Thiele Highway

RD sign northbound on Thiele Highway after the junction with Greenock Road, 4km south of Kapunda. Source: Peter Renshaw, October 2011.

Length: 116km

Northeastern Terminus: Goyder Highway (B64) & Thiele Highway (B81), Morgan

Southwestern Terminus: Horrocks Highway (B82) & Thiele Highway (B81), Gawler Belt

Route taken: From Horrocks Highway (B82) at Gawler Belt via Kapunda and Eudunda to Goyder Highway (B64) at Morgan, including Main Street and South Terrace through Kapunda, and High Street and Fourth Street through Morgan

Focal Points: Gawler, Kapunda, Eudunda, Morgan

Route B81 is a radial route north of Adelaide, linking the capital with Kapunda, Eudunda and Morgan.

Prior to the introduction of alpha-numeric route marking in 1998/99, the route had no route number. Unlike many other South Australian alpha-numeric routes, the signage appears to have been updated fairly quickly to show the route number. As at 2011, the route is now fairly comprehensively signed.

Notable Events:

1998/99 - Route B81 introduced
June 2005 - Thiele Highway named¹

What's in a name?

As part of a large number of rural highway namings in South Australia, Thiele Highway was named after the Australian author Colin Thiele. Thiele was born in Eudunda, educated in Kapunda and many of his stories involved rural life in South Australia.²

References:

1. South Australian Gazeteer - Place Names Online, Thiele Highway, Accessed: 15 October 2012.
2. For further reading on Colin Thiele, try Colin Milton Thiele on the Flinders Range Research website.

Photos of route B81 (Gawler to Morgan)
	AD sign northeastbound on Sturt Highway approaching the junction with Horrocks Highway & Main North Road at Gawler Belt. Note the reference to B81, which does not start until the junction of Horrocks Highway & Thiele Highway, 500m north of this interchange. Also note that A32 was changed to B82 in 2011/12. Photo taken: January 2005.
	Dodgy ID sign northeastbound on Sturt Highway approaching the junction with Horrocks Highway & Main North Road at Gawler Belt. This sign should be with a diagonal arrow, not a chevron. Photo taken: January 2005.
	AD sign northbound on B82 Horrocks Highway (formerly A32 Main North Road) approaching the junction with Thiele Highway at Gawler Belt. This intersection marks the southwestern terminus of the route. Photo taken: January 2005.
	ID signs marking the start of B81 Thiele Highway at the junction with B82 Horrocks Highway, Gawler Belt. Photos taken: January 2005.
	AD sign southwestbound on Thiele Highway approaching the junction with B82 Horrocks Highway (formerly A32 Main North Road) at Gawler Belt. Photo taken: January 2005.
	First RD sign northeastbound on Thiele Highway after the junction with Horrocks Highway. This sign is an old 1980s sign with a B81 topknot that was added following the introduction of alpha-numeric route marking in 1998/99. Photo taken: January 2005.
	AD sign assembly eastbound on Hanson Street approaching the junction with Thiele Highway at Freeling. This is typical of older South Australian AD sign assemblies where each panel was a separate sign. Photo taken: April 2003.
	AD sign northbound on Greenock Road approaching the junction with Thiele Highway, 4km south of Kapunda. Source: Peter Renshaw, October 2011.
	Thiele Highway looking south towards the junction with Greenock Road, 4km south of Kapunda. Source: Peter Renshaw, October 2011.
	RD sign northbound on Thiele Highway after the junction with Greenock Road, 4km south of Kapunda. Source: Peter Renshaw, October 2011.
	A southerly view of the bridge carrying Thiele Highway over the River Light, 3km south of Kapunda. Source: Peter Renshaw, October 2011.
	Older AD sign assembly westbound on South Terrace (B81) approaching the junction with Main Street (B81) in Kapunda. B81 makes a right turn here, heading north, or a left turn, heading south. Photo taken: January 2003.
	Old black AD sign assembly northbound on Thiele Highway approaching the junction with Truro Road on the eastern outskirts of Kapunda. The route marker appears to have been printed directly onto this sign which is rather unusual. Photo taken: January 2003.
	Interesting mix of old black and older green ID signs with an added topknot, at the junction of Thiele Highway & Truro Road, Kapunda. Photo taken: January 2003.
	RD sign northbound on Thiele Highway as you leave Kapunda. Photo taken: January 2003.
	RD sign southbound on Thiele Highway after the junction with Curio Road (B84) at Eudunda. Photo taken: January 2003.
	Older, pre-alpha-numeric AD sign assembly eastbound on Curio Road approaching the junction with Thiele Highway at Eudunda. Note the missing B81 route marker - by the looks of it, the topknot has been stolen. Photo taken: January 2003.
	AD sign southbound on Thiele Highway approaching the junction with Curio Road at Eudunda, complete with accurate route marking. Photo taken: January 2003.
	AD sign eastbound on Thiele Highway approaching the junction with Gunn Street, Eudunda. Gunn Street becomes the amusingly-named 'Worlds End Highway' after passing through Eudunda. Photo taken: January 2003.
	Beautiful example of a 1980s RD sign on Thiele Highway, heading southwest from Morgan. Photo taken: January 2005.
	AD sign eastbound on High Street approaching the junction with Fourth Street, Morgan. B81 turns left onto Fourth Street to reach its terminus at Goyder Highway (B64). Photo taken: January 2005.
	Lovely 1980s AD sign assembly with newer B81 topknot, westbound on High Street approaching the junction with Fourth Street, Morgan. The sign is incorrect as B81 goes right as well as straight. Photos taken: January 2005.
	AD sign southbound on Fourth Street approaching High Street, Morgan. B81 turns right here towards Eudunda and Adelaide. Photo taken: January 2005.
	AD sign northbound on Fourth Street approaching the junction with Goyder Highway, Morgan. This is the northeastern terminus of the route. Photo taken: January 2005.
	ID sign assembly at the junction of Goyder Highway & Fourth Street (Thiele Highway), Morgan. Photo taken: January 2005.
	Older AD sign assembly southeastbound on Goyder Highway approaching the junction with Fourth Street, Morgan. Photo taken: January 2005.
	AD sign westbound on Goyder Highway approaching the junction with Fourth Street, Morgan. Note the missing B81 route marker on the straight ahead panel. Photo taken: January 2005.