Record series
Historic Topographic Maps
VPRS 19124
1974 - 1994
Open
North Melbourne
Agencies
This record series was created by:
Department of Crown Lands and Survey ( VA538 ): 1974 - 1983
Agencies responsible for this record series: Date Range
Series date range: 1974 - 1994
Series in custody:
1974 - 1994
Contents in custody:
1974 - 1994
Function / Content
This series contains historic 'AGD66' series Vicmap topographic maps, covering the State of Victoria. The maps feature transport, hydrology, relief, vegetation and administrative information. They also depict natural, constructed and administrative features, such as watercourses, vehicular tracks, contour lines, homesteads and mountain peaks, roads, built up areas, fence lines, towers, airstrips (constructed), park boundaries and restricted areas (administrative).The maps were primarily used by Victorian Government for the purposes of surveying, asset planning, infrastructure planning, natural resource management and emergency management. The spatial information contained in the maps were the statewide authority at the time. This topographic mapping series was also available to the general public for use for navigation and recreational activities.
The Vicmap topographic physical maps was the first hardcopy topographic map series program aiming to cover the entire state of Victoria. Previously, from 1916 to 1967, the Royal Australian Survey created Topographic Maps for the more populated parts of Victoria. That mapping was done at the scale of 1: 63360
This series began in the early 1970s in the Division of Survey and Mapping, which was part of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey, Victoria. The Victorian population was expanding and the Government was needing to survey the state for new infrastructure work. A scale of 1:25 000 was chosen as the preferred scale for this series, which was a greater scale than existing Australian Commonwealth Government mapping.
Even though the first map was published in 1974, the accelerated mapping program began in 1980. Later in the program double format 1:50000 was chosen as the preferred scale to advance the mapping program. One 1:50000 double format mapsheet replaced eight 1:25 000 single format map sheets. These mapsheets are mainly in central-west Victoria and in East Gippsland.
In the 1990s the Vicmap brand was attached to this series and continues today as Vicmap Topographic Mapping. Also in the 1990s was the creation of the Outdoor Leisure Series (OLS) subset of maps, which covered popular tourist areas such as Mount Buffalo.
Even though some maps were revised as part of this program during the creation of this series, the majority of the mapping was not revised until the 2000s with the advent of digital technology. The artwork for this series was digitised and became the base for the conversion to the modern-day digital mapping.
Mapping was halted in 1994 before the state was fully covered. Approximately 20% of the state covering the Mallee and the Wimmera areas was not mapped. However aerial photography was flown over this area.
This series was created using manual mapping techniques and was labour intensive. The sequence for map production was as follows:
Aerial photography flown; photographic interpretation; first map compilation; field work; second map compilation; creation of artwork (reprographics); first proof created and checked; edits made to artwork; creation of composite negatives and film separation ready for printing; second proof; final exam; to printing press; press check; print map.
The program was staffed by 40 photogrammetrists for photo interpretation, 40 cartographers for map compilation, and 60 surveyors and field staff for field checking. It took four months to produce a single 1:25000 map sheet.
Vicmap published the AGD66 series of maps from 1976 to 2003. They were produced by the Australian Geodetic Datum.
How to use the records
These maps are displayed using the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection and are on the now obsolete AGD (Australian Geodetic Datum) 66 Datum.Maps in this series can be identified by location, which is described in the title of each map, as well as the map number. The title descriptions were taken directly from information on the maps usually a main town or geographic feature.
The maps are listed in sequential order based on mapsheet number, except for the OLSs which are listed alphabetically.
The maps come in a variety of different scales.
Recordkeeping system
1:100000 mapsheet - 4 digits and a letter (geographical reference letter, N = north, E = east, S = south, W = west).1:50000 mapsheet - 4 digits and a -1 or geographic reference letter, e.g. 8522-N. These are 1:100000 mapsheets that are divided into four quadrants.
1:25000 mapsheet - 4 digits . These are 1:50000 mapsheets divided into four quadrants.
Other mapsheet number references include: 'SPECIAL' and 'OUTDOOR LEISURE MAP'. These were produced for heavily visited areas, with noted attractions and tourist facilities covering popular areas.
