Dixson Map Collection Digitisation Project

This blog is closed.

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:14:36 +1100

This blog is closed and is now available as an archive only.

Dixson Map Collection Digitisation completed

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:42:53 +1100

Thanks to our many supporters, our wonderful collection of Dixson sheet maps have been digitised by staff in our Imaging Services section and a selection of maps are now available to view on our Discover Collections page, including this beautiful manuscript map of Tasmania, showing the topography of northern Tasmania from Pipers to Duck Rivers and inland to Cradle Mountain.

Map of the interior discoveries made by the Van Diemens Land Company: in exploring for their location, Van Diemens Land : camp draught by Henry Hellyer, 1828, Call number Cb 82/27

A naval reception for his Royal Highness

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:59:38 +1100

The first Royal Tour of Australia was in 1867 - 68 with the official visit of Prince Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Kent and Earl of Ulster on 24 May 1866 and in January 1867 left England on an extensive world tour as commander of the H.M.S. Galatea. The Duke spent nearly 5 months in Australia including visits to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Tasmania.

The H.M.S. Galatea arrived in Sydney on 21 January 1868. According to newspaper reports no less than 100,000 people welcomed the Duke with fervour. 'Flowered arches spanned the streets, flags fluttered from public buildings, and illuminations lit the scene by night'. A letter to the editor from the Sydney Morning Herald, 18 January, reported that Garden Island would be open to the public....in order to afford an opportunity for those desirous of seeing the arrival of H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh.'

Diagram shewing the naval reception of ... the Duke of Edinburgh : Sydney, January 1868. Z/Cc 86/4

Unfortunately, on 12 March 1868, while attending a picnic at Contarf, the Duke was wounded in an assassination attempt by James O'Farrell, a Fenian sympathizer. The Library holds an eyewitness account written by Emily Thorne of the attempted assassination.

Curiously, an article in the Sydney Morning Herald in 1932 claims that on board the Galatea was the Duke's mascot, an elephant, presented to the Duke by an Indian 'of some consequence'. The elephant was allowed to roam around Cockatoo Island while the Galatea was docked and given an overhaul.

Plan of Quebec and environs by Des Barres... and James Cook

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:52:04 +1100

This plan of Quebec was published in The Atlantic Neptune - a magnificent four-volume atlas of sea charts and views of the east coast of North America, published during the American Revolutionary Wars by Joseph Frederick Wallet Des Barres (1722-1824). Des Barres was assisted in the surveying and charting of the Quebec region by the surveyor, Samuel Holland, and James Cook.

James Cook had arrived in Nova Scotia as Master of the Pembroke in 1758, part of the British forces in America against the French. In Louisbourg Cook met Samel Holland, a Lieutenant-Captain in the Royal American Regiment. It was Samuel Holland who taught Cook how to survey and draw charts. Cook spent several years preparing charts for the area around Newfoundland and the St. Lawrence.

A plan of Quebec and environs, with its defences and the occasional entrenched camps of the French commanded by Marquis de Montcalm; shewing likewise the principal works and operations of the British forces, under the command of Major General Wolfe, during the siege of that place in 1759. ( Z/Cc 78/1)

The map shows in detail the stretch of the St. Lawrence around Quebec and also the various encampments and batteries established by the French and British as part of the siege of 1759.

Hume & Hovell's journey to Port Phillip

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 09:38:34 +1100

In 1824 William Hilton Hovell (1786-1875), and Hamilton Hume ( 1797 - 1873) set out from Hume's property near Gunning on an overland expedition to Westernport. On 16 December 1824 they sighted Corio Bay in Port Phillip, which they believed to be Westernport. Their journey opened the way for the settlement of Port Phillip. No original map documenting the journey has survived. This manuscript map of the journey is believed to be a copy possibly sketched by Thomas Mitchell from a rough sketch provided by Hume to Mitchell following the completion of the journey. The arrows mark both the outward and return journeys.

H. Hume's sketch of a tour performed by W. H. Hovell and himself from Lake George to Port Phillip, Bass's Straits, at their own expense in the years 1824 and 1825 through the request of Sir Thomas Brisbane , (Z/Cb 82/24)

Sir William Dixson acquired the map through Thomas Mitchell's grandson. The Library holds additional information on the journey including Hovell's papers from 1811 - 1875

The Van Diemens Land Company settlement, 1828

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:31:19 +1100

In 1824 the Van Diemen's Land Company was formed to develop a pastoral and agricultural settlement in north west Tasmania ( then known as Van Diemen's Land). The Company architect and surveyor, Henry Hellyer, arrived on 4 March 1826 in the Cape Packet with other officers of the Van Diemen's Land Company and the first settlement was established at Circular Head.

This ink and wash map, dated September 1828, documents the survey made by Hellyer on behalf of the Company. It includes the tracks of Hellyer and Joseph Fossey in 1827 to 1828 and shows the topography from Pipers to Duck Rivers and inland to Cradle Mountain. It describes the terrain and significant landforms including the peak they climbed on 14 February 1827, appropriately named St Valentine's Peak.

Although Hellyer's initial assessment of the land was positive the land around St Valentines Peak was sub-alpine, featuring long, wet and bitterly cold winters. The native snow grass lacked nutrition and in the first few winters over 5000 sheep died of cold and malnutrition. Henry Hellyer committed suicide in 1832.

Map of the interior discoveries made by the Van Diemens Land Company : in exploring for their location, Van Diemens Land : camp draught by Henry Hellyer, 1828

From the map

'Where tinted yellow it Indicates a Grassy Country consisting of Plains without Trees or Open Forest.The Red tint shews the Roads for Carts and cattle which the Company have made into the newly discovered Territory. The Green spots show The Company’s principal stock stations and Establishments at the present moment. The Blue Tint - Water and Lakes. The dotted Lines show the tracks of exploring Parties.'

A note on the top left of the map, near the Duck River, states that 'Mr Longmar surveyor unfortunately drowned in crossing Duck River, April 1827 on his return from the west coast'

Wharf accommodation Sydney Harbour, 1872-3

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:59:08 +1100

In 1872 a Select Committee was set up 'to consider and report upon the best means of improving the Wharf Accommodation of Sydney Harbour, and providing greater facilities for the loading and unloading of Vessels.' According to the Chairman of the committee, Henry Parkes, 'the Circular Quay in its present state, looking to the commercial importance of the port, is a disgrace to the country.'

Plan of the Circular Quay including the Harbor Steamers Wharf, scheme for affording additional wharf accommodation at the Circular Quay , 1873, shows a selection of 4 plans submitted to the committee. The plan considered the most advantageous by the committee was the one submitted by Lieutenant John Gowlland, seen here as Appendix F (top right). According to Gowlland, his plan 'gives the greatest amount of wharf accommodation in a limited space; that it is much easier to get vessels into and out from their berths, and that it is the least expensive' According to Gowlland it would cost approximately 60,000 pounds. An additional feature of the Gowlland plan was the extension of George Street down to Dawes point where a safe area would be created for loading and unloading public passengers taking pleasure trips around the harbour, separate from the congestion of the main port.

Gowlland was appointed to the Australian survey as chief assistant in 1865. He later took command of the survey of the New South Wales coast and compiled Admiralty charts of the coast and the tidal waters of the Richmond, Clarence, Hunter and Hawkesbury Rivers. Gowlland also surveyed Port Jackson and made the first plans of Garden Island.

This set of plans was prepared by Norman Selfe, the well known draftsman and engineer, who later designed a cantilever harbour bridge from Dawes Point to McMahon's Point.

Indiae Orientalis insularum que adiacentium typus

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:13:25 +1100

Indiae Orientalis insularum que adiacentium typus, Abraham Ortelius, 1584, is from the atlas, Theatrum orbis terrarum [The Theatre of the Whole World].

Ortelius has been called the “father of modern geography”. His atlas, first published in 1570 was dedicated to Philip II, King of Spain, at the time, the ruler of Belgium and Holland.

New Guinea is depicted as a large land mass shown at the bottom right corner. It is not known whether it is an island or part of a larger continent. Below Java is a mysterious reference; Beach, pars continentis Australis. Marco Polo had named this southern land mass beach suggesting a possible southern continent.

This fascinating and beautiful map combines the factual with the fantastic. A growing interest by the Dutch in the East Indies’ trading potential is reflected in the detail of the islands of Java, Sumatra, and the Moluccas or Spice Islands. While in the Pacific Ocean (called Orientalis), mermaids attend to their hair and sea monsters cause havoc off the coast of America.

Indiae orientalis insvlarvmqve adiacientivm typvs [cartographic material] / Abraham Ortelius.

Preparing maps for digitisation

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:25:53 +1100

In the basement of the Mitchell Library building, conservator Trish Leen is repairing tears on an early 19th century map of Sydney from the Dixson Map collections using a Japanese paper conservation technique. The map ‘Plan of the Town of Sydney’ was on display many years ago, and light damage has darkened the paper and made it brittle. Each week Trish assesses maps from the Dixson collection to see if they’re sufficiently robust for the large-format scanner. The more fragile maps are photographed instead — a slower technique that produces the same high-quality result.

Of those 20 maps, three or four each week need conservation treatment. In addition to light damage and wear and tear from over-handling, some have suffered earlier repairs involving double-sided adhesive tape. Trish separates the tape from the map with a warm scalpel, and removes residual adhesive with an eraser.

The map on the table has a small hole, a tear and a number of cracks. In a Japanese wooden paste bowl (Noribon), Trish prepares wheat starch paste before beginning the repair. A piece of fine tissue paper is measured to match the tear, and is carefully applied to re-attach the corner of the map. Another piece of tissue covers the back of the hole, making the repair almost invisible and removing a weak point in the delicate paper. After the map has been digitised, it will be stored in a custom-sized Mylar^TM folder in the Library’s temperature and humidity-controlled stack.

Classic Blaeu world map

Tue, 25 May 2010 10:23:35 +1100

Another magnificant example of Dutch cartograpy from the Dixson collection. Nova totius terrarum orbis geographica ac hydrographica tabula was first published in 1606 and was re-issued with modifications over the next fifty years. This is the fourth state of the map, issued in 1635.

Blaeu's world map is best known for the detailed allegorical border decorations. Depicted along the top are the sun, moon and five known planets. Along the bottom are the seven wonders of the Ancient world: the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus at Rhodes, the Pyramids, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus at Caria, the Temple of Diana, the Statue of Jupiter and the lighthouse at Alexandria. On the left side are the elements: Fire, Air, Water and Earth and along the right side are the four seasons.

The detail on this map, including the sea monsters, ships and numerous place names, is all the more remarkable when you remember that the engraver has cut the image into a metal plate in a mirror image.