Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Wednesday 11 August 1920, page 9


PRINCE'S HIGHWAY.

FIRST SECTION OPENED.

Ceremony at Warragul.

(FROM OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.)

WARRAGUL, Tuesday. — In an article published in "The Argus" on January 23, it was suggested that the through road from Melbourne to Sydney be put in order, so as to afford the Prince of Wales an opportunity of an overland trip. The idea attracted a great deal of attention. It was recognised that the re-constructed road would serve a double pur-pose—it would give the Prince a chance to see the country, and it would serve as a lasting memorial of his visit. But, partly owing to the impossibility of fitting the trip into the crowded official programme, and partly owing to the shortness of time in which to carry out the necessary work, the matter was dropped for a time.

Only for a time, however. The proposal for "The Prince's Highway" was cordially supported. The National Roads Associa-

tion and the Royal Automobile Club and public men of Australia all took up the scheme. It was then suggested by other bodies to adopt the Gippsland route and the shires through which the road runs until at last it reaches Eden and the border were determined that their road should be "The Prince's Highway," both in fact and in name. Permission was given by His Royal Highness to style it as such, and to-day the first section of the road was formally christened.

It was fitting that the ceremony should take place in Warragul. The shire was the first to gain a contract road under the Country Roads Board, and it has been an enthusiastic advocate of good roads ever since. Some stretches of the road on the way to Melbourne are excellent arguments for the necessity of the board. A peace loan motor-car got bogged in the mud near Gar-field yesterday, and much of the road be-

tween Dandenong and Melbourne is a good imitation of a corduroy track. But once the Gippsland roads were even worse. Mr. W. Calder (president of the Country Roads Board), during yesterday's pro-ceedings, told an apocryphal story of a lone bullock driver wandering along a de-serted road and cracking his whip.

"Where's my team?" he repeated in answer to a question. "They're under the mud. I'm steering them by the bub-

bles!"

The motor run to Warragul from Mel-bourne is not an unmixed pleasure trip, but several parties made the journey to-day. Among those who arrived from Mel-bourne were the Speaker of the Legisla-tive Assembly (Mr. J. E. Mackey), Mr.

W. Calder and Major McCormack (of the Country Roads Board), Mr. G. R. Broad-bent, Mr. A.G. Harston ( representing the R.A.C.V. ) and Mr. S. James (secretary of the National Roads Association). Apolo-gies for absence on account of illness were received from the Lord Mayor (Councillor Aikman, M.L.C.) and the president of the Warragul shire (Councillor Macfar-

lane.) A large assemblage of councillors from the shires of Warragul, Buln Buln, and Narracan was also present. The visi-tors were entertained at lunch by Coun-cillor Copeland and the Warragul shire council. In the course of several short

speeches appreciative reference was made to the practical work of the Roads Board.

With a cold wind driving icy rain before it the party motored two miles to the boundary of the Warragul and Buln Buln shires. Here interwoven strands of red and yellow silk were stretched from side to side of the road. Mr. Mackey, in declar-

ing the road open, said it was the beginning of a beautiful highway that would ultima-tely stretch from Melbourne to Orbost, and right through to Sydney. Mrs Cope-

land then cut the ribbon, and three cheers were given for the Prince.

The day was full of incident for Warra-gul. Yesterday Captain Matheson, of the

Australian Flying Corps, landed in an Avro machine in a paddock outside the town. With Flight-sergeant Bacon he had made the flight from Point Cook (85 miles away) in three-quarters of an hour. If it was cold in Gippsland, it was freezing 4,000

feet above it.

To-day the aviators, together with Cap-tain Barker, Lieutenant Raphael, and Lieu-tenant Lynch (who had arrived by car) addressed a crowded Peace Loan meeting in Warragul after "The Prince's Highway"

had been declared open. Captain Matheson related an amusing experience. It is cus-tomary to mark Ianding grounds with a white "T" generally formed by spread-ing large sheets on the ground. At Dande-nong, those in charge placed two copies of "The Argus," held down by stones in a paddock. "I'll lay the odds that he lands on the amusement column," said a bystander, as Captain Matheson's aero-plane came in sight. He seemed disap-pointed when he lost his bet.