NEW maps have been added to the ACT government’s mapping service, ACTmapi, which now allows people to see maps of the ACT and its surrounding region dating back to the 1800s says Minister for Environment and Heritage Mick Gentleman. 

“The historic maps have been scanned and processed so you can overlay them onto aerial photography of the ACT as it appears today to get a comparison of land use and tenure,” Mr Gentleman says.

“The maps date back to the 1800s and show the sheer size of land holdings of the time, which often consisted of a number of land portions. A group of portions made up a locality called a parish. The portion plans show specific details about the layout of buildings and environmental features on the parcels.

“Where Gungahlin and Goorooyaroo nature reserve stand today, there used to be the parish of Goorooyaroo, where Mulligans Flat School existed and Old Coach Road went through to Bungendore.”

The ACTmapi online tool also shows maps from 1830 to 1930 revealing settlements and rural pastoral boundaries, as well as the location of cottages and huts, where bushland was cleared and fences built.

“The 1915-1930 map series even shows a cricket pitch which is now under Lake Burley Griffin,” Mr Gentleman says.

“The maps also reveal details of old homesteads and cottages which in many cases have been lost to time. An example is Old Lands End in the parish of Weetangera.”

Information via actmapi.act.gov.au