Maps

About 15,000 books and pamphlets. The great strength of the collection is in Pacific voyages and early Australiana with many very rare items. Also manuscripts including papers of Joseph Banks, maps and pictures.

Collection guide

First Australians

Plane Table Surveys Collection

182 original field sheets, representing 32 map sheets, dating from 1915 to 1936 including surveys carried out in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.

Collection guide

An old black and white map of the Sunda Strait decorated with pictures of navigational symbols, landmarks and ships

Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer, Afconterfeytinge van die strate oft engde van Sunda, tusschen Sumatra en Iava in Oost Indien, als oock die baye oft rede voor Bantam die hooft-stadt van Iava, tesamen met alle hare eylanden, clippen, ondiepten en sanden, alles nae t' leven net afgetogen, c.1602, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3444422116

Rare 1602 map of the Sunda Strait

A very rare chart of the Sunda Strait – located between the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java – from 1602 has recently been added to our collection.

News article

A historic real estate map advertising a land auction at Circular Quay and George Street, Sydney, dated May 30th, 1900. The layout showcases plots available for development, labeled "colored red," situated near the wharves, shops, and notable buildings. Text emphasizes the commercial opportunities of the site, positioned near tram and maritime terminals.

Hardie & Gorman Pty. Ltd & W. E. Smith Ltd, Circular Quay and George St., a splendid site for stores and offices, opposite the wharves for auction sale at the rooms, 133 Pitt St, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-230508873

Real estate or sales plans

Use sales plans to find information about land sales, such as prices, boundaries, roads and land use.

Research guide

A 1920s map of Australia showing distribution of cattle and minerals

Thomas Griffith Taylor and H. O. Beckit, The new Oxford wall maps of Australia, c.1920, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-255201355

Rights and the Maps Collection

A summary of copyright and rights in the Maps Collection.

Information article

Royal Society of Edinburgh Admiralty Charts Collection

99 first-issue charts and views of Australian coasts published by the Admiralty between 1814 and 1861.

Collection guide

Sakakibara Collection

About 2600 books, mostly in Japanese including military works, biographies of the Japanese Royal Family and leading figures in Japan and Western countries, Chinese and Japanese classics and more.

Collection guide

Detailed map of the southern cost of Australia with various annotations and notes

John Arrowsmith and William Clowes and Sons, Map of the southern coast of Australia from Encounter Bay to King George's Sound shewing Mr. Eyre's track in the years 1839, 1830 & 41 in his attempt to penetrate into the interior, 1843, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-232546838

Tooley Collection

1,277 charts and maps dating from the 16th to the late 19th centuries, including maps of the Pacific and New Zealand as well as Australia.

Collection guide

A black and white map showing Australia, then called New Holland, in the late 1600s.

Two recently acquired Coronelli globe gores

The Library has recently acquired two 17th century globe gores by Vincenzo Coronelli.

News article

Hand drawn map with latin title Mar di India, there are various little cherubs around the title.

Jan Jansson & Hendrick Doncker, Mar di India, 1659, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-230757141

Using the Maps collection

How to find and use items in the Maps Collection.

Information article

Library services

Tokyo and environs road map, 1953, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1584417804

Williams Collection

About 3200 books, pamphlets, serials, maps, newspapers and ephemera mainly related to Japan plus some works on China and Korea.

Collection guide

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