West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Saturday 8 September 1934, page 15


ROAJ) TO GUILDFORD.

CHANQE OF _ NAME WANTED - Conference at Bassendean.

A conference of local governing authorities at ' Bassendean last night agreed that the main road traversing the Perth/Bays«.^« -Ratoondonn fliiilHfnrH nnd JVIldlanu

unction ' districts should have a distincive name, and that 'The Great. Eastern-dghway' be submitted to the Governnent as being suitable, i Other matters iscussed were the declaration of the road s a main road,' and proposals to cut out ev.eral dangerous', bends and to construct new* bridge over the Swan River at Jassendean. The local authorities repreented were the Midland Junction and Juildford Municipal Councils and the ?erth,' Bayswater and Bassendean Road Joar'ds. Mr. W. D. Johnson, MXA., raa present. ' The- chairman of ,the Bas-. endean Road Board (Mr. R. A. McDonald) r as in the chair. . * Mr. McDonald- said that, following the ecommendatiion, of the Perth Road Board, he Bassendean ^Rbad Board and other ocal authorities had decided to. call the oad the ^Great Eastern-highway.' This iad' not ^met with, the approval of the jands Department, and the conference had -een called, to- discuss the situation. It vas the general feeling that the road r6m Perth,. to Kalgoorlie and perhaps to he Eastern States, should be known by »ne name. The Guildford and Midland Junction Municipal Councils were the »nly local bodies which had opposed the 'The Mayor of Guildford (Mr. R. Caldef Jrowtfer);. The' GuiJ4f^rd 9pn«ic{lis not -repared to change ? the ' present .names.'. . C*^ A. -O; -Harrigan ^Midland ? Junction) :: Che Midland' council also decided agamst ihanging the names in its district, Cr. J. E. Fay (Midland Junction): The notion at Midland Junction was not carded unanimously, and if the majority of ;he local authorities wanted the name iltered the council would probably fall in 1T*KLt. W. W. Abbett (Perth Road Board) said that the Lands Department opposed the change. of- ^name because the road was aot carryin'g'the bulk of the;eastern traffic to the city,' but if the road, surface was placed in better repair this road would jarry much more traffic than the road via Belmont. The route from Guildford to Perth via Bassendean was one and a half miles shorter than that via Belmont. Opposed on Sentimental Grounds. Mr. Growther: The ?Guildford council does not^want to change the street names i)f the municipality, partly for sentimental reasons. These streets have been known by their present names for 105 pears, and the council does not want them scrapped. . ? The chairman of the Bayswater Eoad Board (Mr. J. E. Batey): The Bayswater board was unanimous in its desire to call the road Great Eastern-highway. Mr. W. D. Johnson considered it was in -the- -public's good -that some of the traffic which caused congestion' at the Caus'eway should be diverted to the road, via Bassendean', and it -was a reasonable suggestion that the local authorities should request' the '. Government to gazette this as'-a-main road.-. ltd future construction should be supervised with, the idea that- it would ultimately- carry, main road traffic. It would be quite wrong for the Government to build a new bridge at Bassendean except to carry .main road traffic. The motion that the name Great Easternhighway be submitted to the Government was proposed by Mr. Abbett, and seconded by' Mr. Ward, and carried. Messrs. Crowther. and Harrigan voted against the motion. Mr. H. Brisbane (Bassendean) suggested that the conference should urge the Government to build a new bridge across the river from Bassendean. The existing bridge was in a most dangerous condition, he said. It was built 35 years ago for horse-drawn traffic, and was now obsolete. He moved:— This conference' agrees to urge the Government to construct a new bridge at Bassendean as the existing structure is in a dangerous condition. The motion was seconded by Mr. Abbett and carried. A further motion was carried that the conference should approach the Government with a view to have all portions of the road from Perth to Bassendean declared a main road. The question of removing bad bends in the road was held in abeyance pendiup a decision from the Government regarding the gazetting of the road as a. main' road.