Landsborough Highway

Landsborough Highway

Landsborough Highway (green on black)
General information
TypeHighway
Length1,049 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
 
NW end Barkly Highway, (National Highway A2), Cloncurry, Queensland
Location(s)
Major settlementsAugathella, 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.

  1. ^ Queensland Government - Department of Transport and Main Roads - Maps
  2. ^ "Queensland's Outback - Matilda Highway". outbackholidays.info. Archived from the original on 17 December 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
  3. ^ Hema, Maps (2007). Australia Road and 4WD Atlas (Map). Eight Mile Plains Queensland: Hema Maps. pp. 8–16/17. ISBN 978-1-86500-456-3.