The Walk: Almost all on roads, from a busy highway to a peaceful tree-lined avenue
Distance: 2.25 km
Time: 45 minutes
Getting there: Westbus 700 from Parramatta or Blacktown station to bus stop near corner of Blacktown Road and Great Western Highway. Less frequent is Route 830 from Blacktown or Cabramatta. From bus stop on Blacktown Road cross Highway at pedestrial crossing.
Car parking on gravel area to west of Prospect Hotel.

The Prospect Hotel-Motel is itself on a historic site - almost. Lawrence Hyland built the original Prospect Inn in the 1850s (Prospect HT, Prospect Inn). It was demolished in 1964 when the Highway was made a dual carriageway. The present building is behind the site of the old Inn which was where the present westbound carriageway lies.

Look south at the hill that has been called Prospect Lookout, the most northerly top of Prospect Hill, above the end of Clunies Ross Street. See the separate walk description if you wish to climb to its summit.

To start, walk alongside the gravel parking area to the west of the Hotel. Note the views of Prospect Lookout Hill and Water Tower Hill on your left. Emerge on to the Great Western Highway, just where a road curves off to the left, with a gate across it a few metres away. Although now named Tarlington Place, this is the old Great Western Road which wound its way through old Prospect village before the line was straightened in 1968 (Prospect HT, Great Western Highway). This part of the road now comes to an end at the Motorway - its continuation can be found at the other side. Beyond the gate you will see the old Prospect Store and Post Office, now fenced and boarded up to prevent vandalism. It was run by James Watts and his family from 1867 to 1945 (Prospect HT, Post Office). At least the NSW State Government is preserving it, but some modern use needs to be found for it, as the search for a tenant seems to have been unsuccessful (Heritage, Prospect Post Office (former)).

Continue along the "new" six-lane Highway a little further, staying on the south (left) side, and taking care as the traffic is often thick and always fast. Children need close supervision. Just before you reach the off ramp to the left, which is Ponds Road, you may be able to climb the bank on your left and follow a faint (and rough) path the other side of the broken down fence and make your way along to a chained entrance off Ponds Road. If you don't do rough, stay on the road, taking care to keep close in to the low wall on the left. Follow Ponds Road up to the entrance to the cemetery. You can explore the churchyard of St Bartholomew's Parish Church from here.

The next few minutes are the most dangerous part of the walk as the provision for pedestrians in the vicinity is appallingly non-existent. Make sure that children are well supervised.

Remembering that Ponds Road is a two-way (on and off) ramp, cross with care. Walk to its top end and bear right across the disused tarmac area to join Prospect Highway at the bridge over the Great Western Highway. Cross Prospect Highway here where the visibility is good and turn left to walk back along the other side, stepping over the barrier to follow a path through the grassy area behind. Follow Prospect Highway to the roundabout. Cross the off-ramp of the M4 Motorway. (For safety go round the curve until you can see traffic approaching from the M4.)

As an official report to Blacktown City Council has said,

Nature of surrounding roads and freeway and on/off ramps - good vehicular amenity but poor/impossible for pedestrians and cyclists (Blacktown 2004). However you've made it!

Now continue south along the right-hand verge of Prospect Highway which takes you across the M4 Motorway bridge. When you come to the traffic lights cross the on-ramp of the M4 Motorway, again with care.

Continue south along the new cycleway/walkway on the right-hand side of Prospect Highway. At the next roundabout, turn right by the Coptic Catholic church and walk along Reservoir Road. You are now on the old Great Western Road again. A short way along, cross the road and take the second left turning through the gates of the Prospect Reservoir land (NOT the first left which is Picrite Close).

first left along Picrite Close.

This is because the Prospect Reservoir precinct is closed until the end of December 2014. Please see Latest News for details. If you are following our Circular Walk, you will now follow Picrite Close and the walkway at its end to come out on Reconcilation Road at the start of our End of Picrite Path to the Canal Reserve crossing link walk. See also the map on our Circular Walk page. At the end of the link walk you will turn left by the traffic lights to rejoin the Circular Walk on its next Section here

At the gate, pass round the end of the post-and-wire fence on the right for a more pleasant and safer walk along the grass verge. On the right you will pass a row of paddocks, but behind these is a large area of bushland, described as,

... one of the finest examples of the native bushland left in the western suburbs of Sydney... It is classified as Cumberland Plain Woodland... In the protected catchment [of Prospect Reservoir] degrading influences are largely absent and this is reflected in the excellent bushland condition. (Heritage, Prospect Reservoir and surrounding area).

The fine avenue of hooped pines, Araucaria cunninghamii that you are walking down is reported to have been planted during or soon after the construction of Prospect Reservoir. Walk past the entrance of Pecky's Playground and almost at once you will arrive at the Andrew Campbell Reserve on the right. This is end of the North Section of the Circular Walk.

Next Section of the Circular Walk