham Street South’ in Sunshine
September 8th, 2020
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Many roads across Melbourne are subject to load limits, to prevent heavy trucks from passing through residential areas. But when I went for a wander around the streets of Sunshine I found a curious sign, referencing a street that doesn’t exist So what’s the story behind ‘Graham Street South’? Hot on the trail A check […]
On the road to nowhere in Rockbank
July 14th, 2020
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Years ago I was wandering through paddocks of Rockbank photographing trains, when I came across an odd sight – a ‘Road Closed’ sign hidden in the grass near the intersection of Hopkins Road and Greigs Road. So how did the road come to be? Going back to the gold rush A check of land titles […]
