The Horsley Drive
The Horsley Drive is a 13-kilometre (8.1 mi)[1] urban sealed road located in the City of Fairfield in Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The road's northwestern terminus is located at the entrance of Western Sydney Parklands in Horsley Park and its southeastern terminus at its intersection with Hume Highway in Carramar.[3]
The Horsley Drive
Road
14.7 km (9.1 mi)[1]
March 1970[2]
Arundel Road
Horsley Park, Sydney
- Wallgrove Road
Westlink M7
Cumberland Highway
History[edit]
Horsley Park was originally part of Colonel George Johnston's 2,000-acre (8.1 km2) property "Kings Gift". After his death it passed to his daughter Blanche who in 1829 married Major George Nicholas Weston. He built an Indian colonial style homestead on the property and named it "Horsley" after his birthplace in Surrey, England. In 1959, The Horsley Drive (so named because it leads to Horsley Park) opened up as a continuous route from Carramar. Fairfield Hospital was constructed on The Horsley Drive in Fairfield on September 1956, but was then relocated in 1988.[4]
The passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924[5] 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 (later the Department of Main Roads, and eventually Transport for NSW). With the subsequent passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[6] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, the Department of Main Roads (having succeeded the MRB in 1932) declared Main Road 609 along the eastern half of The Horsley Drive, from the intersection with Hume Highway in Carramar to the intersection with Liverpool Road (today Cumberland Highway) in Smithfield, on 25 March 1970;[2] this was extended west along the western half of The Horsley Drive from Smithfield to the intersection with Wallgrove Road in Horsley Park on 15 February 1991.[7] It was later re-aligned to run along Victoria and Elizabeth Streets through Smithfield and Wetherill Park respectively, instead of The Horsley Drive, on 12 March 2010.[8]
The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[9] updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, The Horsley Drive retains its declaration as part of Main Road 609.[10]
