The Pacific Highway through West Hornsby will revert to its original name: Peats Ferry Road.
The change will affect the former Pacific Highway between George Street, Hornsby and Jersey Street North, Asquith.
The road’s name was changed many years ago when it became the Pacific Highway, but since the Roads and Maritime Service has moved the highway to George Street and Jersey Road, it is now a local road and can have its original name back.
Local residents, businesses, emergency services and Australia Post have been consulted at every step of the planning process, while street directory publishers and GPS software providers will be informed.
The street numbering will not change, only the road name – for example 296 Pacific Highway will become 296 Peats Ferry Road.
Peats Ferry was established by George Peat around 1840, for crossing the Hawkesbury River between Kangaroo Point and Mooney Mooney Point.
On Peat’s suggestion, the government constructed Peats Ferry Road between 1847 and 1852, joining his ferry wharf to Pearces Corner in Wahroonga. This provided a Sydney-to-Newcastle route which was an alternative to the Great North
Road that crossed the Hawkesbury River at Wisemans Ferry further west. Peats Ferry Road was later renamed the Pacific Highway. In 1945, the ferry was replaced with a road bridge called Peats Ferry Bridge. The two ferries at that time, appropriately named after George Peat and his wife Frances, were retired from service.
After the establishment of the ferry service, the name Peats Ferry was used for the locality around Kangaroo Point and the western part of what is now the village of Brooklyn in Hornsby shire. This had official status as late as 1895, when the Anglican church was opened under the name of St Mary’s, Peats Ferry.
