The Downer Macquarie Arch
This arch symbolises perhaps the greatest of Macquarie’s achievements in visioning the future of Australia, representing Macquarie’s road over the Blue Mountains.
In a terrain that remains often inhospitable even today, Macquarie charged his engineer William Cox, with a team of convicts, to build a road in an unknown territory. They achieved this remarkable feat, of over 100 miles, in just six months and won their freedom under his emancipation program.
The road opened up the agricultural plains to Bathurst whereby settlement and trade developed for the colony. The development of towns and interior exploration were a hallmark of Macquarie’s vision.
Macquarie saw the road as one of his most important projects to improve the viability of Australia to develop commerce, trade and civilisation.
The multiple conduits in the Downer Macquarie Arch reference the major road projects Macquarie commissioned to link Sydney to the new settlements he developed in his blueprint for “improving a new country”.
The plynths upon which the arches rest on Macquarie Street will identify the “Macquarie Towns” he planned. They are:
- Liverpool, proclaimed 7 Nov 1810
- District of Airds, proclaimed 22 Nov 1810
- Castlereagh, proclaimed 6 Dec 1810
- Pitt Town, proclaimed 6 Dec 1810
- Richmond, proclaimed 6 Dec 1810
- Wilberforce, proclaimed 6 Dec 1810
- Windsor, proclaimed 6 Dec 1810
- Bathurst, proclaimed 7 May 1815
- Campbelltown, proclaimed 1 Dec 1820
- Port Macquarie, proclaimed 6 Nov 1821
The Downer Group has proudly built and gifted the Downer Macquarie Arch.
Governor Lachlan Macquarie and his wife Elizabeth were two of Australia’s most influential and visionary leaders, building vast public works including schools, roads, bridges, hospitals and orchestrating the colonisation of land across the country.
Two centuries on, Downer shares and maintains Governor Macquarie’s vision, working in partnership with communities across the globe to build towns, cities and nations through the provision of critical infrastructure services designed to enhance standards of living.
Through our contribution to the infrastructure, energy and resources sectors, providing comprehensive engineering, design, construction, maintenance and management services, we strive to leave a strong and sustainable legacy our communities will be proud of for many centuries to come.
The Downer Macquarie Arch is built with the assistance of New South Wales Public Works and has been designed by Sydney architect Joe Snell, himself a convict descendant.
