240 km roadway, Sydney to Newcastle, was built by hundreds of convicts, many working in leg-irons 1826-1836
Seen on the the right side of the gravel roadway
and looking to the left side, across the Hawkesbury River, to Wisemans Ferry. There are two vehicular punts, Webbs Creek, and Wisemans ferries, running back and forth the river.
back on the high side
Christmas Bush stands tall in the valley, and the beautiful star-shaped flowers are seen easily from the roadside
23rd december, 1939 it was reported in Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners Advocate, that in the city, dozens of youngsters were selling Christmas bush for 6d a bunch. Hundreds of women bought in abundance, and then headed home laden with colourful flowers on trams and buses.
the signage reads: "the convict in the background is using the Wedge Pits method to reduce a large sandstone block. Reducing blocks to a uniform shape and size enabled them to be easily positioned.
The convict in the foreground is using a pick to face one of the reduced sandstone blocks. The pick had a short handle and a curved head with both a sharp rock pick end and a chisel-shaped end.
The pick was used in a semi-circular motion working from the outer edges of the block towards the middle. The pick or chisel end struck a glancing blow at the bottom of the swing arc, gouging off pieces of stone.
The grain ran horizontally within the sandstone the chisel end of the pick was used to remove larger sections of stone and produced a smoother finish to the block.
When the grain ran diagonally, the rock pick end was used to remove smaller sections of stone and left a rough pock-marked finish.
The different pick marks can still be seen today.
Most of the sandstone blocks were only faced on five of their six sides. The sixth side of each block was not a visible part of the external wall as it rested against the interior filling. The filling was made up of sandstone debris of irregular shapes and sizes and formed the roadway itself. The blocks that were to be used in the construction of the buttresses were faced on all six sides because the outer blocks of the buttresses rested against faced inner blocks."
the signage reads: "the convict in the background is using the Wedge Pits method to reduce a large sandstone block. Reducing blocks to a uniform shape and size enabled them to be easily positioned.
The convict in the foreground is using a pick to face one of the reduced sandstone blocks. The pick had a short handle and a curved head with both a sharp rock pick end and a chisel-shaped end.
The pick was used in a semi-circular motion working from the outer edges of the block towards the middle. The pick or chisel end struck a glancing blow at the bottom of the swing arc, gouging off pieces of stone.
The grain ran horizontally within the sandstone the chisel end of the pick was used to remove larger sections of stone and produced a smoother finish to the block.
When the grain ran diagonally, the rock pick end was used to remove smaller sections of stone and left a rough pock-marked finish.
The different pick marks can still be seen today.
Most of the sandstone blocks were only faced on five of their six sides. The sixth side of each block was not a visible part of the external wall as it rested against the interior filling. The filling was made up of sandstone debris of irregular shapes and sizes and formed the roadway itself. The blocks that were to be used in the construction of the buttresses were faced on all six sides because the outer blocks of the buttresses rested against faced inner blocks."
looking over the wall, some more of the Christmas Bush not yet coloured-up.
History Trail/Caring for the Great North Road website has a lot of good reading
History Trail/Caring for the Great North Road website has a lot of good reading
guess that's where the 'breaking rocks' phrase of convict life truly comes from.
ReplyDeleteNice place and photos!
ReplyDeleteGreetings, SK
Is everyone out walking today, well it's lovely weather but a bit hot this afternoon in Sydney.
ReplyDeleteHard work building a road in those times.
Merle..............
Thanks for the leisurely stroll, and the insight into what hard work really is!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures of a very beautiful area for walking.
ReplyDeleteVery well photographed, Carole.
Greetings Irma
Pretty spot for a walk, I love the view of the river. And the star flowers are pretty. Lovely series, have a happy day!
ReplyDeleteamazing. i love to see similar places. sort of reminds me of shot or scenes here in Virginia. love it!! thanks for sharing. happy week!! ( :
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that the road still existed. It would have been hard work building that road. I remember my Mum picking Christmas bush. I miss it, we don't get it up here.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful trough this park and great rocks or stones.
ReplyDeleteBest regards, Synnöve
Pioneers working through that countryside sure had things hard - I would much prefer an easy stroll along a trail with some informative signs! :)
ReplyDeleteThe Christmas Bush is a lovely tree, I'll have to keep an eye out for it up in Queensland and see if I can spot it.
This is a nice series of photos. I really like that Christmas Bush - so aptly named!
ReplyDeleteThe rock work is not quite up to par with the Inca.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting piece of history! The Christmas bush is so pretty!
ReplyDeleteNice images of a slice of history. Looks like that area would be very interesting to explore!
ReplyDeleteit was so tough for those men when you read the signage and see what they created with their bare hands. Christian - as to the Christmas Bush, it is also known as NSW Christmas Bush and according to Hornsby Shire Council document it grows "Mainly coastal New South Wales from Bateman’s Bay north into the dividing ranges between NSW & Qld."
ReplyDeleteGreat walk Carole...TFS!
ReplyDeleteJan