Historical information

This collection of 17 photos was most likely taken in c1978-1980. 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, 6183.19P, 6184.20P, and 6200.5P for additional photographs of the AUTOMAP 1 system.

Physical description

This is a set of 17 photographs of Air Survey Squadron military and civilian personnel operating AUTOMAP 1 equipment at the Army Survey Regiment at Fortuna, Bendigo, c1978-1980. The photographs were on 35mm colour slides and were scanned at 96 dpi. They are part of the Army Survey Regiment’s Collection.
.1) - Photo, colour, c1978-1980, Gerber 1442 verification drum plotter.
.2) - Photo, colour, c1978-1980, Gerber 1442 verification drum plotter, SPR Garry Ames. In background - Hewlett Packard (HP) 2100A Minicomputer Input Subsystem controlling Wild B8 Aviograph stereo plotters.
.3) - Photo, colour, c1978-1980, Gerber 1442 verification drum plotter.
.4) - Photo, colour, c1978-1980, digitising topographic features with a Wild B8 Aviograph stereo plotter, CPL Adrian Rynberk.
.5) to .6) - Photo, colour, c1978-1980, Wild PEB8 stereo profiler.
.7) - Photo, colour, c1980, HP 9640A Programming System.
.8) - Photo, colour, c1980, HP 9640A Programming System, L to R: unidentified, SGT Alan Toogood.
.9) - Photo, colour, c1978-1980, Gerber Optical Line Follow (OLF), CAPT Rob Bridge.
.10) - Photo, colour, c1978-1980, Gerber OLF.
.11.) to .12) - Photo, colour, c1978-1980, Gerber OLF, SPR Gerry Gunn.
.13) - Photo, colour, c1978-1980, Gerber OLF.
.14) - Photo, colour, c1979, Gradicon edit table.
.15) to .16) - Photo, colour, c1981, Gradicon edit table, SPR Chris Gordon.
.17) - Photo, colour, c1981, Gradicon edit table, L to R: SPR Chris Brown, unidentified.

Inscriptions & markings

.1P to .17P - Some of the equipment is annotated on the frame of the 35mm slides.