Roma–Condamine Road Explained

Road Name:Roma–Condamine Road
Road Name2:Condamine Highway
State:qld
Type:rural road
Length:115
Direction A:West
End A: Carnarvon Highway,
Exits:
  • Wallumbilla South Road
  • Yuleba–Surat Road
  • Dulacca South Road
Direction B:East
End B: Leichhardt Highway,
Through:Warkon,

Roma–Condamine Road is a continuous 115km (71miles) road route in the Maranoa and Western Downs local government areas of Queensland, Australia. It is a state-controlled regional road (number 344), rated as a local road of regional significance (LRRS).[1] [2] [3]

Route description

The road (known locally as Condamine Highway) starts at an intersection with the Carnarvon Highway in the locality of in the Maranoa region, about 46km (29miles) south-east of the town of . It runs slightly south of east, crossing the south-western extremity of and passing the exit to Wallumbilla South Road (see below) to the north-east. It then follows the boundary between Wallumbilla South and before entering Warkon. Next it passes the exit to Yuleba-Surat Road to the south-west, runs north-east concurrent with that road, and passes its exit to the north-east.[4]

Continuing east across Warkon, the road passes through two sections of the Yuleba State Forest and enters in the Western Downs region, where it transits another section of the forest and passes the exit to Dulacca South Road to the north-west before entering . It continues east, crossing a section of, then following the boundary between Pine Hills and Condamine, and finally reaching an intersection with the Leichhardt Highway in the town of Condamine, where it ends.[4]

The road is fully sealed.[5] A project to widen and strengthen sections of this road was completed in February 2022.[6] A project to replace a timber bridge with a two-lane concrete bridge was completed in October 2021.[7]

Some 32km (20miles) of the road were in a deteriorating condition as at May 2023, having about a 2m (07feet) wide bitumen strip with rough edges.[8] A petition to have this problem rectified was presented to the Queensland Parliament on 3 April 2023.[9]

Wallumbilla South Road

Country:AUS
State:QLD
Wallumbilla South Road
Location:Warrego Highway, Wallumbilla to Roma–Condamine Road, Wallumbilla South
Length Km:38.8

Wallumbilla South Road is a state-controlled district road (number 3441) rated as a local road of regional significance (LRRS).[1] [2] It runs 38.8km (24.1miles) from the Warrego Highway in to Roma–Condamine Road at the / midpoint. This road has no major intersections.

History

Mount Abundance pastoral run was taken up in 1847, then abandoned but not relinquished in 1849 due to constant conflicts with local indigenous people. In 1856 it was sold and the new owner took up residence, considered to be the first European settler in the Roma district.[10] Roma was established prior to 1863 when Queensland's first vine cuttings were planted.[11] Brucedale pastoral station was established south-east of Roma, in what is now Tingun, prior to 1866.[12]

In Tingun, Yalebone Station was established prior to 1885.[13]
Wallumbilla South was the name of a pastoral run established in the 1860s.[14]
Noorindoo was the name of a pastoral run established before 1858.[15]
Warkon is the name of a pastoral run established in 1850.[16] It was offered for sale in 2019 after 93 years of ownership by the one family.[17]
Moraby was the name of a property established by 1860 and held in the one family for the following 148 years. In 1866 a hotel was opened in Moraby to cater for travellers on the road.[18]

The town that is now Condamine was surveyed in 1859. It became a stopping place for bullock and horse teams on their way to the larger centres of Roma and .[19]

In June 1938 the Condamine Highway (Roma–Condamine Road) was "nearly complete". This was before the road that is now the Warrego Highway was built, the reason being that soil conditions would make a road following the railway line to Roma a much more expensive undertaking.[20]

Major intersections

All distances are from Google Maps.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Southern Queensland region map . 2020 . Department of Transport and Main Roads ©State of Queensland [CC BY 4.0] . 29 May 2023 .
  2. Web site: South West district map . 2020 . Department of Transport and Main Roads ©State of Queensland [CC BY 4.0] . 29 May 2023 .
  3. Web site: Darling Downs district map . 2020 . Department of Transport and Main Roads ©State of Queensland [CC BY 4.0] . 29 May 2023 .
  4. Book: Australia Road Atlas - Map 8 . Hema Maps - via RACQ . 2009 . 978-1-86500-553-9.
  5. Web site: Roma Condamine Road . Bonzle digital atlas . 2023 . 30 May 2023.
  6. Web site: Roma-Condamine Road, widen and strengthen pavement . Queensland Government . 25 April 2023 . 30 May 2023.
  7. Web site: Roma-Condamine Road, Tchanning Creek, replace timber bridge . Queensland Government . 25 April 2023 . 30 May 2023.
  8. Web site: Petition calls for urgent widening of Roma-Condamine Road . Queensland Country Life . 21 May 2023 . 30 May 2023.
  9. Web site: Widen dangerous sections of the Roma Condamine Road (Highway) to an 8 metre seal . Queensland Parliament . 3 April 2023 . 30 May 2023.
  10. 1 August 2014.
  11. Book: Wilson, Paul D.. Bassett, Samuel Symons (1840–1912). Samuel Symons Bassett (1840–1912) . http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bassett-samuel-symons-80. Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. 2020-05-24. 11 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200811164938/http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bassett-samuel-symons-80. live.
  12. News: 7 June 1866. NOTES AND NEWS.. 2. Dalby Herald And Western Queensland Advertiser. Queensland, Australia. 25 May 2020. Trove. 4 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201204072326/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/215452020. live.
  13. News: Advertising . . 659 . Queensland, Australia . 13 May 1885 . 20 February 2021 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  14. 2 November 2019.
  15. 2 November 2019.
  16. 7 March 2022.
  17. Web site: Western Downs: Warkon offers sale . Queensland Country Life . 14 November 2019 . 30 May 2023.
  18. Web site: David Rayner . Immigration Place Australia . 2023 . 30 May 2023.
  19. Web site: Condamine - Culture and History . The Sydney Morning Herald . 13 November 2008 . 30 May 2023.
  20. Web site: The Condamine Highway . The Courier Mail - via Trove . 7 June 1938 . 10 June 2023.