Australia

Konrad Frenzel

This article provides a detailed account of the background, objectives, content, and methodology of the Atlas of Australian Resources. It begins by emphasizing the importance of thematic maps in describing and interpreting the features of the earth's surface and human activities, and traces the evolution of cartography from its origins with ancient geographers to its modern role as a branch of surveying. The author points out that thematic (or subject) maps are a vital field of geography, requiring scientific compilation and thoughtful design. After World War I, the production of resources atlases gained momentum in Europe and spread globally, becoming essential tools for national planning and development. The Atlas of Australian Resources project was initiated in 1948 by the Director of Regional Development in the Department of Post-War Reconstruction, aiming to integrate research from Commonwealth and State authorities into a coordinated set of maps on a uniform scale. The article details the compilation principles, including topic selection, symbol design, color usage, and cartographic techniques. For instance, mineral maps use symbols of varying shapes and fills to indicate importance, climate maps employ a circular layout to show monthly rainfall and temperature patterns, soil maps use color zones to reflect soil types and fertility, and underground water maps use colors and shading to distinguish aquifers and salinity. The article also highlights the collaboration between federal and state governments and research institutions, as well as innovations in materials (e.g., Astralon plastic sheets) and printing technology. Ultimately, the atlas aims to serve as a 'window' to Australia's development, providing knowledge for Australians and showcasing the nation's progress to the world.

Erwin Raisz

This review evaluates the Atlas of Australian Resources, a significant postwar cartographic work published by the Department of National Development, Canberra. The atlas comprises approximately 50 large individual sheets (30" by 28"), with ten published to date, covering climate, soil, underground water, population density, minerals, agriculture, and major projects. Each sheet features a single map of Australia at 1:6,000,000 scale on a polyconic projection. Directed by renowned German cartographer Konrad Frenzel, the cartography demonstrates excellent color selection, symbolization, and engraving by the Mentmore Company, Sydney. Each map is supplemented by specialist-authored pamphlets. The Rainfall and Temperature sheets combine annual maps with twelve monthly and three special maps, reflecting climate's critical role in Australian prosperity. The Mineral map uses graded symbols for deposits, though size differentiation insufficiently represents actual production. The Density of Population map effectively employs shaded gray transparent spheres for cities. The review anticipates future sheets of this outstanding work.

C. J. R.

EUROPE The Domesday Geography of Midland England. Edited by H. C. Darby and I. B. Terret. 9 1/2×6 1/2. Pp. xv+482. 159 maps. Frontispiece. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1954...

A. D. Tweedie

This article reviews five additional maps published in 1958 by the Australian Department of National Development as part of the Atlas of Australian Resources, together with their explanatory handbooks. The new maps—'Dominant Land Use', 'Population Increase and Decrease (1947–1954)', 'Ports and Shipping', 'Education Facilities', and 'Health Services'—maintain the series' high standards of compilation and cartographic clarity. The review examines each map's content and significance: the land-use map effectively delineates Australia's pastoral and agricultural patterns; the population map highlights the full impact of postwar immigration and high birth rates, notably the absence of rural depopulation in southeastern Australia compared to the previous period; the ports and shipping map offers a wealth of detail on trade tonnages, hinterland extents, and inter-state boundaries affecting port competition. The education and health facility maps reflect population distribution, with the Flying Doctor service extending coverage beyond settled areas. The author concludes that these maps and commentaries are essential documents for studying Australian geography, and notes that correlations between them—such as postwar industrial growth and the expansion of technical education—offer valuable insights.

Edgar Ford; Department of National Development

This article reviews the background, content, and academic value of the Atlas of Australian Resources. Originating from wartime defense needs, the atlas was completed by the Department of National Development and the National Mapping Office, with a planned set of 30 thematic maps. The author evaluates the cartographic quality, accompanying commentaries, and specific maps (e.g., minerals, climate, population), highlighting both strengths and weaknesses. The atlas is deemed valuable for education, research, and industry, though periodic revision of time-sensitive maps is recommended.

M. Harris

This article reviews five newly published maps with commentaries from the Atlas of Australian Resources, covering education facilities, health services, dominant land use, ports and shipping, and population increase and decrease from 1947 to 1954. Each map is accompanied by detailed commentary providing statistical data, historical context, and regional analysis, aiming to comprehensively present Australia's resource distribution and socio-economic development. Additionally, the article reviews E.J. Tapp's book 'Early New Zealand: A Dependency of New South Wales 1788-1841', which explores the close early ties between New Zealand and Australia and their impact on both regions' development.

S. L. P.

This article introduces the Atlas of Australian Resources, compiled by the Department of National Development, Commonwealth of Australia, and published by Angus & Robertson, Melbourne, from 1953 onwards. The atlas comprises an excellent series of colour maps at a scale of 1:6,000,000, with approximately 22 maps published by the time of writing. Subjects covered include demography, water systems, social services, land uses, and natural resources. Each map is accompanied by a descriptive pamphlet of 6–20 pages, containing useful statistical data and sometimes photographs, line-drawings, and further reading lists. The cartography and printing are exceptionally good, and a sturdy binder is available at a small additional cost. The atlas serves as a highly useful companion to the recently published Australian Encyclopaedia.

T. W. Plumb

This paper outlines the background, organizational framework, content selection principles, and production process of Australia's first national resources atlas, the Atlas of Australian Resources, compiled by the Department of National Development and edited by the author since 1956. The atlas aims to present a wide range of resource information of long-term significance in an accessible format. The paper details methods used in data collection, map compilation, cartographic drawing, and printing, and discusses the thirty mapsheets grouped by subject, highlighting significant aspects of Australian geography and their cartographic treatment.

H. Waldbaur

This review discusses five newly published map sheets of the Atlas of Australian Resources, prepared by the Department of National Development. The maps cover: population increase and decrease (1947–1954), showing urban growth contrasting with rural decline; health services, indicating hospitals, bush nursing stations, and flying doctor bases; educational facilities, depicting various school types; dominant land use, distinguished by 12 color signatures for livestock, agriculture, and forestry; and ports and shipping, detailing harbor significance, cargo types, passenger traffic, and hinterlands. The review notes that each map is accompanied by explanatory booklets and supplementary large-scale maps of major metropolitan areas.

Bruce Ryan; Konrad Frenzel

This review assesses the final five map-sheets of the *Atlas of Australian Resources* (Geology, Croplands, Mineral Industry, Manufacturing Industries, and Immigration) and their accompanying commentaries. The Geology map and commentary are praised for their clarity, precision, and comprehensive information, despite minor cartographic discrepancies. The Croplands sheet and commentary offer elegant analyses of crop distribution and environmental constraints. The industrial maps are informative, though their commentaries occasionally suffer from stylistic flaws. The Immigration map and commentary are lauded for their rigorous statistical analysis and case studies. Overall, the completed Atlas is hailed as the most comprehensive cartographic summary of Australian resources to date, with minor limitations in statistical area rationalization and map scale, representing a productive seven-year effort by the Department of National Development.

G. J. R. Linge

This article reviews recent literature on manufacturing in Australia, with a focus on its geographical distribution and locational factors. It notes that despite manufacturing's significance in the Australian economy (employing about 30% of the workforce in 1960), geographers have given it scant attention, partly due to limited statistical data and strict disclosure rules. The author systematically surveys various sources, including the manufacturing map in the Atlas of Australian Resources, official industry surveys, studies of individual industries, regional and town-planning reports, and discussions on locational factors such as freight costs, energy supplies, and overseas investment. The review highlights that existing studies largely describe distribution patterns without deep analysis, and points to future challenges such as workforce growth. This overview serves as a valuable research guide for geographers, revealing both research gaps and future directions in the field.

T. J. D. Fair

This review assesses the Atlas of Australian Resources, published by the Department of National Development, Canberra. The final five maps, covering geology, croplands, mineral industry, manufacturing industries, and immigration, complete the atlas, which now comprises 30 sheets and 82 maps. The review notes that these maps maintain the series' high standards in data representation, cartographic appeal, and color composition, supplemented by informative commentaries with text, statistics, and additional small maps. The editorial team consolidated previously inaccessible or incomparable information for the entire continent, positioning this atlas among the finest national atlases of the past decade.

J. S. Duncan; Dept. of National Development

This review examines the serial publication of the Atlas of Australian Resources, focusing on the sheets most valuable for geographical education. The author acknowledges the practicality of the serial format but notes that some early maps have become outdated. The review critically assesses the content, cartographic methods, and limitations of key sheets, including dominant land use, stock distribution, agricultural production, croplands, mineral industry, manufacturing, ports and shipping, roads and aerodromes, population distribution, and immigration. It highlights issues such as disproportionate symbol scaling and information overload in certain maps. The article also acknowledges the value of physical geography sheets and urges the responsible department to continue updating the atlas, potentially forming the basis for a future national atlas.

M. G. A. Wilson

This article reviews the background, content, and scholarly value of the Atlas of Australian Resources. Originating from the postwar reconstruction era's need for systematic resource documentation, the atlas was published progressively from 1951, comprising thirty map sheets with commentaries. The author categorizes the maps into physical environment, economic activities, population, and services, critically evaluating their cartographic techniques and content. While acknowledging the atlas's significant contributions to information compilation and thematic mapping, the review notes deficiencies in symbol design, color usage, metropolitan coverage, and certain commentaries. Overall, the atlas stands as an authoritative milestone in documenting mid-century Australia, yet requires ongoing revision and expansion to maintain relevance.

G. J. R. Linge

Such critical comments as have been made in the foregoing pages are not meant to detract from the profound admiration that all geographers must have for the tremendous amount of work and thought that has gone into the creation of this Atlas. By any standards it is, on the whole, a remarkable piece of work, and anyone who has tried to work with Australian official statistics must wonder at the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the compilers. Again, one must offer profound thanks that these sheets have been made available publicly $^{5}$ and not merely retained within departmental files. At the same time, it must also be regretted profoundly that the Atlas has been brought to an end at this particular juncture. There are two reasons for saying this. In the first place, in a country developing as rapidly as Australia information equally rapidly becomes outdated. Even now some of the earlier sheets of the Atlas are already in need of revision to take account of new developments, more recent and sometimes better statistical information, and the results of additional research work. In the second place, there are a number of new sheets that could well earn a place in this production. It would indeed be a pity if the word "resources" in the title, which seems to have limited the approach in the past, was allowed to stultify further thinking about it in the future. The bare fact is that unless the Department of National Development has second thoughts about leaving the Atlas where it

T. W. Plumb

This article provides a detailed account of the preparation and content of the first edition of the Atlas of Australian Resources, Australia's first national atlas. The project was initiated in earnest in early 1951 by the Department of National Development, with the appointment of Dr. Konrad Frenzel, a German geographer, as editor. Publication of all thirty map-sheets was completed in September 1960. The Atlas employs a polyconic projection at a scale of 1:6,000,000, comprising a total of 82 maps across thirty sheets, each accompanied by a commentary booklet averaging about 7,000 words, supplemented with statistical tables, diagrams, and additional small maps. The preparation was undertaken by a small team of never more than seven geographers and cartographic draughtsmen, who worked closely with government departments, universities, and private organisations to gather data on topics such as soils, geology, vegetation, population, primary and secondary industries, and services. The article describes in detail the technical processes involved, including data collection, experimentation with representation methods, compilation drawing, fair drawing on Astralon, photographic reduction, scribing, and printing by nine different printers using up to fifteen colours. It also reviews each thematic map individually, discussing the content and cartographic techniques used for maps covering land use, agriculture, forestry, power and fuel, manufacturing, population density and distribution, population change, immigration, transport, education, health services, and major developmental projects. The author emphasises the challenge of balancing detail with generality to serve a wide range of needs. In conclusion, the Atlas is recognised as a significant achievement in bringing together previously scattered and incomparable information about the continent, serving primarily as a convenient and readily understood background reference, despite its limited direct use as a planning tool due to the necessary degree of generalisation at the chosen scale.

Ernst Reiner

It may be said that the geographer will be satisfied to receive such abundant information about the continent, although he will regret that no general topographical map was included in the atlas. It must be taken into account that the maps of economic resources inevitably capture a snapshot that will change rapidly with time and economic growth. This naturally also applies to population maps. The preparation of an atlas should therefore not be extended over too long a period and should then appear as coherently as possible. Unfortunately, we miss a map dealing with the distribution of plant and animal diseases, because these are of particular importance for Australia with regard to economic problems. Equally desirable would have been maps on the main occupational groups of the population, their distribution, age structure, the origin of immigrants and their share in individual census districts, as well as a religious map. A word must also be said here about the explanations accompanying the maps. They refer only to each individual map. It is therefore regrettable that a longer summary or connecting and supplementary notes do not link the loose articles into a whole. The brief table of contents with the concise preface is somewhat meager in substance. Here the editor would have had the opportunity to weld the atlas into a coherent whole. No atlas is so perfect that it leaves no wishes unfulfilled, and this one is no exception. However, from it we gain a comprehensive picture of the continent and the federal state of Australia. The maps provide insight into the problems facing humanity on this continent so idiosyncratically endowed by nature, and awaken geographical interest. The atlas is also, at the same time, a balance sheet of what Europeans have created in this continent over 150 years of settlement. It illustrates the result: the roughly 10 million inhabitants, all immigrants, have not only conquered almost every corner of the continent but have also utilized the conditions for denser settlement. Nowhere is the much-discussed question of land classification touched upon, for development has shown that Australians have repeatedly found means and ways to subdue even areas that seemed completely useless through persistent diligence and to wrest an advantage from the land. Today there is practically no area left where settlements and work could not be created. Viewed from this perspective, the atlas is, not only in content but also in form and execution, a significant achievement for Australians, not least for the individual contributors as well.

Bryan Saunders

This article reviews five new maps of the Atlas of Australian Resources released by the Department of National Development, covering croplands, geology, immigration, mineral industry, and manufacturing. The croplands sheet includes four sub-maps on wheat acreage, yield, and other crops, highlighting post-war trends of reduced total wheat acreage but increased per-acre yields. The geology map at 1:6,000,000 scale reveals three physiographic regions linked to ancient shields. While praising the successful color selection, the author critiques three inappropriate color choices in the croplands sheet and the geology map's reliance solely on hue contrast without value differences, suggesting superimposed symbols and color variation to enhance legibility.

H. Waldbaur

This article comprises two German-language book reviews. The first reviews the 'Agricultural Atlas of Venezuela' (published 1960), which contains 107 maps covering agricultural economy, social structure, and natural foundations, employing district cartograms and dot maps. It highlights the diverse crop cultivation in the Andean zone, livestock farming in the Llanos, and pest distribution, though data is based on 1950 and climate maps on only 5 years of observation. The second reviews the 'Atlas of Australian Resources' (published from 1952), comprising 30 main sheets with accompanying commentaries, systematically presenting geology, drainage, vegetation, agriculture, mining, industry, and immigration. It notes readability issues due to uniform small scales but praises the atlas as an outstanding national work revealing Australia's vast contrasts.

G. J. Butland

This review assesses the Atlas of Australian Resources, published by the Commonwealth Department of National Development between 1952 and 1960. Comprising 30 map sheets with accompanying commentaries, the atlas systematically presents Australia's physical and human resources. The review highlights its success in depicting the spatial concentration of population and economic activities, and commends cartographic innovations in maps such as vegetation, geology, and soils. While certain social and industrial maps exhibit limitations in clarity and design, the atlas overall stands as a significant continental-scale cartographic encyclopedia. The review recommends periodic revision and updating to sustain its enduring value.

Л. Р. Серебряный; Р. С. Нарских

This article provides a systematic critical review of the Atlas of Australian Resources, prepared by Australia’s Department of National Development and issued in installments between 1953 and 1960. It examines the atlas’s origins, compilation process, thematic organization, cartographic techniques, practical significance, and major shortcomings. Conceived in 1948 amid postwar plans for economic reconstruction and development, the project was intended primarily to support resource assessment and use. The original scheme envisaged fifty sheets, forty devoted to resources and their exploitation and ten to regional development projects. Because large parts of Australia lacked adequate topographic and thematic surveys, however, the completed atlas contained only thirty sheets, twenty-five of them using a standard scale of 1:6,000,000. Its preparation required the collection of extensive published and unpublished materials, supplementary field investigations, and cooperation between government cartographers, geographers, and specialists in geology, soils, vegetation, and climate. The review discusses the atlas’s treatment of physical geography, geology and minerals, climate, water, soils, vegetation, population, agriculture, manufacturing, and transport. It particularly praises the updated depiction of the geology and hydrography of previously poorly known inland, northern, and western regions; the detailed classification of mineral deposits; the innovative arrangement of temperature and precipitation maps; and the forward-looking representation of existing, planned, and projected water-management works. Railway and maritime transport maps are also regarded as among the atlas’s strongest components because they combine numerous indicators while remaining comparatively legible. Overall, the atlas is distinguished from more academic national atlases by its consistent emphasis on evaluating and utilizing human, land, water, climatic, and mineral resources. Nevertheless, the article identifies substantial weaknesses. The ten-year publication period caused several sheets—especially those concerning soils, roads, shipping, and proposed construction—to become outdated before completion. Important subjects are absent, including hypsometry, tectonics, geomorphology, evaporation, heat balance, wind regimes, fauna, fisheries, conservation, natural and economic regionalization, unemployment, agrarian relations, and the ethnic composition of the population. Some maps attempt to display accumulated facts without sufficient synthesis or cartographic generalization, producing overloaded symbols and a weak representation of overall structures, particularly in mining, crop cultivation, and manufacturing. Scale choices, page composition, unused sheet space, inconsistent color systems, and the absence of a geographical-name index further reduce usability. The author recommends updated data, differentiated scales, inset maps, use of sheet backs for explanatory text, and maps showing the degree of resource survey coverage in a future edition. Despite these limitations, the atlas is judged a major scholarly and practical achievement: within a relatively modest volume, it offers a broad account of Australia’s natural environment and economy, supports resource planning and geographical education, and substantially corrects the earlier impression that the continent lacked specialized cartographic documentation.

T. W. Plumb

This paper reviews the progress of Australia's national atlas between 1960 and 1964. The first series of the Atlas of Australian Resources was completed in 1960, and work on the second series began in 1961, aiming to progressively replace the original thirty map-sheets. Most new sheets are revisions, while some address new topics, integrated with overall atlas revision to maintain a concise and balanced reference work. The second series retains the format, general style, and basic scale (1:6,000,000), but adopts a more suitable projection, revises the base map, designs special layouts for topics requiring larger scales, and uses the reverse of sheets for supplementary maps and references, while refining data, representation methods, and drawing and reproduction techniques. Additionally, regional atlases for Tasmania (fourth edition), New South Wales (first edition), and the Fitzroy Region of central Queensland have commenced, prepared by state governments and the Federal Department of National Development, respectively.

R. Ogrissck

This review examines two new maps from the Atlas of Australian Resources (Fisheries 1966, Mineral Deposits 1968) and the Soviet Atlas of Economic and Cultural Development (1967). The Australian maps employ innovative designs: the fisheries map uses split panels and combined symbols to depict 13 marine species and catch data, while the mineral map uses colors and symbols for seven mineral groups with deposit sizes. The Soviet atlas presents historical cross-sections comparing 1913 with current conditions across industry, agriculture, and transport, though reduced eastern scale hampers readability. The review highlights advances in thematic cartography while noting issues like symbol overlap and scale inconsistencies.

A. D. P.

This review examines the Atlas of Australian Resources, Second Series, specifically the Surface Water Resources publication issued by the Department of National Development in 1967, comprising a 1:6,000,000 map and a 24-page booklet. The map delineates perennial, seasonal, and ephemeral streams, and employs isopleth lines to classify the country into nine categories of long-term average annual runoff, ranging from <0.05 inches to >60 inches per year, supplemented by discharge histograms for 22 gauging stations. The overall hydrological picture reveals Australia as predominantly arid, with most areas experiencing annual runoff below one inch. The review commends the map's clear colouring and effective information hierarchy, though it notes insufficient subdivision at the lower runoff range. Despite reliance on estimated data—acceptable at this scale—the publication successfully addresses technical challenges in measuring intermittent streamflows and spatial sampling, offering a valuable tool for national water resource planning and setting a precedent for similar initiatives elsewhere.

Ernst Reiner

This article reviews the second series of the Atlas of Australian Resources, published progressively by the Department of National Development since 1962. Building upon the first edition of 1960, the revised atlas aims to update and deepen spatial understanding of Australia's physical and economic landscapes. Ten map sheets have been reissued, among which three—Landforms, Climate, and Land Use—are entirely new. Designed as general reference maps, they not only depict the current economic geography of Australia but also reveal the spatial distribution of natural and economic conditions, serving as a fundamental resource for regional research and planning.

D. M. Castle

This review discusses the third edition of the Roads and Aerodromes map in the Second Series of the Atlas of Australian Resources, published in 1977 by the Australian Division of National Mapping. Compared to the 1967 second edition, key changes include a unified national road classification replacing state-based systems, resulting in some locally important roads being omitted, and an updated aerodrome classification reflecting increased air transport, now including authorized but unlicensed landing areas. The map is accompanied by an explanatory booklet with traffic data and analysis.

T. C. Chambers

This review examines the Natural Vegetation map from the Atlas of Australian Resources, 2nd Series, published in 1976 by the Geographic Section, Division of National Mapping. The map, at a scale of 1:6,000,000, provides a broad analysis of Australia's vegetation prior to European modification. The reviewer commends the comprehensive classification system based on growth form, foliage cover, and dominant taxa, as well as the high cartographic standards. However, several criticisms are raised: the amalgamation of mangroves and saltmarshes into a single 'littoral complex' category may mislead overseas users; the use of color coding makes rainforest distribution difficult to discern; and some height classifications for rainforest appear questionable. The reviewer emphasizes that while the map offers a valuable macro-level overview, many areas lack adequate documentation, and more detailed floristic mapping is urgently needed to inform future conservation and management strategies.

Ernst Reiner

This review discusses the completion of the second series of the Atlas of Australian Resources (1960–1977), prepared by the Division of National Mapping, Department of National Resources, Canberra. The series comprises 30 maps with accompanying commentaries. The continent is presented at a scale of 1:6,000,000, while densely populated areas in southeastern Australia are shown at larger scales to more accurately depict population distribution and land use. Through continuous revisions and new editions, the atlas, with its outstanding cartographic and printing quality, reflects the state of geographical knowledge of the continent at the time. Each map is accompanied by approximately 28 pages of explanatory commentary. A third series has already been initiated to keep the depiction of the continent and its regions up to date.

Ingrid Cranfield

This review assesses the first two volumes of the Third Series of the Atlas of Australian Resources, published in 1980 by the Division of National Mapping. The new series replaces the previous format of large map sheets with bound volumes, each covering multiple topics with more detailed commentary and supplementary maps. Volume 1 innovatively maps soils according to their inherent chemical and physical limitations for agricultural and engineering use, while the land use map integrates grazing densities with crop symbols. Volume 2 addresses national population distribution and major city populations, revealing trends of urban concentration and suburban drift, with particular attention to the composition and location of overseas-born residents. The reviewer praises the atlas's excellent scope and balance, clear and attractive maps, and accessible language, while expressing hope for faster future publication and revision cycles.

J. Tricart

This is a review of the third edition, first volume of the Atlas of Australian Resources, published by the Division of National Mapping, Canberra. The volume comprises four fascicles, each combining colored maps with substantial commentary, covering four major themes: soils and land use, population, agriculture, and climate. The review notes that the soil map simplifies classification systems to highlight land limitations, while the land use map vividly reveals the imbalance between eastern and western Australia. The population section analyzes the distribution and trends as of 1976, and the agriculture section details the spatial patterns of livestock and cropping. The climate section provides fine-grained analyses of multiple climatic elements. The author concludes that although the atlas is exceptionally rich and well-produced, it suffers from a regrettable publication delay of about ten years, yet remains a documentation source of exceptional interest.

G. R. Beeston

This is a book review of Volume 6: Vegetation in the Third Series of the Atlas of Australian Resources, published by the Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG). The review acknowledges the volume's comprehensive content, clear illustrations, and utility as a reference for educational and home libraries. However, it criticizes the publication's delayed release, noting that much data was collected over five years prior, missing timely application in natural resource debates. The text uses a widely accepted vegetation classification, but the review points out an omission in the bibliography and suggests future editions improve source presentation. Despite these issues, the book is deemed valuable and is available for $39.95.