A brief history of travel by horse and car, by local studies librarian Jenny Mcconchie

The photograph of Bulli Pass (below), taken around 1900, was donated to the Local Studies Section of Wollongong City Library. Written on the back are the words “Louis’s House, Bulli Pass”. Louis was a hermit, shown here outside his hut at Green Pinch on Bulli Pass.

Green Pinch is on the lower half of Bulli Pass and while Louis is shown living there in total isolation, by the 1960s numerous traffic accidents had led to flashing lights being installed on the road to improve safety.

Bulli Pass was opened in 1868 after local residents pushed for a better mountain road to replace Rixon’s Pass and Westmacott’s Pass as routes down the mountain. Rixon’s Pass met the Princes Highway at Russell Vale, while part of Westmacott’s Pass was used as the lower part of Bulli Pass.

Travel down these early roads was difficult, with Rixon’s Pass, opened by 1859, being subject to landslides in wet weather. Thus in 1866 the government allocated 2500 pounds for the construction of Bulli Pass. Fast-forward 156 years and the government is still allocating funds to keep the road operational.

The photo of Louis’s House has been added to the Wollongong City Libraries digital photographic collection, Illawarra Images, which may be searched online via the library’s catalogue.

Visit the Illawarra Images website