A collection of historic maps detailing Maitland’s history from the late 1800s through to the early 1970s will be revealed telling a meticulous story of the city’s past.
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The collection of 150 maps – dating from 1841 to 1973 – will be available to the public this week as part of Maitland City Library’s ‘Romance of Maps’.
The launch of the digitised historic map collection coincides with an exploration of maps by estate cartographer Claire Philp.
“For the first time, the diverse range of maps collected by Maitland City Library has been collated and digitised and will be accessible to the community through the library’s website,” Maitland City Librarian Keryl Collard said.
“This is a very exciting time for the library, as the historic maps represent a proportion of many archival materials that have been and will be digitised for access.
“And as part of the launch Claire Philp will explore what maps can tell us and why they have such enduring appeal and value.”
Each of the 150 maps tell a story of the city’s past – including how the town developed, the names of the streets and subdivisions and the location of mining quarries or significant landholdings.
The launch of the map collection coincides with International Map of the Year, a worldwide celebration of maps and their role in the world.
- ‘Romance of Maps’ will be launched at Maitland Gaol on Thursday 6pm until 7.30pm. Each of the library’s branches at East Maitland, Maitland, Rutherford and Thornton will feature a local historical map while a selection of maps will remain on display at the Maitland Gaol auditorium.