Old Great North Road (Devine's Hill to Mount Manning Section) is a heritage-listed section of former main road, now walking track and service road, between Wisemans Ferry and Mount Manning, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Surveyor-General Thomas Mitchell and built from 1826 to 1834 by convict road gangs. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. History The Great North Road, over 240 km long, was constructed between 1826 and 1834, and remains one of the major engineering feats of the convict era. Much of the road is still in use today, although some of the original surface is buried. A number of the original stone culverts, bridges and retaining walls are still in use. The road runs from the Windsor Road in Baulkham Hills to Wiseman's Ferry, and then continues further North to Wollombi where it branches off to Maitland and Singleton. At the time of construction the engineering was at the cutting edge of road building technology, incorporating the latest ideas from Europe. Work on the road began in 1826 after petitions from residents in the newly settled Hunter Valley for a decent route to take stock and travellers north. Construction proceeded under the direction of Thomas Mitchell, the Surveyor General and by Governor Darling who had recognised the need for infrastructure in the rapidly expanding colony. Construction was carried out by convicts working in Road Gangs. Up to 700 men worked on the road at any one time, suffering harsh conditions. Construction was completed by 1833. Many travellers, however, found sections of too isolated with insufficient water and feed for stock. As a result, alternative tracks were quickly searched out along the fertile Hawkesbury and Macdonald valleys, providing a safer and faster alternative for travellers. Sections of the Great Road soon fell into disrepair. Description The Great North Road runs from the Windsor Road in Baulkham Hills to Wiseman's Ferry, and then further North to Wollombi where it branches off to Maitland and Singleton. It is over 240 km long. A shorter section was built in 1830 between Five Dock and Pennant Hills, joining the original road at Dural. Another major branch line, Simpson's Track, divergerd from the main road at Ten Mile Hollow, and crossed Mangrove Creek, heading through Yarramalong towards Newcastle. There are still some places where well-preserved sections of the original Road can be