Convict Road Found in Australia.
I get to dust off my Australia tag tonight :)
Engineers have uncovered a road built by convicts almost 150 years ago while upgrading Great Eastern Highway in Belmont. A 20m stretch of road made from big jarrah discs was found under bitumen near Belmont Avenue.
Thought to have been built by convicts in 1867, the road gives an insight into Western Australia's convict history and early infrastructure. Controversial governor John Hampton, who was notorious for abusing convicts and wasting taxpayers' money on luxuries, ordered construction of the road. Convicts had to lay the wood discs, known as Hampton's cheeses, and fill the spaces with limestone or soil.
Sections of the road have now been excavated and will be displayed in Belmont Museum. An interesting bit of hidden history (literally) I thought!
Source
Engineers have uncovered a road built by convicts almost 150 years ago while upgrading Great Eastern Highway in Belmont. A 20m stretch of road made from big jarrah discs was found under bitumen near Belmont Avenue.
Thought to have been built by convicts in 1867, the road gives an insight into Western Australia's convict history and early infrastructure. Controversial governor John Hampton, who was notorious for abusing convicts and wasting taxpayers' money on luxuries, ordered construction of the road. Convicts had to lay the wood discs, known as Hampton's cheeses, and fill the spaces with limestone or soil.
Sections of the road have now been excavated and will be displayed in Belmont Museum. An interesting bit of hidden history (literally) I thought!
Source