National Library of Australia

Maps digitisation - progress so far

Selecting material for digitisation  

General selection criteria for the National Library’s digitisation program can be found in our Collection Digitisation Policy.

The Library aims to digitise selected Maps collections, based on such factors as historical and/or cultural significance, uniqueness of the material, likely demand for the material. Copyright and preservation considerations are also taken into account.

Progress as of 31 December 2007

7225 items, consisting of 13 704 images, from the National Library’s Maps Collection have been digitised.

The map collections fully digitised are: Nan Kivell (860 items), Ferguson (915 items) and Tooley (1643 items) collections. Good progress has been made on the Rare Maps collection, with 3733 items already digitised.

Examples of Map collections items already digitised

Future digitisation plans

A selection of Maps materials will continue to be systematically digitised. A target of 1300 items has been set for 2007-08. The current priorities include:

  • Rare Maps collection - 1130 items have been selected for digitisation in 2007-08
  • Ferguson Sales Plans collection, totalling 7000 items; not all items in this collection are intended or ready for digitisation; 170 items have been selected for digitisation in 2007-08

The Library's long term plan is to complete digitisation of the following categories of its map material:

  • pre-1900 maps
  • post-1900 out of copyright Australian maps, including topographic and other series mapping at large, medium and small scales published by national and state mapping authorities; these total over 200 000 items
  • cadastral county and parish maps, road and tourist maps, electoral maps and other thematic mapping held for all Australian states and territories.

More Maps

Other online resources

July Curator's Choice

The exquisite paintings of First Fleet artist George Raper are featured in Betty Churcher's Hidden Treasures series, currently screening on ABC television. This beautiful picture is one of the 56 watercolours from the recently discovered collection of First Fleet art.