For years I was curious why the main road from Wallsend into Newcastle had so many names … Newcastle Rd, Griffiths Rd, Donald St. It turns out that the substantial traffic corridor into town that we see today is a relatively recent patchwork of disparate roads connected together.

In Lambton’s early days the roads between townships and into Newcastle were unplanned tracks meandering across the landscape. In 1874 the residents of Lambton and other communities agitated for the government to construct a proper road from Wallsend to Newcastle, noting in a public meeting on 23^rd April 1874 “that, up till the year 1873, no road, except a bush road, has existed”. Although there was broad agreement that a new road was needed, there was considerable disagreement on where to build it, some supporting a northern route via Young Rd and others a southern route through New Lambton. The disagreement was so heated that the public meeting ended in great confusion and no decision when “every symptom of a free fight became apparent.”

The dispute was so dogged in the following months that eventually the Government approved the construction of both roads. Ninety years on however, neither route was the main road. In the 1960s and 70s, Newcastle Rd was widened, Griffiths Rd constructed, and the Donald St railway overpass erected to form the four lane road to town we know today.

The photo above shows Newcastle Rd looking east towards the intersection with Dent St and Croudace St. The photo is undated but is probably from the 1920s. The abundance of names for this road has a long history – the section in the foreground of this photo was once called Hartley St, and the section beyond, to the east, was originally Young St.

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The article above was published in the May 2015 edition of the Lambton Local.

Additional Details

“The Story of Lambton” published by Newcastle Family History Society, describes some of the saga of the building the road into town. There are a couple of details there which need clarification.

1. On page 42 “The Story of Lambton” states that the popular northern route was “from Lambton via Betty Bunn’s crossing [rail crossing at Griffith’s Road] to Waratah (the present day Lambton Road).” This is incorrect – the northern route that was proposed was approximately the path of present day Young Road. Thomas Croudace’s letter to the paper on 5 May 1874 describes the northern route as passing to the north of the Dog and Rat Pit and prior to 1891 Young Road was known as ‘Dog and Rat Road’. Parrott’s 1893 map shows the route across the Broadmeadow flat being slightly to the north of the eventual alignment of Young Road.
   

   1893 map showing the route across the Broadmeadow flats as being slightly to the north of Young Rd, which was eventually built along the alignment of the water pipes.

   

   Parrott’s 1893 map overlaid onto a 1944 aerial photograph.

   The following letters to the editor on 5th May 1874 give clear details of the two proposed routes.

   • Charles Harper advocating the northern route
   • Thomas Croudace advocating the southern route.
2. On page 43 “The Story of Lambton” states that “By the end of 1875 the northern road was opened but the southern route took a little longer to complete.” While this is strictly true, it wasn’t “opened” in the sense that we take it today, of completely constructed and ready for use. The “opening” of the northern route in November 1875 was merely a formal recognition by the government surveyor that the route was an official road route, the removal of some fences and the cutting of a rough track through the bush. Although the surveyor “opened” the road in November 1875, it was only “opened for public traffic” in September 1876, and it seems that the government didn’t allocate any funding to the road until 28 years later, in 1903.

The old battles of Young Road

In the 1930s the Newcastle Aero Club was established and they set out to build an Aerodrome on the Broadmeadow flats. The Aero Club purchased 4.5 acres of land and leased a further 53 acres from the District Park Trust, on the northern side of the main stormwater channel. The 53 acre portion included a triangular section of land bounded by Young Rd, Turton Rd, and the stormwater channel running from Lambton.

In order to make use of this land, the Aero club constructed a deviation of Young Rd along the Lambton stormwater channel, and requested that the government close a length of Young Rd. The aerodrome and road deviation was approved by the government in August 1932.

A September 1944 newspaper article on a proposed extension to the aerodrome, has an accompanying map of the area, where the deviation road alongside the Lambton stormwater channel, and the Young Rd bridge over the main stormwater channel is missing. This contradicts the 1944 aerial photo. Either the map is incomplete, or the date on the aerial photograph is wrong.

When was Young Road closed?

Its not entirely clear when Young Rd over the neutral ground was finally closed, as there is contradictory evidence.

• A newspaper article in December 1948 says that the bridges over the stormwater drains “had been closed for 10 years”. (1938 closure?)
• Another article from September 1951 says that the “road had been closed for five and a half years.”(1946 closure?)
• An aerial photograph supposedly from 1944 showing the deviation road and bridge still in place.
• An article from October 1946 talks about the “disused bridges”.

My best guess is that the bridges were closed in early 1946 and that the mention in 1948 of the bridges being closed for “10 years” was a result of mis-hearing someone say the bridges had been closed for “2 years”.

Other notes

• The northern route had to pass over the Broadmeadow swamp between Lambton municipality and Hamilton municipality. As this flat swampy ground was neither part of Lambton or Hamilton, it is often referred to in newspaper articles as “the neutral ground”.
• Young Road, was originally called “Dog and Rat” road, as it ran down to the area (near the present day Lambton High School) originally called “Dog and Rat”, and where the “Dog and Rat” coal pit was.

Newspaper articles

Article Date Event Date	Notes
1 Feb 1870	A petition to the government for building the Newcastle to Wallsend main road. A description of the deplorable state of the current road.
10 Sep 1870	"The gardens of the miners in and around Lambton present quite a pleasing appearance ; the beautiful blossoms of the peach trees are to be seen on all sides. It is a pity we have no road to Newcastle, for if we had one I am sure your citizens would often have a ride or drive out here. I wish I could tell you when we shall have one."
28 Sep 1872 24 Sep 1872	Lambton council votes to survey a main road direct from Lambton to Hamilton.
28 Dec 1872	There has been no communication received from the Lands Office as to the survey and proclamation of the main road – “the Minister, having apparently got sick of the whole matter, now refuses to answer any letters on the subject from any of the Corporations.”
16 Jan 1873 14 Jan 1873	Government surveyors have been in the area, but no official word yet on the surveying of the main road in a “past the old Dog-And-Rat Pit, in a direct line from Lambton to Hamilton.”
2 Aug 1873 29 Jul 1873	Letter from the minister for lands to Lambton Council informing them that the Newcastle to Wallsend Rd has been surveyed.
22 Nov 1873 18 Nov 1873	Mr. Evans (District Surveyor) to come to Lambton to report on objections to the road that he has “lately surveyed”.
21 Mar 1874	A petition is being raised to get the main road route changed to go through New Lambton.
28 Mar 1874 24 Mar 1874	Consternation from Lambton council that if the main road wasn’t built over “neutral ground”, money spent on road already would be wasted.
15 Apr 1874	Rev Spicer Wood’s letter to the editor calling for a petition to parliament for funds for the main road. “Not long ago Mr. Sutherland was driven from Newcastle along the existing series of tops and bottoms, ruts and chasms, dignified by the name of road.”
28 Apr 1874 23 Apr 1874	Public meeting in Lambton calling for a petition to the government requesting the construction of a main road from Newcastle to Wallsend. The meeting ends in a near fight as arguments rage about the proposed route of the road.
2 May 1874 30 Apr 1874	Another rowdy meeting trying to get a petition up, and debating the merits of the two routes. Thomas Croudace indicates that his preferred southern route had been surveyed by Mr. Evans at his request in 1873.
5 May 1874	Letter to the editor from Charles Harper where he describes the southern and northern routes, arguing in favour of the northern route via Young Rd.
5 May 1874	Letter to the editor from Thomas Croudace, advocating the southern route via New Lambton. Again there are unambiguous details that show that the proposed northern route was via a path close the the present position of Young Rd.
26 May 1874	The Government says it will approve both routes.
29 May 1874	Main road route between Lambton and Hamilton published in the NSW Government Gazette. The road is described as "being that part from the western boundary of the A. A. Company's 2,000 acres, to the north-western corner of J. Weller's 2,560 acres, parishes of Newcastle and Kahibah, county of Northumberland, in the Municipalities of Lambton and Hamilton."
6 Jun 1874 2 Jun 1874	Lambton Council is informed that the main road "has been gazetted in Govt Gazette of 29th May."
19 Sep 1874	No point spending money on Dog and Rat Rd until the Government builds the road over “neutral ground”.
6 Mar 1875	“The opening of the main road from Newcastle to Wallsend, is just about as far from being proceeded with as it was three years ago, when the question was first mooted.”
26 Jun 1875	The Commissioner of roads visits and inspects both proposed routes, having to wade through the swamp at one point.
10 Jul 1875	Deputation to Sydney to visit the government ministers. The Minister for Lands says that the northern route will be officially opened in a few days. On the other hand the Minister for Works is saying that he favours spending the promised £400 on the southern route.
4 Sep 1875	The government backflips and decides that the main road will be built on the southern route.
11 Sep 1875	The government having decided on the southern route, sends a valuer to assess the amount of compensation it will pay to Lambton Council for road works already completed.
9 Oct 1875	Mr Croudace delivers to the Minister of Works "a written guarantee that the Lambton Coal Company would construct a bridge under their railway line at their own expense; also, a written promise from the New Lambton Company to subscribe £200 towards erecting a high-level bridge at the crossing of their railway."
30 Oct 1875	Grant of £310 to New Lambton council for the southern route. They will immediately call for tenders and commence construction.
30 Oct 1875	Grant of £90 to Lambton council in compensation for abandoned northern route.
13 Nov 1875	Commencement of clearing southern route. "The contract will be finished in about a fortnight."
24 Nov 1875 22 Nov 1875	Surveyor Evans ordered by minister to open the northern route. ‘Opening’ the road seems to be no more than knocking down a few fences and walking the route of the road. Thomas Croudace opposes the opening and tries to re-erect the fencing at his railway. [This article begins with a good summary of the saga to this point.]
27 Nov 1875 23 Nov 1875	Lambton Council wants to use the £90 granted to it in compensation, to instead be used to build the road over the “neutral ground”. The article also has an extraordinary criticism from the editor of the paper on his Lambton correspondent’s accuracy of reporting.
27 Nov 1875	Although the northern route has been officially opened – even plans to cut a 12 foot track through the “neutral ground” have been thwarted by Mr Croudace re-erecting the fence at the Lambton company railway crossing.
4 Dec 1875 30 Nov 1875	Lambton council to ask the government for £600 for construction of the road over the “neutral ground”. The council also delays any further construction in Young Rd until the issue of the crossing of Lambton railway is resolved.
1 Dec 1875	Banquet to celebrate the official opening of north route main road. The rejoicing was somewhat muted and has some sense of a hollow victory. There is a degree of animosity and negativity present in some of the speeches.
4 Dec 1875	The southern road is being “extensively used by foot passengers and horsemen”. The road is “very fair” from Hamilton to the gully line, but between there and New Lambton is still “very swampy”.
4 Dec 1875	The Lambton correspondent of the paper defends the accuracy of his reporting, in response to his editor's criticisms of 27 Nov 1875.
13 Jan 1876 9 Jan 1876	The Minister for Works says Lambton council cannot spend the £90 in compensation for works already done to build the road over “neutral ground”. The Council therefore asks the local member to request £400 in Parliament for this purpose.
26 Feb 1876	"It seems that the Lambton Council are still determined to push the North Road, and are determined to have the fences removed again. When they do commence there will be even more chopping than on the last occasion, for the Waratah Company has erected a double fence across the line of road."
20 Apr 1876 18 Apr 1876	Mayor of Lambton going to Sydney to assist in pressing the government for £600 to make main road over the “neutral ground”.
31 May 1876	Southern route has been completed “for some months”, but still near impassable in wet weather.
22 Sep 1876 19 Sep 1876	“The North road between Hamilton and Lambton notified in the Government Gazette had been opened for public traffic.”
13 Sep 1878	The road over the “neutral ground” is not “permanently made” and is impassable in wet weather.
7 Jul 1879	The Government still hasn’t spent any money on roads in “neutral ground”.
1 Jul 1892 28 Jun 1892	Lambton council lobbying New Lambton Council and the government to get “Young Road” (formerly “Dog and Rat Road”) opened up. New Lambton council is not keen on the idea.
16 Sep 1903	The government allocates £400 to improve the road connecting Lambton and Broadmeadow (Young Rd), widening it to 15ft.
23 Oct 1903	Recent completion of the bridges on the Young-road route, which cost about £700. "Men are now busy forming and metalling a part of this direct route to Broadmeadow."
2 Jul 1904	Still waiting for funds … “the Government has to complete Young-road as a more direct route between Lambton and Broadmeadow.”
19 Feb 1925 17 Feb 1925	Lambton council still arguing for Young Rd … "Alderman Lightfoot thought that the council should make application for Young-road to be proclaimed a main road. It passed through an important centre, and would be a great convenience to a large number of people."
13 Aug 1930 12 Aug 1930	East Lambton Progress Association preparing to oppose the proposed closure of Young Rd associated with Newcastle Aerodrome.
26 Nov 1930	East Lambton Progress Association askingg ratepayers "to lodge objections against the closing of Young-road in the District Park."
18 Feb 1931	In a public hearing considering the extension of the aerodrome, the Land board recommends closure of a portion of Young Rd, and using a deviation road, already constructed 135 yards south.
19 Feb 1931	Just as it seems Young Rd has always been in rainy weather, it is described as “almost untrafficable” and a “quagmire”. A full 56 years after it effectively lost the “main road” dispute, Lambton Council objects to the closure of Young Rd because “it might become a main road in the near future.”
17 Aug 1932	The government approves the aerodrome in District part, along with a closure of part of Young Rd, with a deviation in place.
26 Aug 1932	Portion of Young Rd across the aerodrome field closed in Government Gazette. See the annotation on the map.
6 May 1937	Young Rd proposed to be closed in connection with extending the aerodrome.
9 Aug 1938	More talk of Young Rd being closed in connection with extending the aerodrome. Divergent opinions on how much Young Road is used.
5 Sep 1944	Map accompanying article on proposed aerodrome extension.
3 Oct 1946	“Rebuilding was favoured to repairing disused bridges over the Young-road. East Lambton, storm water channel”
17 Dec 1948	Young Rd Bridges “had been closed for 10 years”.
11 Sep 1951	East Lambton residents want Young Rd bridges re-opened. The “road had been closed for five and a half years.”