Historical information

This is a set of 10 photographs of surveyors and support staff in the field undertaking duties in the Northern Territory and North Queensland in 1959 – 1960. The surveyors were employed in the establishment of mapping and geodetic control. In this era surveyors used theodolites to observe horizontal and vertical angles and tellurometers to measure base line distances between survey stations. Laplace survey observations seen in Photo .1P was a series of precise observations carried out at geodetic survey stations to determine astronomic latitudes, longitudes and azimuths to achieve maximum precision in the survey network. Laplace observations were necessary in a geodetic network at every 6th survey station, however the National Mapping Council specified at this time the spacing would be ideally between 4-6 survey stations. The cairn shown in photo .4P was built by RASvy as a landmark over a trigonometric survey station. It was dismantled in 1960 to enable re-occupation and survey observations. It was not restored to the condition shown in the photo.

Physical description

This is a set of 10 photographs of surveyors and support staff in the field undertaking duties in the Northern Territory (NT) and Queensland (QLD) in 1959 – 1960. The photographs were printed on photographic paper and are part of the Army Survey Regiment’s Collection. The photographs were scanned at 300 dpi.
.1) - Photo, colour, 1959. Tony Slattery occupying a Laplace survey station on a hill in the Mount Young area of the NT.
.2) - Photo, colour, 1959. Surveyors’ camp in the Mount Young area of the NT, L to R: Spencer Snow and Tony Slattery.
.3) - Photo, colour, 1959. Surveyors’ camp in the Peckman Hill area, near Katherine in the NT.
.4) - Photo, colour, 1959. Cairn on Trig Hill, Borroloola, NT. Built by Spencer Snow, Tom Royle and Jack McCabe.
.5) - Photo, colour, 1959. Survey party taking a break next to their Austin Champ vehicle, in transit between Katherine, NT and Wyndam WA. L to R: Tony Slattery, Dave Owens, John Van De Graff.
.6) - Photo, colour, 1960. Surveyors’ camp between Mount Isa, QLD and Borroloola, NT. L to R: Pat Cox and John Van De Graff prepare their meal on an open fire.
.7) - Photo, colour, 1960. Surveyor - Dennis Woods undertaking survey observations, using MRA1 tellurometer to measure base-line distances NW of Mount Isa, QLD.
.8) - Photo, colour, 1960. Unidentified surveyors assessing recovery of their stalled Studebaker truck vehicle after attempting a water crossing in the NT.
.9) - Photo, colour, 1960. Unidentified surveyor making batches of bread at a camp in the NT. Seen in the photo placing a lid with hot coals onto the camp oven.
.10) - Photo, colour, 1960. Unidentified survey party occupying a survey station on a hill in the Mount near the Lawn Hill area, NW of Mount Isa, QLD. A MRA1 tellurometer to measure base-line distances appear on the right side of the photo.
.9) - Photo, colour, 1960. Unidentified surveyors assessing recovery of their stalled Studebaker truck vehicle after attempting a water crossing in the NT.
.10) - Photo, colour, 1960. Unidentified surveyor making batches of bread at a camp in the NT. Seen in the photo placing a lid with hot coals onto the camp oven.

Inscriptions & markings

.1P to .10P annotated on back – personnel names, the year and the location.