NSW Minister for Resources, Special Minister of State and Leader of the House, the Hon Anthony Roberts MP recently told a packed forum former NSW Governor Lachlan Macquarie had it right when it came to describing the journey from Sydney's CBD to Parramatta.

 

Mr Roberts said he had been reading the diaries of Major General Macquarie who was the fifth Governor of NSW from 1810 to 1821.

 

He told a WSBC function welcoming Hugo Halliday PR & Marketing to Parramatta at the Commercial Hotel when it came to travelling along Parramatta Road, "nothing seems to have changed."

 

"Governor Macquarie wrote in his diary around November 1820 he and his wife Elizabeth travelled by sulky from Sydney to Parramatta to go to Government House," Mr Roberts said.

 

"Macquarie noted the journey along Parramatta Road took around 1.5 hours. The journey today is around the same even though we have motor vehicles and the road has bitumen.

 

"The NSW Government is working hard to alleviate the traffic congestion and make the journey faster and more convenient through a number of major initiatives including the Westconnex motorway."

 

Mr Roberts said the WestConnex is a 33km motorway proposed to travel from Parramatta along the M4/Parramatta Road corridor to Beverly Hills.  It is proposed to connect Parramatta, Sydney Airport and Beverly Hills.

 

He said he had worked with Hugo Halliday when it had its offices next to his electorate office in Gladesville with good results. 

 

Managing Director of Hugo Halliday PR and Marketing Bill Pickering said moving his office to Parramatta is to keep pace with Sydney’s shifting business landscape.

 

“No longer is the Sydney CBD or nearby suburbs considered as the heart of our State’s capital – Parramatta took this title long ago,” Mr Pickering said.

 

“Businesses looking to prosper must consider making the move west to keep pace with where the action is in regards to connectivity and clients.”

 

Mr Pickering told the WSBC forum his company is a diverse  public relations and media and marketing firm that works with clients seeking advocacy with all levels of Government, media training and exposure and community relations expertise.

 

Hugo Halliday is currently renovating its new office at 52 O'Connell Street, in the Parramatta Business Centre and should open for business within a few weeks.