Before 1824: First maps before Queensland separation

The first proof of early Australian cartography was when William Dawes published a map in 1791. The map included all areas of the territory of New South Wales that had been viewed by any person that belonged to the settlement established at Port Jackson.

The first cadastral map was produced in 1793 by Charles Grimes, the then Deputy Colonial Surveyor General. It was drawn at a scale of about 3 miles to an inch (approximately 1:190 000) and showed the earliest Crown grants in the County of Cumberland.

Further mapping continued around Sydney, which included a map of the leases prepared by Charles Meehan in 1807. 

In 1814, John Oxley prepared a working map for recording and charting land grants.

In the early 1820s, lithography began in Australia. At this time, Governor Brisbane established two presses in Sydney. One of the presses was transferred to Surveyor-General Mitchell who had it used for map printing.

Charting Australia's coast

By 1822, much of Australia's coast had been charted at medium scale (approximately 1:100 000 to 1:250 000). This was mainly of the explorations of Flinders (shown left) and P.P. King.

Flinders had circumnavigated the continent in 1802-3 in the Investigator, an old leaky vessel. 

During the voyage, it was careened for repairs on Sweers Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria. While there, Flinder's men carved the name of the ship on a shoreline tree. This tree became known as the Investigator tree.

The tree, also bearing other vessel inscriptions  from the era, has since been transported to the Queensland Museum in Brisbane.

Investigator tree in 1871

 

In 1823, John Oxley, the Surveyor General of New South Wales, sailed north from Sydney to look for a suitable site for a settlement.

The following year, a chart was produced showing the extent of Oxley's, Flinder's and John Grady's explorations. The chart covered Moreton Bay and along the Brisbane River to about the present day suburb of Indooroopilly.

The diagram depicts the explorations of Flinders and Oxley. 

1824 to 1842: Mapping the coast and dividing the land

In 1825, Governor Darling issued a proclamation that divided the colony into districts, counties, hundreds, towns, townships and parishes. The hundreds and townships were later abolished. 

As a result of the subdivision, Mitchell produced a three-sheet cadastral map series showing 'The Nineteen Counties'. 

These were Argyl, Bathurst, Bligh, Brisbane, Camden, Cook, Cumberland, Durham, Georgiana, Gloucester, Hunter, King, Murray, Phillip, Northumberland, Roxburgh, St Vincent, Wellington and Westmoreland. The county of Macquarie was added in 1843.

The coastal charts were continually improved upon. By 1841 gaps in the charts were completed by Wickham and Stokes, sailing in the Beagle, and by King and Blackwood. 

However, land surveys at this time had fallen away due to understaffing and the vastness of the land. Surveys were below standard because they were performed using a compass only and not by theodolite. 

1842 plan of Brisbane town