Anne Beadell Highway

Anne Beadell Highway

Western Australia
–South Australia
Anne Beadell Highway; Western Australia–South Australia
	The Anne Beadell Highway in South Australia. Heavy rain has washed out corrugations
	West end East end
Coordinates	28°37′16″S 122°25′07″E / 28.621174°S 122.418494°E (West end); 29°01′09″S 134°43′19″E / 29.019122°S 134.721836°E (East end);
General information
Type	Track
Length	1,325 km (823 mi)
Major junctions
West end	Laverton–Leonora Road; Laverton, Western Australia
	Connie Sue Highway
East end	Stuart Highway; Coober Pedy, South Australia
Location(s)
Region	Goldfields–Esperance (WA), Eyre Western, Far North (SA)
Restrictions
Permits	4 required
Fuel supply	Ilkurlka 28°21′01″S 127°31′05″E / 28.350412°S 127.518027°E
Facilities	Ilkurlka

Anne Beadell Highway is an outback unsealed track linking Coober Pedy, South Australia, and Laverton, Western Australia, a total distance of 1,325 km (823 mi).^[3] The track was surveyed and built by Len Beadell, Australian surveyor, who named it after his wife.^[4]

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

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 Emu Field, was built in February and March 1953 to provide access for British atomic tests at Emu Field.^[6] This stage preceded the formation of Beadell's Gunbarrel Road Construction Party, and was the first road built by Beadell.^[6]

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 Ilkurlka in Western Australia, opened in 2003, is 167 km (104 mi) west of the Western Australia – South Australian state border. It is at the intersection of the Madura Loongana Track (Aboriginal Business Road) and the Anne Beadell Highway. The roadhouse caters mainly for local Aboriginal communities and may be the most isolated roadhouse in Australia. There are no resupply stops on the 780 km (480 mi) journey between Ilkurlka and Coober Pedy.

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 Western Australia. The road passes through Mamungari Conservation Park in South Australia, which is one of Australia's fourteen World Biosphere Reserves and the Tallaringa Conservation Park.^[8]^[9]^[10]

Conditions

Because the track is remote and not signposted, satellite navigation is advisable. For communication, high frequency radio or satellite telephone are recommended. In good conditions, it may take five days to complete the journey. Hazards such as flat tyres, breakdowns, and occasional flash floods must be taken into account.

Major intersections

State/Territory	LGA^[11]	Location^[1]^[12]	km^[1]	mi	Destinations	Notes
Western Australia	Laverton	Laverton	0	0.0	Great Central Road (Outback Highway) – Leonora	Western terminus of highway
Western Australia	Laverton	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
		Emu Field	1,035	643	Maralinga to Emu Road – Maralinga
	Coober Pedy	Coober Pedy	1,325	823	Stuart Highway (A87) – Alice Springs, Port Augusta, Adelaide	Eastern terminus of highway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Route transition

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Anne Beadell Highway" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
^ "Location SA Map viewer with regional layers". Government of South Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
^ Hema, Maps (2005). Australia’s Great Desert Tracks SW Sheet (Map). Eight Mile Plains Queensland: Hema Maps. ISBN 1-86500-161-9.
^ Beadell, Len (1967). Bush Bashers. New Holland Publishers (Australia). ISBN 1-86436-734-2.
^ Beadell, Len (1971). Bush Bashers. New Holland Publishers (Australia). p. 3. ISBN 1864367342.
^ ^a ^b ^c Shephard, Mark (1998). A Lifetime in the Bush:The biography of Len Beadell. Adelaide: Corkwood Press. ISBN 1876247053.
^ ^a ^b Bayly, Ian (2009). Len Beadell's Legacy. Seaford Vic: Bas Publishing. p. 82. 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

[gmaps-1] "Anne Beadell Highway" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 8 July 2022.

[SARegions-2] "Location SA Map viewer with regional layers". Government of South Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2022.

[3] Hema, Maps (2005). Australia’s Great Desert Tracks SW Sheet (Map). Eight Mile Plains Queensland: Hema Maps. ISBN 1-86500-161-9.

[4] Beadell, Len (1967). Bush Bashers. New Holland Publishers (Australia). ISBN 1-86436-734-2.

[5] Beadell, Len (1971). Bush Bashers. New Holland Publishers (Australia). p. 3. ISBN 1864367342.

[ms1998-6] Shephard, Mark (1998). A Lifetime in the Bush:The biography of Len Beadell. Adelaide: Corkwood Press. ISBN 1876247053.

[Bayly-7] Bayly, Ian (2009). Len Beadell's Legacy. Seaford Vic: Bas Publishing. p. 82. ISBN 9781921496028.

[parksguide-8] "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.

[9] "Australia's Biosphere Reserves". Parks Australia. Retrieved 3 November 2014.

[10] "Biosphere Reserve Information for ' UNNAMED'". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 November 2014.

[SALGAs-11] "Location SA Map viewer with LGA layers". Government of South Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2022.

[SAlocs-12] "Location SA Map viewer with suburb layers". Government of South Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2022.

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v t e Road infrastructure in Western Australia
Freeways	Graham Farmer Freeway Kwinana Freeway Mitchell Freeway
Metropolitan highways	Albany Highway Brookton Highway Canning Highway Great Eastern Highway (Bypass) Great Northern Highway Leach Highway Reid Highway Roe Highway South Western Highway Stirling Highway Tonkin Highway West Coast Highway
Highways and major roads	Albany Highway Brand Highway Brockman Highway Brookton Highway Bussell Highway Coalfields Road Coolgardie–Esperance Highway Dampier Highway Derby Highway Eyre Highway Forrest Highway Geraldton–Mount Magnet Road Goldfields Highway Great Eastern Highway Great Northern Highway Great Southern Highway Indian Ocean Drive Mandjoogoordap Drive Manuwarra Red Dog Highway Muir Highway North West Coastal Highway Old Coast Road Robertson Drive South Coast Highway South Western Highway Vasse Highway Victoria Highway Wilman Wadandi Highway
Outback tracks	Anne Beadell Highway Buntine Highway Canning Stock Route Cape Leveque Road Connie Sue Highway Duncan Road Gary Highway Gary Junction Road Gibb River Road Great Central Road Gunbarrel Highway Kalumburu Road Sandy Blight Junction Road Talawana Track Tanami Road
Lists	Highways Major roads Gascoyne Goldfields–Esperance Great Southern Kimberley Mid West Perth Pilbara South West Wheatbelt Road routes Tourist Drives

v t e Road infrastructure in South Australia
Expressways	South Eastern Freeway Port River Expressway Northern Expressway North–South Motorway (incomplete, under construction) Southern Expressway
Interstate highways	Barrier Highway Dukes Highway Eyre Highway Mallee Highway Princes Highway Stuart Highway Sturt Highway
State highways	Augusta Highway Gawler Bypass Horrocks Highway Main South Road Port Wakefield Highway Riddoch Highway Victor Harbor Road
Arterial roads	Adelaide–Mannum Road Alexandrina Road Barossa Valley Way Birdseye Highway Browns Well Highway Cameron Highway Copper Coast Highway Flinders Highway Flinders Ranges Way Glenelg Highway Gorge Road Goyder Highway Horrocks Highway Karoonda Highway Lincoln Highway Ngarkat Highway Olympic Dam Highway Onkaparinga Valley Road Playford Highway RM Williams Way Southern Ports Highway Spencer Highway St Vincent Highway Stott Highway Strathalbyn Road The Outback Highway Thiele Highway Tod Highway Wellington Road Wilkins Highway Wilmington–Ucolta Road Wimmera Highway Yorke Highway
Outback tracks	Anne Beadell Highway Birdsville Track Colson Track Gunbarrel Highway Maralinga to Emu Road Mount Davies Road Oodnadatta Track Strzelecki Track Vokes Hill Corner to Cook Road
Transport in South Australia; List of road routes in South Australia