Significance

This book holds outstanding historic significance as it speaks to the development and urbanisation of outer eastern Melbourne. In mapping the terrain of the Dandenong foothills, this surveyor book played a big role in laying the foundations for the roads and suburbs in the area. The record's interpretive capacity is strengthened by its position with a museum dedicated to collecting, documenting and preserving the history of Emerald and surrounding districts. There is strong research potential once knowledge of the techniques used by the surveyor are unlocked, revealing a better understanding of the data.

Physical description

This field book contains comprehensive, handwritten survey data, including measurements and annotations, regarding the shapes, angles and curves of roads in Emerald and surrounding districts. The first entry refers to Macclesfield Rd in Victoria, dated 16 November 1920. Data captured includes back sight, intermediate, fore sight, rise, fall, reduced levels, distance, cross section left and right, as well as general remarks and comments. In addition to this quantitative data, there are also hand drawn diagrams of angles and roads scattered throughout the book.
Locations mentioned in the book include Macclesfield Rd, Reservoir Rd, Patch Rd, Upper Ferntree Gully, Perrin's Creek and Sandels Rd, among others.Portrait-orientated leather-bound book with printed pages and handwritten notes with graphite pencil. Approximately 60 pages.

Inscriptions & markings

Obverse:
A /
Field Book /
A /
Page /
1-6 Macclesfield Road 16-11-20 /
7-8 Reservoir Rd (check levels) 25.11.20 /
9-10 Patch Rd 2-12-20 /
11 Drain from Rly to Jamiesons UFG /
4-12-20 /
12-24 Field's Contract (check) /
25-29 Perrin's Creek also see pge 43 /
30- Rd thro Nightingales Emerald /
31-42 amendment Reservoir Rd 30-3-21 /
44-48 Contour Survey. Lysterfield Narree Warren /
49. Sandels Road 21-7-21 /
50-55 Not used /
56 Reservoir Road /