The Berrima Bypass opened on 22 March 1989, 30 years ago. It was part of the F5 South Western Hume Freeway project, funded by the Federal Government, built in sections from the 1970s to provide the Hume Highway with a four-lane, dual-carriageway between Liverpool and Breadalbane.
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The bypass of Berrima, extending from Welby to the Mereworth Interchange, was mostly built through already cleared land. For the remainder, efforts were made to minimise the road's impact on native flora and fauna, including arrangements to protect a platypus colony on the Wingecarribee River's banks as well as Aboriginal archaeological sites along the route.
Many Berrima residents were delighted when the Bypass opened. The Hume Highway through the town had become a mixed blessing from the 1950s - businesses benefited but, due to the steady increase of heavy traffic, those living close to it suffered from lack of sleep and frayed nerves. Noise and safety issues dominated the lives of school children, it sometimes taking 10 minutes to cross the road.
The sharp bend at the Berrima Post Office was a notorious spot for accidents, often involving trucks. In a collision that occurred there on 9 April 1952, Horace Kendrick of Colo Vale suffered fatal injuries. The Southern Mail reported that he was a passenger in the back of a utility truck driven by Gordon McFarlane of Aylmerton. At around 8:00am, while approaching the Post Office from the north at about 25mph, a red car sped towards them on the wrong side of the road. McFarlane applied his brakes, pulled to the side and had almost stopped when the impact occurred. He looked into the back and saw that Kendrick appeared to be in pain. In a trial held on 6 March 1953 at the Moss Vale Court of Petty Sessions, a Gunning woman was charged with manslaughter, causing grievous bodily harm, negligent driving and driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor.
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Immediately prior to the Bypass opening in 1989, the Highlands Post quoted Mr Stokes, a member of the Business Houses of Berrima Committee and curator of the Court House museum, as saying that while many residents felt it would be much better without trucks passing through, some business people were anxious trade would fall off once the Bypass opened.
Since Berrima's founding in 1829, he said, its traders had done well through always being on the main road between Sydney, Goulburn and Melbourne, even though a good deal of traffic and trade was taken elsewhere by the railway from the 1860s. People would not be stopping once the Bypass was opened, but not all business people were waiting with trepidation. "We have several businesses which are so well established people come looking for them - they will still come, but Berrima has five restaurants and six cafes, and I can't see them all surviving."
As stated by Mr Stokes, Berrima had been on the main road since 1829, established as an administrative town at the Wingecarribee River crossing on a new section of line for the southern road through the district. Surveyed by Major Mitchell, this line traversed more to the west in order to avoid the steep climb and flood-prone river crossing of Dr Charles Throsby's earlier south road from Picton to the Goulburn Plains built by convicts in 1820.
By the 1850s, once the southern road had opened to Albury, it was named the Great Southern Road. In the early 1900s motorised transport began taking to the road, although some sections were still barely adequate for the use of horses, drays and coaches. The road was the responsibility of local and shire councils until 1924 when it became a State Road maintained by the NSW Government. Stretching from Sydney to Albury, it linked with a road to Melbourne, the entire length being named the Hume Highway in August 1928.
The Highway closely follows the path taken by Hamilton Hume who, with Hovell and others, in 1824 ventured south through unexplored country to cross the Murray River and reach the Victorian coast at Corio Bay. Hume had begun his explorations in 1814 when, at age 17, with his brother and an Aboriginal friend he trekked from Appin to the then unexplored Southern Highlands, and soon after accompanied Dr Throsby and Charles Meehan on several major expeditions.
Berrima District Historical & Family History Society - compiled by PD Morton. Part 2 of a 3-part series.