Road Surfacing

Wooden Block Paving

Many of the local roads were surfaced with treated timber blocks during the late 19th Century. They were made of hardwoods such as Australian Jarrah or Karri, treated with creosote (although in some instances softwoods were utilised). Being the days of horse-drawn transport, they were considered to be more sanitary than tarmac, due primarily to the fact that the urine would permeate through and between the blocks rather than laying on the surface in the case of a tarmac surface. In addition, they would no doubt have been kinder to the hooves of such animals and considerably reduced the hoof noise.

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  Excerpt from council meeting notes 3 April 1897