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National Mapping Related Articles

  • The Unmarked Graves of Billiluna Station in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia, is a desktop review of events that now happened nearly 100 years ago after two whitemen were killed on a remote pastoral lease in Western Australia, in 1922. The men were then buried by their aboriginal workers, and reinterred after a police onsite examination, but since that time their graves have rarely been located as far as it is known. This extensive review by Paul Wise takes original material along with spatial information of the era and today to try to relate it all in a modern framework in an attempt to acurately locate these unmarked graves. Along the way apparently disparate facts are reconciled and other information corrected.
  • Natmap's supervising surveyor Bill Johnson arrived at Billiluna Homestead in October 1962, having just completed the reconnaissance of the Canning Stock Route (CSR), from Wells 35 to 51, of the Well 35 to Halls Creek traverse section of the national geodetic survey. For the geodetic survey parties to later access the northern CSR to carry out the survey, Johnson arranged a contract for Mr Bill Moyle of Carranya Station to undertake the scraping of the new track to Well 51 and to then continue with further track work southwards to Well 45. The unofficially named Moyle's Track ran from the vicinity of Old Billiluna to Well 45, bypassing Wells 47 and 46 to the east. Topographic maps of the era also show a location named Old Billiluna (ruins). Historically Billiluna took its name from a large water hole recorded as Billiluna Pool by Alfred Wernam Canning around 1910 and which is some distance from the other locations named Billiluna. This article The Historical Locations of Billiluna Homestead in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia by Paul Wise, details the history, people and land tenure behind these sites of Billiluna Homestead, providing an approximate timeline and sequence of occupation.
  • In Reg Ford's 1979 paper The Division of National Mapping's part in the Geodetic Survey of Australia, Reg briefly mentions Natmap's 1964 contracting of Mr Bill Moyle of Carranya Station to undertake the grading of a new track from Old Billiluna homestead to Well 51 and to then continue with further track-work southwards to Well 45. With access to historical information held by Natmapper's Des Young and Kevin Snell, McLean & Wise retrace Moyle's route to determine if any sign of it remains today.
  • From Reg Ford's The Division of National Mapping's part in the Geodetic Survey of Australia, and documents provided in part by Des Young and Peter Langhorne this paper Reconnaissance and Track Making for Desert Access for the Geodetic Survey of Australia, reveals Natmap's role in opening up the Western and Tanami deserts in the 1960s.
  • In an effort to remove some of the strain on the majority of its survey vehicles when accessing pristine desert country, National Mapping devised a track scraper. The National Mapping Track Making Scraper for Sandy Going was first used in 1962, for about half of the distance of the some 400 kilometres from Callawa east to Well 35 of the Canning Stock Route; and again in 1964 from Well 45 south to Well 41 of the Canning Stock Route. South of Well 41 in 1964 the scraper was abandoned and its whereabouts remained uncertain let alone photographed. This article by Paul Wise gives the history of the scraper and includes the recently discovered and last known 1980 photograph of the scraper in the region it was left in 1964.
  • HA Bill Johnson's 1958 Reconnaissance Report on Proposed Geodetic Survey : Mt. Harvest to Carnegie Homestead.

  • HA Bill Johnson's 1963 paper Great Sandy Desert and Canning Basin WA - Going and General Information supplied To WAPET.

  • HA Bill Johnson's 1964 paper Geodetic Surveys through the Sandridges.
  • With digital maps the idea of discrete map sheets has almost disappeared. Nevertheless, if one still wants a paper map of an area a map name and identifier will be required. The history behind Australian map series and their associated map sheet identification is described in this article.
  • More widely known for his development of the Lauf Method for conformal transformation adopted by National Mapping, Gordon Lauf also played a role in other significant technological developments. Such developments included Shoran positioning for payload delivery and aerial photography, gyro-theodolite use for direction finding in mines and for military purposes and the Tellurometer. A brief profile outlining his career and activities can be viewed via this link.
  • The little known Relief Model of Australia is a 64 square metre representation of Australia at approximately 1: 500,000 scale. Conceived, and built under his supervision by Edwin Sherbon Hills (1906-1986) of the University of Melbourne, it was initially financed by the Army but finally completed with funding from National Mapping in 1954. The Commonwealth's copy of the 26 parts of the model is now housed by Museums Victoria at their Moreland Annexe.
  • With digital maps the idea of discrete map sheets has almost disappeared. Nevertheless, if one still wants a paper map of an area a map name and identifier will be required. The history behind Australian map series and their associated map sheet identification is described in this article.
  • During the 1960s, a number of Natmappers attended the Royal Australian Survey Corps, School of Military Survey, formerly at Balcombe, Victoria. This article attempts to record those who attended and provides information and photographs from the time.
  • Natmap remembers Rabbit Flat and the hospitality of Bruce and Jacqueline Farrands now they have retired.
  • John Allen came across a story involving Nat Map's Howard Angus Bill Johnson. Remembering hearing about the events at the time, John has provided further detail for this article.
  • Frank Johnston's (Natmap 1971-73) presentation on Surveying Methods for Control of Mapping as a PDF file for easier reading.
  • The Centre(s) of Australia - why we have five (5) and where they are!
  • Phil Lennie's Work Record and farewell card (have a close look at the names of those who signed the card) - courtesy Ruth Lennie.
  • Some anecdotes about his time in the field and his letters home by Rod Menzies.