Anne Beadell Highway
Anne Beadell Highway –South Australia | |
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The Anne Beadell Highway in South Australia. Heavy rain has washed out corrugations | |
Coordinates | |
General information | |
Type | |
Facilities | Ilkurlka |
Anne Beadell Highway is an outback unsealed track linking
The track passes through remote arid deserts and scrub territory of South Australia and Western Australia, which often have summer temperatures approaching 50 °C (122 °F). Sand dunes predominate for most of the track.
Map and overview
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The Anne Beadell Highway (in purple). Map details as of 1972
The road was constructed to provide access for a series of surveys, adding to the overall geodetic survey of unexplored parts of Australia. The information was required for rocket range projects at Woomera.[5] Construction was completed in five stages, spanning nine years from 1953 to 1962. The first stage from Mabel Creek station near Coober Pedy, west towards
The second stage was begun in July 1957 in the reverse direction, from Anne's Corner towards Emu Field, after Beadell had completed the Mount Davies Road in the north-west of South Australia. The third stage started in August 1961, running westward from Anne's Corner to Vokes Hill. In April 1962 the fourth stage proceeded west from Vokes Hill, beyond Serpentine Lakes towards the future Neale Junction where the construction party arrived in August.[6]
From Neale Junction during August and September 1962, the north–south Connie Sue Highway was constructed between Warburton and Rawlinna. The fifth stage of the Anne Beadell Highway was then commenced, and was completed at Yamarna near Lake Yeo when it joined an existing track to Laverton in November 1962.[7]
Beadell put considerable effort into rediscovering Vokes Hill while surveying the track, as a new device called a Tellurometer was being introduced. It used radio waves for distance measurement, and required elevated points for its operation.[7]
Fuel and supplies
The track is suitable for only well-provisioned and experienced four-wheel drivers. There are no settlements between Coober Pedy and Laverton.
A roadhouse named
Places of interest
Neale Junction, where the Anne Beadell Highway intersects with the Connie Sue Highway, another outback track constructed by Len Beadell, is 172 km (107 mi) west of Ilkurlka.
The track passes through the former British atomic test site of Emu Field, rabbit and dog fences, restricted nature conservation areas, and Aboriginal lands, all of which require permits to pass through.
Of interest is the wreck of a light aircraft near the track in
Conditions
Because the track is remote and not signposted,
Major intersections
State/Territory | LGA[11] | Location[1][12] | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
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Western Australia | Laverton | Laverton | 0 | 0.0 | Great Central Road (Outback Highway) – Leonora | Western terminus of highway |
Neale Junction | 373 | 232 | Connie Sue Highway – Warburton, Rawlinna | |||
State border | 710 | 440 | Western Australia – South Australia state border | |||
South Australia | Maralinga Tjarutja | Vokes Hill Corner | 880 | 550 | Vokes Hill Corner to Cook Road – Cook | |
Anne's Corner | 985 | 612 | Mount Davies Road – Pipalyatjara | |||
Maralinga | ||||||
Adelaide | Eastern terminus of highway | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
- Gunbarrel Road Construction Party
- Highways in Australia
- List of highways in South Australia
- List of highways in Western Australia
References
- ^ a b c Google (8 July 2022). "Anne Beadell Highway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ "Location SA Map viewer with regional layers". Government of South Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- ISBN 1-86500-161-9.
- ISBN 1-86436-734-2.
- ISBN 1864367342.
- ^ ISBN 1876247053.
- ^ ISBN 9781921496028.
- ^ "South Australia's National Parks Guide (Flinders Ranges and Outback)" (PDF). Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. 2013. p. 41. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ^ "Australia's Biosphere Reserves". Parks Australia. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ "Biosphere Reserve Information for ' UNNAMED'". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ "Location SA Map viewer with LGA layers". Government of South Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- ^ "Location SA Map viewer with suburb layers". Government of South Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
External links
- Anne Beadell Highway travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Media related to Anne Beadell Highway at Wikimedia Commons
- Anne Beadell Trek on ExplorOz
- Australia's Biosphere Reserves