Landsborough Highway | |
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Landsborough Highway (green on black) | |
General information | |
Type | Highway |
Length | 1,049 km (652 mi) |
Route number(s) | National Highway A2 |
Former route number | National Highway 66 National Highway 71 National Highway A2 |
Major junctions | |
SE end | Warrego Highway, (State Highway A2), Morven, Queensland |
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NW end | Barkly Highway, (National Highway A2), Cloncurry, Queensland |
Location(s) | |
Major settlements | Augathella, Blackall, Barcaldine, Longreach, Winton |
Highway system | |
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Landsborough Highway is a highway in western Queensland, Australia, running in the northwest–southeast direction from Morven to Cloncurry.[1] The Landsborough Highway runs through vast tracts of land that was once occupied by William Landsborough, an Australian explorer of the 19th century. It is also the central part of the tourist route known as the Matilda Way after the popular Australian song Waltzing Matilda, which extends from Bourke in central northern New South Wales to Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria.[2]
The entire highway is an important part of the National Highway system linking Darwin and Brisbane: formerly National Route 66 (Cloncurry to Barcaldine) and National Route 71 (Barcaldine to Augathella), Queensland began to convert to the alphanumeric system much of Australia had adopted in the early-2000s and is now designated as National Route A2.[3] Its importance also stems from the fact that it is the only sealed link between Flinders Highway and Capricorn Highway apart from Gregory Development Road between Emerald and Charters Towers.
The highway services an important sheep and cattle grazing region, tourist traffic and local properties. The highway is fully sealed but with many sections of substandard width and quality. It is also flood-prone with lengthy closures during floods.