Length:

145 km

Termini:

Northern: Cox Peninsula Rd (B34), Blackmore

Southern: Stuart Hwy (NH1), Coomalie Creek

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Blackmore, Rakula, Litchfield National Park, Rum Jungle, Batchelor and Coomalie Creek

Current: B30

Multiplexed with: 30

General Information:

State Route 30 was a rural route approximately 100 km southwest of Darwin that passed through mostly bushland and linked Darwin with the Litchfield National Park.

Proclaimed a national park in 1986, Litchfield National Park, and related road is named after Frederick Henry Litchfield, a Territory pioneer, who explored areas of the Northern Territory from Escape Cliffs on the Timor Sea to the Daly River in 1864.

1967: Construction of Townsend Bridge over Finniss River. ¹

September 1995: Part of Windmill & Poett Roads at Rum Jungle renamed Litchfield Park Road ²

May 2015: Works commenced on 7.5 km of sealing works on Litchfield Park Road, located 19 km from the intersection of Cox Peninsula Road. The project included realignment, earthworks, sealing and drainage works. ³

13 August 2013: The name Townsend Bridge gazetted. The bridge over Finniss River was named in recognition of the contributions the Townsend family have made to the Northern Territory, including being one of the first families to introduce Brahman cattle to the Northern Territory and for introducing new livestock techniques such as the use of aircraft, airboats and vehicles for mustering, and in commemoration of Henry "Roy" Townsend who, in 1967, personally constructed the bridge to improve wet season access to the Townsend family properties beyond the Finniss River, and to create better road access generally for all road users. The bridge was built at the cost of the Townsend family and on its completion, was adopted by the then Northern Territory Department of Works and is part of the current Litchfield Park Road. ¹

2014: Extension of the seal on the Litchfield Park Road at a coast of $4.75 million. ⁴

Coomalie Creek to Blackmore

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign on Batchelor Rd (SR30) at Finniss Valley, 2003.

Image © Jamie Scuglia