Map of Western Australia 1905

Rare map by Harry Frederick Johnston (1853– 1915), surveyor-General of Western Australia from 1896 to 1915, of the complete survey of Western Australia’s land use to 1905. An inset at top left a colour key indicating the type of land use and other colour key at lower left provides information on Towns, Railways, Boundaries, Goldfields, Telegraph, Stock Routes, Heights, Steamer routes, Lighthouses, Rainfall belts, Agricultural areas and Pastoral leases. To show the relative size of the state, a colour map of England and Wales is shown at centre right.

During this period the Government either sold or leased an enormous quantity of land throughout the state. In the south west of the state alone, over 4,000 applications for land for the purpose of farming were sought and over 1,000,000 acres were approved in 1907. Of these approvals the majority of land was actively cleared within a relative short time. A similar scale of activity occurred throughout the state. The map contains a compendium of information including towns, railways, land district boundaries, land division, gold fields, telegraph, stock routes, elevations, steamer routes,lighthouses, rainfall belts, total acres of land under Pastoral Lease and lands open for selection. Inset of ‘Timber Areas’ with colour key showing distribution of trees. Harry Frederick Johnston (1853– 1915) was Surveyor-General of Western Australia from 1896 to 1915. Born in 1853, as a grandson of Marshall Clifton, he qualified as a surveyor and in 1884, he led a surveying expedition to the Kimberley region of Western Australia. A geologist who was attached to the group, Edward Hardman, was one of the first to discover gold in the area, and his report and maps became a valued resource in the subsequent Kimberley gold rush. In January 1885, Johnston made a claim for a reward offered by the Government of Western Australia for the discovery of the goldfield. He was widely criticised for what was seen by many as ‘Mr. Johnston’s attempt to filch the credit.’ However Johnston later stated’ All I wished was that my claim as a leader of the party and discoverer of new country should not be overlooked.’

Harry Johnston was appointed Surveyor-General in 1896, and held the position until his death.