Dawson Highway  - once formed part of &
The Dawson Highway, starts in the industrial city of Gladstone in Central Queensland, heads west into the hinterland and crosses the Bruce Highway at Calliope. The highway continues west, up the Great Dividing Range escarpment and into the Callide Valley where it enters the town of Biloela before reaching the intersection town of Banana further west. From Banana, the country surrounding the Dawson Highway becomes drier and more remote, passing through the coal mining town of Moura before continuing west into the central highlands to reach the small service town of Rolleston. The highway then heads north-west, now as route A7 further into the highlands and terminates at the picturesque town of Springsure - motorists continuing north will then have to travel on the Gregory Highway.

To clarify the route numbering above: The Dawson Highway once formed part of National Route 39 from Gladstone to Banana where it connected with the Leichhardt Highway (which still carries Route 39). However with the recent extension of the Leichhardt Highway now passing through Banana north to the Capricorn Highway, this section of Dawson Highway has been re-classified as State Route 60 (shown above). While most of the sign posts have been updated, many maps still show the Dawson Highway carrying a section of National Route 39 which can lead to some confusion for motorists.
The section classified as A7 (Rolleston-Springsure) follows what was originally part of National Route 55. Many signs and maps do not reflect the change thus motorists may see both forms of route classification in this region.

State: Queensland
Name Origin: The Dawson Highway was named after the Dawson River which crosses the highway between Moura and Rolleston. The river was named by Ludwig Leichhardt.
Start: Gladstone
Principal Towns: Gladstone, Calliope, Biloela, Banana, Moura, Rolleston, Springsure
Finish: Gregory Highway (Springsure)
Length: 403km
Road Standard: Bitumen
Road Quality: Dual carriageway within Gladstone - generally good between Gladstone and Calliope and also contains a few overtaking lanes. Road quality seriously deteriorates between Calliope and Biloela with several sections being narrow and windy (including the Great Divide ascent/descent) - sections which are new, however are quite good. Occasional overtaking lanes between Biloela and Moura. Countryside is quite flat thereafter with some long straights - road quality varies from average to poor (some remnants of single lane bitumen stretches still remain) from Moura through to Rolleston with traffic volumes very low. Between Rolleston and Springsure, road quality improves dramatically due to the slightly higher traffic quantity and terrain becomes more undulating.
Speed Limit (outside built up areas): 100km/hr
Road Continuation: Click here for the Gregory Highway.

Photos from the Dawson Highway (Click on thumbnail for full sized image):
 
Crappy sort of photo but here lies one of the only remaining signs showing that National Route 39 followed the Dawson Highway - Goondoon Street, Gladstone (2004).
Heading west on the Dawson Highway approaching the Harvey Road roundabout, Gladstone (2004).
Heading west on the Dawson Highway approaching the Bruce Highway at the Calliope Crossroads, Calliope (2000).
Eastbound on the Dawson Highway approaching the Bruce Highway, Calliope (2004).
The Dawson Highway, heading west through Calliope (2004).
Westbound on the Dawson Highway approaching the Many Peaks Road junction (SR69) between just outside of Calliope (2004).
The Dawson Highway, heading east between Biloela and Calliope (2004).
The Dawson Highway, heading south-east on the descent from the Great Dividing Range. Note the poor condition of the road (2004).
Heading west on the Dawson Highway approaching Biloela (2004).
Distance sign, heading east from Biloela on the Dawson Highway (2004).

The Dawson Highway, heading west through Biloela (note the old Hwy39 shield - should be SR60) (2004).
Heading east into Biloela on the Dawson & Burnett Highways (2004).
Looking west along the Dawson Highway from Biloela (2004).
One of the very few overtaking lanes on the Dawson Highway - looking east between Banana and Biloela (2004).
Distance sign, heading east on the Dawson Highway from Banana (2004).
Heading north-east on the Dawson Highway approaching the northern Leichardt Highway junction, Banana (2004).
Distance sign, heading west on the Dawson Highway from Moura (2004).
View east on the Dawson Highway between Moura and Bauhinia Downs (2004).
And again, this time with a change of scenery - note the varying road quality (2004).
Heading east on the Dawson Highway approaching the Fitzroy Developmental Road junction at Bauhinia Downs (2004).
And again, but this time featuring the more standard (yet old) directional sign, Bauhinia Downs (2004).
Looking east along the Dawson Highway between Rolleston and Moura (2004).
Strange sign advising motorists to drive on the centre of the road to avoid the soft edges - many of these signs are erected where the bitumen is still quite narrow - Dawson Highway heading east near Rolleston (2004).
Looking north along the Dawson Highway in Rolleston featuring an old directional sign (2004).
Heading south-east along the Dawson Highway approaching the Carnarvon Developmental Road junction at Rolleston (2004).
Distance sign on the Dawson Highway heading north-west from Rolleston (2004).
The Dawson Highway, looking south-west between Springsure and Rolleston (2004).
View south over the Dawson Highway between Springsure and Rolleston (2004).
Looking north along the Dawson Highway as it enters Springsure (2004).

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Copyright © MG 2005