Length:

316 km

Termini:

Northern: Warrego Hwy (ALT-A2), Mitchell Hwy (ALT-A2) and King St (unnumbered), Charleville

Southern: NSW-QLD Border, Barringun

Miscellaneous:

Continued as Mitchell Highway (NR71) in New South Wales

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Barringun, Tuen, Cunnamulla, Coongoola, Wyandra and Charleville

Current: ALT
A2

Former: 71

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

23A (NSW-QLD Border to Cunnamulla)

23B (Cunnamulla to Charleville)

General Information:

National Route 71 was a outback rural route connecting New South Wales with the mid-western parts of Queensland. The route primarily passed through bushland, rural properties and small towns. The major centres along the route included Cunnamulla and Charleville.

The route originally stretched from Nyngan in NSW to Barcaldine in QLD. As a result of the introduction of alphanumeric route marking in Queensland, the route was truncated and pared back to terminate in Charleville. ² The Mitchell Highway was named after Lieutenant Colonel Sir Thomas Mitchell, who was a Scottish surveyor and explorer of southeastern Australia. Mitchell explored vast swathes of the regions that the highway passes through and was Surveyor-General of New South Wales in the 1820s.

October 1936: The route was proclaimed Mitchell Hwy between Nyngan and Charleville. ²

1960: NR71 signs erected between NSW-QLD Border and Cunnamulla. ²

1968: NR71 signs erected between Cunnamulla and Barcaldine. ²

November 1974: A portion of route proclaimed a National Highway (Landsborough Highway between Augathella and Barcaldine). ²

1979: National Route 71 shields replaced by National Highway 71 shields from Augathella to Barcaldine. ²

1980s: Mitchell Hwy fully sealed in QLD. ²

2002: Route decommissioned north of Charleville (replaced by NH-A2 and ALT-A2). ²

May 2007: Route replaced by A71 between Charleville and NSW-QLD Border. ²

NSW-QLD Border to Charleville

NEW Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Barrigun, just north of the NSW-QLD Border, 2003.

Image © Jamie Scuglia

NEW Welcome Sign:

Sign welcome motorists to the Matilda Highway touring route, Barringun, 2003.

Image © Jamie Scuglia

Black Intersection Directional Sign:

Unusual black intersection directional sign in the Cunnamulla town centre, at the junction with Wicks Street, Jane Street and Murray Street, August 2008. This site pre-dates the eastern bypass of the town.

Image © Rick Wardle