Down - Old McIvor Road

The layout of many roads in the days of the rail line was considerably different to that which exists today. Other than those that were specifically laid out for existing requirements, or those planned for future use, roads from one district to the next were simply the most expedient and grew out of the tracks most travelled. The construction of the line resulted in many minor roads being closed, others diverted, roads that were important enough were made into Public Carriage Roadway (PCR) Crossings and Occupation Crossings were provided so that landowners could cross the line where it passed through their properties. The main road between Heathcote and Sandhurst (Bendigo) started life as a simple track which slowly grew in stature as traffic increased. Loaded bullock teams would have avoided challenging hillclimbs as the means of levelling them did not exist until after the roads were well established.

The section of the McIvor Highway or McIvor Road as it was once known, from the Heathcote end of Derrinal Station to today's Moorabbee Foreshore Road, is a section that was constructed after the line closure in 1958. Prior to that, the main road in this area followed the less challenging route across less undulating countryside. It consisted of what can now be viewed in three separate sections. A few images, all taken in April, 2016, will illustrate.

Near Derrinal Station to Lake Eppalock

A section to the Eastern side of Lake Eppalock which is now known as Old Bendigo Road which contains an intersection with the entrance to Derrinal Station, now named Derrinal Station Lane, and an intersection with Derrinal Crosbie Road which ran to the North, crossing the rail line.