Kidman Way

Kidman Way
Basic data
Operator:	Roads and Maritime Services
Start of the street:	A71 / Mitchell Highway Matilda Highway Barringun ( QLD / NSW ) ( 29 ° 0 ′  S , 145 ° 43 ′  E )
End of street:	Newell Highway north of Jerilderie ( NSW ) ( 35 ° 15 ′  S , 145 ° 48 ′  E )
Overall length:	779 km
States :	New South Wales
Street sign on Kidman Way

 Map with all coordinates: OSM | WikiMap

The Kidman Way is an important main road through the center of the Australian state of New South Wales . It connects the Matilda Highway and the Mitchell Highway in Barringun on the Queensland border with the Newell Highway north of Jerilderie .

Origin of name

The highway was named after Sir Sidney Kidman , the Australian "cattle king" and philanthropist. Kidman owned a large number of cattle rearing stations on this road, many of which still belong to his descendants today.

course

The Kidman Way begins on the border between Queensland and New South Wales in Barringun on the Warrego River . There it is the continuation to the south of the Matilda Highway. Together with the Mitchell Highway (A71 / R71) it runs the first 136 km south to the Darling River in Bourke , where the Kamilaroi Highway (S29) also ends.

The Kidman Way goes straight south from there, while the Mitchell Highway turns southeast. After a further 161 km through flat pastureland, Cobar is reached. There the Kidman Way crosses the Barrier Highway (R32) and continues another 220 km to the south before it also meets the Lachlan River and the Lachlan Valley Way . Together with this he moves 35 km southwest to the town of Hillston . There the Lachlan Valley Way continues to the south-west, while the Kidman Way runs in a wide arc over south to south-east 110 km to Griffith . Halfway there, he crosses the Mid-Western Highway (R24). In Griffith, the Kidman Way meets the Burley Griffin Way (S94)

From Griffith the Kidman Way leads south again and after 38 km crosses the Murrumbidgee River and the Sturt Highway (N20) in the small town of Darlington Point . The last 79 km it continues south through the Riverina and ends 15 km north of Jerilderie on the Newell Highway (N39), about 60 km north of the Murray River and the border with Victoria .

Road condition and importance

The Kidman Way has two lanes and is paved along its entire length. In this way, it can give drivers who do not have a four-wheel drive vehicle a good insight into the Australian outback .

Together with the Matilda Highway, which crosses Queensland to Normanton on the Gulf of Carpentaria , the Kidman Way is an important route for the transport of cattle from grazing grounds in western Queensland and central New South Wales to the markets and ports in Adelaide , Melbourne and Sydney .

Web links

Commons : Kidman Way  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

swell

Steve Parish: Australian Touring Atlas . Steve Parish Publishing. Archerfield QLD 2007. ISBN 978-1-74193-232-4 . P. 31 + 33