{{Short description|Rural road in New South Wales, Australia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2015}} {{Infobox Australian road | road_name = O'Connell Road | type = rural road | state = nsw | length = 41.7 | maintained = [[Transport for NSW]], [[Oberon Council]], [[Bathurst Regional Council]] | length_ref = <ref name="gmaps">{{google maps |url=https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/-33.4193584,149.61511/-33.703456,149.8467387/@-33.5640608,149.6770089,11.94z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0 |title=O'Connell Road |access-date=25 August 2022 }}</ref> | gazetted = August 1928 {{small|(as Main Road 256)}}<ref name="nswgovgaz28">{{cite news |title=Main Roads Act, 1924-1927 |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/219952359 |work=Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales |issue=110 |publisher=National Library of Australia |date=17 August 1928 |pages=3814–20 |access-date=1 August 2022 |archive-date=3 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803050207/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/219952359 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />February 1934 {{small|(as Main Road 253)}}<ref name="nswgovgaz34">{{cite news |title=Main Roads Act, 1924-1931 |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223051105 |work=Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales |issue=33 |publisher=National Library of Australia |date=23 February 1934 |pages=873 |access-date=29 November 2022 |archive-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616073235/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223051105 |url-status=live }}</ref> | tourist = {{AUshield|T|1}} Tourist Route 1 | coordinates_a = {{coord|-33.419380|149.614898|type:landmark_region:AU-NSW|display=inline}} | coordinates_b = {{coord|-33.703520|149.846757|type:landmark_region:AU-NSW|display=inline}} | pushpin_label_position_a = top | pushpin_label_position_b = bottom | direction_a = Northwest | direction_b = Southeast | end_a = '''{{AUshield|NSW|A32}} [[Great Western Highway]]'''<br />{{small|[[Kelso, New South Wales]]}} | end_b = '''Rupert Street'''<br />{{small|[[Oberon, New South Wales]]}} | exits = [[Goulburn-Oberon Road]] | through = {{NSWcity|O'Connell}} }}
'''O'Connell Road''' is a [[New South Wales]] rural road linking [[Oberon, New South Wales|Oberon]] to the regional highway hub of [[Bathurst, New South Wales|Bathurst]], where several roads including [[Great Western Highway]], [[Mid-Western Highway]], [[Mitchell Highway]] and [[Bathurst-Ilford Road]] join.
==Route== O'Connell Road commences at the roundabout with [[Great Western Highway]] in [[Kelso, New South Wales]] (just east of [[Bathurst, New South Wales|Bathurst]]) and heads in a southeasterly direction, crossing the [[Fish River (Oberon)|Fish River]] just north of [[O'Connell, New South Wales|O'Connell]], and continuing southeast until it eventually terminates in [[Oberon, New South Wales|Oberon]]. It is fully sealed over its entire length and of high enough standard to accommodate B-double trucks.
In conjunction with [[Goulburn-Oberon Road]] from [[Hume Highway]] to Oberon, this scenic route provides a leisurely and surprisingly direct route between Bathurst and [[Goulburn]]. It is designated part of Tourist Route 1.
==History== The passing of the ''Main Roads Act of 1924''<ref>[http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/num_act/mra1924n24133/ State of New South Wales, ''An Act to provide for the better construction, maintenance, and financing of main roads; to provide for developmental roads; to constitute a Main Roads Board''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811000905/http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/num_act/mra1924n24133/ |date=11 August 2022 }} 10 November 1924</ref> through the [[Parliament of New South Wales]] provided for the declaration of Main Roads, roads partially funded by the State government through the [[Main Roads Board]] (MRB, later [[Transport for NSW]]). Main Road No. 256 was declared along this road on 8 August 1928, from the intersection with [[Great Western Highway]] near Bathurst to Oberon (and continuing southwards via Taralga to the intersection with [[Hume Highway]] at [[Goulburn]]);<ref name="nswgovgaz28" /> with the passing of the ''Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929''<ref>[https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/pdf/asmade/act-1929-15 State of New South Wales, ''An Act to amend the Main Roads Act, 1924-1927; to confer certain further powers upon the Main Roads Board; to amend the Local Government Act, 1919, and certain other Acts; to validate certain payments and other matters; and for purposes connected therewith.''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812065622/https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/pdf/asmade/act-1929-15 |date=12 August 2022 }} 8 April 1929</ref> to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, this was amended to Main Road 256 on 8 April 1929.
The [[Department of Main Roads (New South Wales)|Department of Main Roads]], which had succeeded the MRB in 1932, truncated the northern end of Main Road 256 to Oberon, and extended the western end of Main Road 253 over it instead, from Oberon to Bathurst, on 13 February 1934.<ref name="nswgovgaz34" />
The passing of the ''Roads Act of 1993''<ref>[https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1993-033 State of New South Wales, ''An Act to make provision with respect to the roads of New South Wales; to repeal the State Roads Act 1986, the Crown and Other Roads Act 1990 and certain other enactments; and for other purposes.''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811000905/http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/num_act/mra1924n24133/ |date=11 August 2022 }} 10 November 1924</ref> updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, O'Connell Road today is declared part of Main Road 253, from Bathurst to Oberon (and continuing eastwards via the Jenolan Caves and Hampton to the intersection with [[Great Western Highway]] at Hartley).<ref name="nswroadsched">{{cite web |url=https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/business-industry/partners-suppliers/lgr/documents/classified-roads-schedule.pdf |title=Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads |author=[[Transport for NSW]] |date=August 2022 |publisher=Government of New South Wales |access-date=1 August 2022 |archive-date=25 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825104657/https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/business-industry/partners-suppliers/lgr/documents/classified-roads-schedule.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Major intersections== {{AUSinttop|length_ref=<ref name="gmaps" />}} {{NSWint |LGA=[[Bathurst Regional Council|Bathurst]] |LGAspan=2 |location=Kelso |type=trans |km=0 |road={{AUshield|NSW|A32}} [[Great Western Highway]] (A32){{NSWcity|p=on|Bathurst|Marrangaroo}} |notes=Northeastern terminus of road and Tourist Route 1, runs south as Littlebourne Street to O'Connell Road }} {{NSWint |location=Brewongle |km=7.2 |road=Tarana Road{{NSWcity|p=on|Tarana}} |notes= }} {{Jctbridge |river=[[Fish River (Oberon)|Fish River]] |km=16.4 |bridge=O'Connell Bridge }} {{NSWint |LGA-S=Oberon |LGAspan=5 |location=O'Connell |km=18.7 |road=Mutton Falls Road{{NSWcity|p=on|Tarana}} |notes= }} {{NSWint |location=Oberon |lspan=4 |km=30.0 |road=Mayfield Road{{NSWcity|p=on|Mayfield}} |notes= }} {{NSWint |km=41.1 |road=[[Goulburn-Oberon Road|Abercrombie Road]] (southwest){{NSWcity|p=on|Taralga|Goulburn}}<br />Albion Street (east){{NSWcity|p=on|Oberon}} |notes=Roundabout }} {{NSWint |type=trans |km=41.6 |road={{AUshield|T|1}} Carrington Avenue (Tourist Route 1){{NSWcity|p=on|Oberon}}, [[Jenolan Caves]] |notes=Tourist Route 1 continues east along Carrington Avenue }} {{NSWint |type=trans |km=41.7 |road=Rupert Street{{NSWcity|p=on|Oberon}}, to [[Goulburn-Oberon Road|Abercrombie Road]]{{NSWcity|p=on|Taralga|Goulburn}} |notes=Southwestern terminus of road }} {{Jctbtm|keys=trans}}
==See also== {{Portal|Australian Roads}} * [[Highways in Australia]] * [[List of highways in New South Wales]] * [[Fish River (Oberon)|Fish River]]
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Road infrastructure in New South Wales}}
[[Category:Highways in Australia]] [[Category:Oberon Council]]