Its origins in a talk in 1929 claim an earlier name King Dick Road,[1] and the first settlers usage of the route being on 6 September 1831.
[2][3][4] It became, in the 20th century, portions of the Great Eastern Highway, and the portion of the road traversing the Darling Scarp at Greenmount was named the Old York Road.
The re-aligned Great Eastern Highway removed some of the problems of the steep grades along the old alignment.
[5] The York Road had convict era sites along its traverse.
In the metropolitan area, Chippers Leap, Bilgoman Well, Mahogany Inn (still operating), and other sites have connections with that era, and the remaining original section on Greenmount Hill is still named Old York Road.