Historical information

This collection of 19 photos was most likely taken in 1980. The AUTOMAP 1 computer assisted cartography and mapping system was introduced in 1975. The components of AUTOMAP 1 were the Input Sub-System of four Wild B8s stereoplotters and three Gradicon digitising tables, the Optical Line Following Sub-System – Gerber OLF, the Verification Sub-System – Gerber 1442 drum plotter, the General Purpose Sub-system – HP21MX computer and the Output Sub-System – Gerber 1232 flatbed plotter). The first map was published in 1978 (Strickland 3665-3, 1:50,000). AUTOMAP 1 was the first computer assisted cartography and mapping system utilised by the Survey Corps and was the first system used by Australian mapping organisations. The history of the AUTOMAP 1 system is covered in more detail with additional historic photographs, in pages 116-118 of Valerie Lovejoy’s book 'Mapmakers of Fortuna – A history of the Army Survey Regiment’ ISBN: 0-646-42120-4. See items 6122.20P, 6410.24P, 6184.20P, 6200.5P, and 6222.17P for additional photographs of the AUTOMAP 1 system.

Physical description

This is a set of 19 photographs of Air Survey Squadron military and civilian personnel operating AUTOMAP 1 equipment at the Army Survey Regiment at Fortuna, Bendigo, c1979.
The photographs were on 35mm negative film and were scanned at 96 dpi. They are part of the Army Survey Regiment’s Collection.
.1) - Photo, colour, c1979, Gradicon edit table, SSGT John Bennett.
.2) - Photo, colour, c1979, Gradicon edit table.
.3) - Photo, colour, c1979, HP21MX computer General Purpose Sub-system.
.4) - Photo, colour, c1979, HP21MX computer General Purpose Sub-system.
L to R: CAPT Graham Baker, SPR Ian Belmont.
.5) - Photo, colour, c1979, Gerber verification drum plotter.
1130 System administration, unidentified.
.6) - Photo, colour, c1979, Gerber Optical Line Follower (OLF).
.7) - Photo, colour, c1979, Gerber OLF
.8) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Programming and system administration, L to R: WO1 Don Taylor, Robert Cox, Tony Spurling, SSGT John Bennett, SGT Alan Toogood.
.9) to .14) - Photo, black & white, c1979,
.15) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Gerber OLF, unidentified.
.16) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Gerber verification drum plotter, unidentified using Gradicon edit table.
.17) to .18) - Photo, black & white, c1979, - Photo, black & white, c1979, Programming and system administration, SSGT John Bennett.
.19)- Photo, black & white, c1979, - Photo, black & white, c1979, HP21MX computer General Purpose Sub-system.

Inscriptions & markings

.1P to .19P No personnel are identified.