The Great North Road Convict TrailThe Convict Trail Project was initiated by the Bucketty and Wollombi communities (population 150 and 300 respectively) because of their concern about the degradation which was occurring to relics of the convict built Great North Road in their areas. The degradation resulted from a combination of neglect, vandalism, lack of awareness of the significance of the relics, and a lack of an overall management or conservation plan.
Frustrated by attempts to find an organisation or agency which was responsible for managing the road, the local communities took the initiative in their own areas, and began restoring damaged sites under the guidance of an historical archaeologist and with the assistance of their local council. Realising that similar situations were probably happening elsewhere along the 240 kilometres of road, in 1994 the groups began to involve other organisations with an interest in, or responsibility for conservation, management and promotion of the Great North Road. To date over 25 groups have joined the Convict Trail Project, ranging from councils, community groups, regional tourist organisations, government agencies, academic institutions and heritage organisations.
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