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Welcome to XNATMAP
A site for preserving NATMAP's (The Division of National Mapping) history and
maintaining contact with the people who were part of that history.
As the Australian Landsat Station (ALS), later the Australian Centre for Remote
Sensing (ACRES) was part of the Division its history also forms part of this site.
What's New as of 1 September 2022
Hover over a title for a synopsis or click associated Item tag for its manuscript
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Giuseppe (Joe) La Barbera (1929-2020)
Scillian-born Joe La Barbera worked with National Mapping's Canberra office
from circa 1952 to 1982; becoming a Senior Assistant (Printing) in the then
Printing Processes Sub-section of the Topographic Mapping Section in the Map
Production Branch at Derwent House in Civic. Joe retired from Nat Map when in
his early 50s circa 1982. Joe was an active member of the Italian and Sicilian
communities in Canberra as well as being involved with the Canberra Finnish
community through his wife Saara. Sadly Joe La Barbera died suddenly at his
Mawson home in April 2020 at 90 years of age. Joe was survived by Saara his
wife of 64 years and by their 4 children and several grandchildren. In this article
Laurie McLean gives a brief tribute for Joe La Barbara.
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Bathymetric Mapping - Natmap's Unfinished Program
The original article of 2014 has now undergone a major revision by Charlie Watson, to now include additional information and photographs.
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May 1971 Departmental brochure describing graduate opportunities (surveyor) within Nat Map, courtesy Jim Steed
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WILD Heerbrugg Model T4 Universal Theodolite : their known Australian history
Wild produced a total of 439 model T4 theodolites between 1941 and 1981, of which it appears that four were used operationally in Australia. All four T4's still exist and as little was documented, this article attempts to summarise the use of the T4 by the respective agencies.
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Australian Primary Data Acquisition Progress Maps for Topographic Mapping 1827-1988
While there were various maps showing a south land from antiquity and the later navigator/explorers, these maps were mostly of coastline. Some forty years after the First Fleet arrived, in 1827 then Major (later Sir) Thomas Livingstone Mitchell (1792-1855) as Surveyor General saw the first systematic surveying and mapping of Australia. After that, settlement drove the need for mapping. As the XNATMAP website enters it fifteenth year an accumulation of information on Australian primary data acquisition for topographic mapping, gathered and standardised during those years, is presented by Paul Wise.
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