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| The historic Croydon milestone |
The historic Croydon milestone is officially listed as a local heritage item by Inner West Council. Its position is recorded as Liverpool Road, near the corner of Badminton Road, in the road reserve.
For today's motorists it may appear to be little more than an old stone beside a busy suburban road. Look closer, however, and its inscriptions reveal a fascinating story about early roads, transportation and life in colonial New South Wales.
A Road Guide from Another Era
The sandstone marker is a single block with a square plan, tapered sides and a chamfered top. It stands approximately 750 millimetres high, tapering from about 420 millimetres at its base to 370 millimetres at the top.
Carved into its faces are the Roman numerals that provided essential information to travellers. One side reads “SYDNEY VII”, indicating seven miles to Sydney, while the opposite face reads “LIVERPOOL XIV”, indicating fourteen miles to Liverpool.
The marker is a surviving reminder of a time when distances were measured in miles and travellers depended on physical landmarks rather than digital navigation.
Milestones and Convict-Built Roads
The milestone belongs to the history of the Great South Road, today's Liverpool Road, which was commissioned during the governorship of Lachlan Macquarie in the early nineteenth century.
Sandstone milestones were installed along important roads to identify distances between settlements. Historical research records that milestones were placed along the Parramatta, Liverpool and South Head roads during the early 1800s.
Edward Cureton is credited with producing an early group of milestones in the colony in 1814. According to historical accounts, he was paid £40 and 10 shillings for 54 milestones.
These simple stone markers formed part of an emerging road system that was transforming travel around the colony.
Even Milestones Suffered Vandalism
Interestingly, vandalism is hardly a modern problem.
Historical records indicate that milestones along the new roads were regularly defaced. A notice published in the Sydney Gazette in October 1816 warned that people damaging or defacing milestones could be prosecuted.
By 1846, some milestones along the Parramatta and Liverpool roads had deteriorated or disappeared. Tenders were subsequently called for replacement milestones, including their lettering and installation at positions selected by the road surveyor.
The story demonstrates just how important these apparently humble stones were to the road network.
A Heritage Landmark in Modern Sydney
Today, the Croydon milestone survives among the traffic and development of modern Sydney. It is easy to pass without noticing, yet its carved Roman numerals connect the present-day suburb with a period when journeys were measured in miles and roads were still being established across the colony.
The milestone is one of several historic markers associated with the old road system. Another surviving milestone is listed on Parramatta Road near Cheltenham Road in Croydon.
For visitors interested in Sydney history, the Croydon milestone provides a fascinating example of how small heritage objects can reveal stories about transportation, engineering and everyday life in nineteenth-century New South Wales.
Inner West Council
Website: www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au
Email: council@innerwest.nsw.gov.au
Phone: 02 9392 5000
Address: 2–14 Fisher Street, Petersham NSW 2049, Australia
For community history and heritage enquiries, Inner West Council also provides a dedicated history service at history@innerwest.nsw.gov.au.
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