Dukes Highway
Length	191 kilometres
General direction:	West-East
From:	Tailem Bend, South Australia
To:	VIC border east of Bordertown, South Australia
Towns along highway:	Coonalpyn, Keith, Bordertown

The Dukes Highway is an important highway corridor in South Australia which links the Australian cities of Adelaide and Melbourne. It is part of the National Highway system spanning Australia, and is signed as National Highway A8. Image File history File links Australian_National_Route_A8. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... Tailem Bend is a town in South Australia, Australia at coordinates 35°15′ S 139°27′ E. The town was proclaimed in 1887, the year after the main railway came through. ... Location of Bordertown in South Australia (red) Bordertown () is a small (population 2660) South Australian town near the Victorian border. ... Location Coonalpyn is a very small town located approx. ... Keith (36°05′ S 140°21′ E, elevation 31 metres) is a small farming town in the south east of South Australia with a population of around 1200 people. ... Location of Bordertown in South Australia (red) Bordertown () is a small (population 2660) South Australian town near the Victorian border. ... Emblems: Hairy Nosed Wombat (faunal); Leafy Seadragon (marine); Piping Shrike (bird: unofficial); Sturts Desert Pea (floral); Opal (gemstone) Motto: United for the Common Wealth Slogan or Nickname: Festival State Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Government Const. ... For other uses, see Adelaide (disambiguation). ... Melbournes Yarra River is a popular area for walking, jogging, cycling, rowing and for relaxing on the banks with a picnic Melbourne (pronounced ) is the second most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 3. ... Australias National Highway The National Highway is a system of roads connecting all the States and Territories of Australia, and is the major network of highways connecting Australias largest and most important cities. ...

The Dukes Highway starts in Tailem Bend on the Princes Highway and extends southeast to the state border near Bordertown, South Australia. The highway continues in Victoria as the Western Highway, with the same route signage (National A8). The length of the highway on the South Australian side is around 191 km, joining onto the Western Highway which is 443 km. Tailem Bend is a town in South Australia, Australia at coordinates 35°15′ S 139°27′ E. The town was proclaimed in 1887, the year after the main railway came through. ... The Princes Highway is a segment of Australias Highway 1 that extends from Sydney to Adelaide, via Melbourne. ... Location of Bordertown in South Australia (red) Bordertown () is a small (population 2660) South Australian town near the Victorian border. ... Emblems: Pink heath (floral)Weedy Seadragon (Aquatic) helmeted honeyeater (bird) Leadbeaters possum (faunal) Motto: Peace and Prosperity Slogan or Nickname: Garden State, The Place To Be, On The Move Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Const. ... The Western Highway is the principal highway linking Melbourne and Adelaide with a length of approximately 430 kilometres. ...

Generally, the quality of the Dukes Highway is of a high standard, with the entire road having wide lane widths and sealed shoulder. The final 17 km of the highway after Bordertown, was originally built on unstable ground but was re-constructed in 2005.^[1]

The Dukes Highway runs along the northern side of the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. The route and many of the settlements (including Bordertown) were established in the 1850s to supply water to horses for the gold escorts from the Victorian goldfields to Adelaide.^[2] The Limestone Coast is a recently adopted name for the region in the South East of South Australia. ...

Gold was taken to Adelaide rather than the closer Melbourne because a higher price was offered there. The higher price was offered to stop the SA economy from collapsing as all the labourers were heading to the Victorian Goldfields. The 'Bullion Act' was passed and an Assay Office was established in Adelaide for the assaying and stamping of gold in 1852. It is claimed that this saved SA from bankruptcy(The Story of Keith 1851-1973, Fry, LPH 1953)

See also

• Highways in Australia
• Highways in Victoria
• List of highways in South Australia

This is a list of highways in Australia, listed alphabetically along with its route number and location. ... Highways of eastern Victoria The Highways in Victoria are the highest density in any state in Australia due to its historical, population and economic reasons. ... South Australia General highways map of South Australia Highways of south eastern South Australia South Australia is distinctly divided into two main areas; the well watered and populated southeastern corner and the arid outback for the rest of the state. ...

References

1. ^ Dukes Highway pavement rehabilitation. AusLink. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.
2. ^ From interpretive signs in Bordertown and along the route