Historical information

This collection of three photos of the Australian information Technology Award (AITA) won by the Royal Australian Survey Corps (RA Svy) AUTOMAP 2 computer-based map production system, was taken in 1984 at the Army Survey Regiment, Fortuna, Bendigo.
The following article appeared in the ARMY Newspaper on Thursday 21st February 1985.
‘In computerised map production. Survey soldiers lead the world.
BENDIGO: Army surveyors have been put on the map as world leaders in computerised map production following the Australian information Technology Awards. RA Svy won the Computer Assisted Draughting – Mapping section for its Automap II System which has created considerable interest among overseas defence experts. The award for the digital mapping system was accepted by OC Air Survey Sqn, MAJ Rob John, who said it was a great morale-booster for the soldiers of the Bonegilla (sic)* -based Army Survey Regiment. "Setting up a state-of-the-art system like Automap II. is an enormous task, " he said. "We started in August 1983 and it's only recently that we have achieved production results. "We were all very pleased to have our efforts recognised in this way. “Of course, credit must also go to the Intergraph Corporation for manufacturing the system and carrying out most of the development." RA Svy is responsible for producing all of Australia's maps used for defence purposes. Its topographical maps have a scale of 1:50,000 or 1:100,000 although Automap II has the capability of producing smaller scale maps - down to 1: 2,000,000. Automap II consists of three computers and three sub-systems: input, raster scanning, and graphic edit. The input sub-system has eight stereo plotters, two interactive graphic workstations and a system manager workstation. The stereo plotters use superimposition optics to digitise features from aerial photographs. It incorporates a voice recognition system so the operator can simply say "House", "Windmill", etc; and the relevant feature will be incorporated in the digital picture. Individual map separations are scanned and converted by the raster scanning sub-system to a digital raster image. This image is then converted to a graphics file in Intergraph format.’ *Note – the Army Survey Regiment was located in Bendigo, not Bonegilla as incorrectly stated in the article. The article appears on Page 137 of Valerie Lovejoy’s book 'Mapmakers of Fortuna – A history of the Army Survey Regiment’ ISBN: 0-646-42120-4. Additional history of the AUTOMAP 2 system with historic photographs is covered in pages 119, 137-143 and 157 of the 'Mapmakers of Fortuna’ book. See item 6223.23P for additional history and photographs of the AUTOMAP 2 system.

Physical description

This collection of three photos of the Australian information Technology Award (AITA) won by the Royal Australian Survey Corps (RA Svy)’s AUTOMAP 2 computer-based map production system, was taken in 1984 at the Army Survey Regiment, Fortuna, Bendigo. The photographs are printed on photographic paper and are part of the Army Survey Regiment’s Collection. The black and white photographs were scanned at 300 dpi.
.1) - Photo, black & white, 1984, AITA Award sitting between the dual screens of an AUTOMAP 2 Graphic Edit Workstation.
.2) - Photo, black & white, 1984, MAJ Job Johns (centre) and two of Intergraph Corporation IT engineers proudly hold the AITA Award next to an AUTOMAP 2 Graphic Edit Workstation.
.3) - Photo, black & white, 1984, The AITA Award displayed on a pedestal in the Army Survey Regiment Officers Mess.

Inscriptions & markings

.1P to .3P –No personnel are identified. ‘AITI Award to AUTOMAP II 1984’ annotated on cover sleeve.