Humphrey’s White Elephant - The Building of Wards Hill Road

Up until the 1920’s there was a simple bush track from behind where Impact Nursery now stands to Killcare. During the mid 1920’s the residents of Killcare petitioned the Erina Shire Council to fix up The Scenic Road (Killcare to MacMasters) to improve the access to Gosford. Then, in 1929, Councillor Humphrey convinced Erina Council to survey the possibility of building a road over the hill joining Empire Bay (Palmers Corner near Pomona Road), with The Scenic Road, Killcare. The Empire Bay locals could see little advantage for them, but it would cut one mile off the trip to Gosford for the Killcare residents.

Surveying was completed by April 1929. Engineering estimated the cost to be £450 - £600. Councillor Humphrey recommended “that the road from Killcare to Empire Bay be named Ward Road”, after William Ward, one of the original landowners along the route. In 1957, it was officially changed to Wards Hill Road.

1930: Land resumptions occurred, but the project laid idle until 1933.

During these Depression Years, a Work Relief Scheme was in place where the Federal Government subsidised worker’s wages (work for the dole scheme). The council used the Work Relief Scheme, along with loans initially of £300 from two local ratepayers (vested interests) and the Wards Road project was started.

The Gosford Times report complaints from Empire Bay residents that local workers were not used in the Work Relief Scheme, and it was the “Ganger’s fancy men” who got the work. The “Ganger’s fancy men” where the boss’s friends and family, from other areas that were picked to work on the Wards Road project.

July 1934 Gosford Times: reporting progress “The route is cleared and formed, land ready for gravel servicing from its junction with The Scenic Road to the descent leading down to Empire Bay. One marvels at the amount of work carried out in the time worked by the men. Heavy clearing had to be done, a culvert and crossing completed. The big job is making the way down the cliffs. This involves much rock blasting operations. Good progress is being made.”

Late 1934 the Wards Road was opened for traffic. Many Empire Bay ratepayers still complaining of the high cost of this “folly”.

Gosford Times, November 1934: “Wards Road was estimated to cost £450 but the cost so far has been £5500 of which £2200 had to be paid back with interest. The money had been borrowed without the knowledge of ratepayers and although the council had only authorised expenditure not to exceed £450.” There was call for a public inquiry.

May 1935: Empire Bay ratepayers especially resented the huge expenditure in the view of the fact that the council for a great number of years utterly neglected the Kincumber to Empire Bay road. The Gosford Times continued, “Wards Road is approximately 2 miles from Empire Bay proper and will never be of any use to us” Seventy residents of Empire Bay signed a petition protesting at the expenditure on Wards Road.

Notwithstanding the huge waste of funds, the Empire Bay residents did admit the road is a monument to the Relief Workers.

Dec 1936: another letter to the editor, Gosford Times. Complaining that the construction of Wards Road was a waste of council funds and remains a “thorn in the side of the Empire Bay ratepayers”. The rate payers, generally did not want the road, referring to it as “Humphrey’s White Elephant.”

Today, Wards Hill Road is a busy thoroughfare, linking Empire Bay Drive to The Scenic Highway, Bouddi National Park and Killcare. Used by residents and visitors. It is no longer the ‘White Elephant’ as perceived in the 1930s.

Councillor Tom Humphrey (Erina Council 1922 – 1935)

Gangers working under the “Work Relief Scheme” during The Depression.

Robert Thompson

Sources: Gosford Times (Trove), NSW Lands Department