National and Regional Atlases of Australia

Summary

This paper reviews the progress of the second series of Australia's national atlas, the Atlas of Australian Resources, during 1964–68, and discusses key problems encountered in its ongoing revision. It notes that while the second series involves more thorough data collection and analysis than the first, production has fallen behind schedule due to budget and staffing constraints. Core challenges include compilation difficulties arising from data deficiencies in topics such as geology, soils, vegetation, and water resources, as well as inconsistencies between map sheets and desynchronized revision cycles caused by progressive publication. The paper also reports on regional atlases, including those for Tasmania, New South Wales, and the Fitzroy Region, and suggests that the IGU Commission on National Atlases should discuss issues such as rapid map obsolescence, revision frequency, and the suitability of loose-leaf formats, particularly to guide atlas production in countries with limited resources.