Kidman Way

Kidman Way
New South Wales
Road sign north of Jerilderie
at the southern terminus of the Kidman Way
General information
Type Rural road
Length 644 km (400 mi)
Route number(s) B87
Former
route number		 State Route 87 (1974 - 2013)
Major junctions
North end Mitchell Highway (B71) /
Kamilaroi Highway (B76), Bourke, New South Wales
  Barrier Highway (A32)
Lachlan Valley Way
Mid-Western Highway (B64)
Burley Griffin Way (B94)
Sturt Highway (A20)
South end Newell Highway (A39), 16 km (9.9 mi) north of Jerilderie, New South Wales
Location(s)
Major settlements Cobar, Mount Hope, Hillston, Goorawin, Merriwagga, Goolgowi, Griffith, Willbriggie, Darlington Point, Waddi, Coleambally
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The Kidman Way is a state rural road in the western Riverina and western region of New South Wales, Australia. The 644-kilometre (400 mi) highway services the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and outback communities and links the Newell Highway with the Sturt, Mid-Western, Barrier, Mitchell and Kamilaroi highways. The road carries the State Route B87 shield for its entire route, with its northern terminus at Bourke and its southern terminus at a junction with the Newell Highway, situated 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) north of Jerilderie. The Kidman Way is fully sealed and is accessible by two or four-wheel drive.

The Kidman Way draws its history from the stock routes that linked cattle stations in the region, many of which were owned by Sir Sidney Kidman, an Australian pastoralist and philanthropist.[1]

Route

The Kidman Way runs generally north-south, roughly aligned to the state border between New South Wales and South Australia,[2] approximately 140 kilometres (87 mi) west of the geographic centre of New South Wales.[3]

The southern junction of the Kidman Way is located at a road junction with the Newell Highway, located 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) north of Jerilderie. From this point the Kidman Way heads north, its only major intersection being with the Sturt Highway at Waddi, as it moves north through the lush Riverina area towards Griffith, passing through the small towns of Coleambally and Darlington Point. Here the Kidman Way crosses the Murrumbidgee River. Griffith is a large regional centre, in the heart of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, surrounded by vineyards, orchards and ricefields. From Griffith, the Kidman Way heads north through the vast, open western plains to Cobar where it meets the Barrier Highway, running east-west. This is where the outback begins, with plenty of kangaroos and emus and giant tumbleweeds roll across the roads. The first 100 kilometres (62 mi) or more from that point are still fairly green passing through towns such as Goolgowi where a roundabout marks its junction with the Mid-Western Highway; as it continues north to Merriwagga and then Hillston. The Kidman Way shares a concurrency with the Lachlan Valley Way for approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi), before that road heads east to Lake Cargelligo and the Kidman Way heads north to Cobar via long, straight, unbroken stretches of road, except for the village of Mount Hope. This section of road does not support any fuel stations. The Kidman Way continues 160 kilometres (99 mi) through mallee and semi-arid woodlands on to Cobar, once famous for copper. From there the road leads to Bourke, where it meets the Mitchell Highway at its northern terminus; and connects to the Kamilaroi Highway.

Additional stock routes, not officially designated as part of the Kidman Way, provide access to south western and central western Queensland and ultimately, via various roads, to Normanton on the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Major intersections

LGALocationkm[4]miDestinationsNotes
BourkeBourke00.0 Kamilaroi Highway (B76 east) – Brewarrina, Walgett, Narrabri, Gunnedah Route transition via
00.0 Mitchell Highway (B71 north) – Cunnamulla, Charleville
Mitchell Highway (B71 south) – Nyngan, Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst		Northern highway terminus
CobarCobar160–
161		99–
100		 Barrier Highway (A32 east) – Nyngan
Barrier Highway (A32 west) – Wilcannia, Broken Hill, South Australia		Pair of closely spaced intersections
CarrathoolHillston381237Lachlan Valley Way (east) – Lake CargelligoNorthern concurrency terminus with the Lachlan Valley Way
415258Lachlan Valley Way (southwest) – Booligal and to the Cobb HighwaySouthern concurrency terminus with the Lachlan Valley Way
416258Rankins Springs Road (southeast) – Rankins Springs
Goolgowi476296 Mid-Western Highway (A32 northeast) – West Wyalong, Cowra, Bathurst
Mid-Western Highway (A32 southwest) – Hay		Roundabout
GriffithGriffith526327 Burley Griffin Way (B94 northeast) – Yenda, Barellan, TemoraB94 western terminus
MurrumbidgeeDarlington Point559347Darlington Point-Whitton Road (east) – Whitton
Murrumbidgee River560350Darlington Point Bridge
MurrumbidgeeWaddi563–
564		350–
350		 Sturt Highway (A20 east) – Narrandera, Wagga Wagga
Sturt Highway (A20 west) – Hay, Mildura, Adelaide		Pair of closely spaced intersections
JerilderieJerilderie Junction644400 Newell Highway (A39 south) – Jerilderie, Finley, MelbourneSouthern highway terminus
644400 Newell Highway (A39 north) – Narrandera, Dubbo, Goondiwindi, BrisbaneSouthern highway terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Where the legend begins". Kidman Way. Retrieved 11 May 2008.
  2. ↑ Kidman Way map (Map). Kidman Way. 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  3. ↑ Google (4 April 2015). "Kidman Way" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  4. ↑ Google (4 April 2015). "Kidman Way" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
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