1843 to 1859: Use of the surveyor's wheel

From the 1840s to the 1880s, the surveyor's wheel or perambulator was used to measure the distances on all feature surveys (rivers and ranges). It was also used for road traverses and run surveys where less accuracy was required. As J.E. Palmer observed: 

The wheel and compass method of defining boundaries was quick and fairly accurate – quite accurate enough for all practical purposes where land was to be had in almost unlimited quantities, and at very low rentals. Frequently – on those far-reaching plains – we have measured from 12 to 15 miles a day, but our progress often received a check by large belts of mulga or gidya scrub, or tracks of spinifex desert. The rate of pay was £1 per mile, which taking everything into consideration, was not munificient (sic). ^{Palmer JE 1923}

1861 to 1880: Correcting for terrain

When using the perambulator or 'wheel' over different types of terrain, varying corrections to the measured distances were made.

Surveyor J.R. Atkinson, while carrying out river traverses on the Cressbrook Run in 1869, gave a list of corrections he applied to his wheeled distances.^{Atkinson JR 1869}

Undulating land - 1 link to a chain

2 links in a chain - long grass and river bottoms

2 links in moderate hills - ridges under 10º

3 links under 15º

Very steep – 7 links to the chain – say 20º

The perambulator

 

Some surveyors took extra care when they used their wheel. G.C. Watson, while surveying western Queensland runs in the 1880s, describes his precautions:

The perambulator, it may be mentioned, was very trustworthy, so long as it was well watched in the movement of the indices, which comprised two plates that were moved by an endless screw, but it was necessary to watch the movements lest any of the connecting screws should work loose or be turned too tight; or any grit interfere with the even revolution of the mechanism, which was on the principle of a patent log, for, being worked on land through mud, dust or sand, it required close scrutiny. 

I found that by covering the wheel with green hide, undue oscillation was prevented, and training my men to count their steps and watch the index, any irregularity would be at once detected, it being my system to record every ten chains shown by the index. My practice was to ride ahead in the line of survey, and as I kept count I would know the whereabouts of the successive ten chains, where I awaited the wheelman calling out his tally. ^{Watson GC 1880}

Surveyors used the term 'wheeled' to denote the distance measured, for example:

today I wheeled fourteen miles in a northerly direction.

1881 to 1900: Innaccuracies

The surveyor's wheel was prone to inaccuracies as this extract from surveyor Henry's letter at Birdsville in 1890 shows:

As in my previous surveys, I have run check lines to close the work in suitable sections. The northern and central portions close well, the southern blocks show large discrepancies. This arises partly from using a new compass and partly from the loose sandy nature of the country that rendered any wheel allowances applied uncertain.^{Qld State Archives}

By the turn of the century, the wheel was generally replaced by the surveyors' steel tape.