NRS-18247 | Aerial photography prints of surveys for highway routes & Sydney urban area [Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales]

Full description

This series consists of photographs produced from aerial film surveys conducted from 1940-2006.

The aerial surveys were commissioned by the Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales (RTA) and its predecessor agency the Department of Main Roads (DMR). They were conducted mostly by external contractors, although in some instances other government departments (such as the Forestry Commission) were engaged to complete a project. The surveys were used in conjunction with ground surveys to assist in the design and construction of the road network across New South Wales. (1)

The first aerial survey was conducted by Adastra Airways Pty Ltd between April and June 1937 as part of investigations into the most suitable route from South Grafton to Glen Innes for State Highway No.12 (the Gwydir Highway). (2) Owing to the extremely difficult nature of the terrain, a comprehensive ground survey would have taken several years to complete however the use of the aerial survey enabled the DMR to complete its investigations the following year. (3) By 1948, Adastra Airways had completed 23 surveys for the DMR, including the 1943 survey of Sydney and surrounding suburbs (Items BB1-BB37). Other contractors included Air Travel & Survey Pty Ltd and Brown & Dureau Ltd. (4)

The 1943 Sydney aerial survey was conducted using two Williamson and Ross Eagle IV cameras fitted with 210 mm lens. (5) The survey was filmed from a height of 2600m yielding a photo scale of 1:12000. The aerial photography was ortho-rectified by Sinclair Knight Mertz (SKM) and mosaiced by the DMR. The coverage extends to the Sydney urban limits as they existed in 1943, as well as following the path of the Great Western Highway to Mount Victoria. (6)

Photos from the other surveys in the series date from 1940 to 2006 and are filed in packets according to run number. Photos taken prior to April 1990 were allocated a two-character alphabetical run prefix starting with AA and ending in ZZ which was based on the project being undertaken. Runs within each project were then usually numbered sequentially. The series starts at run number AZ21. From April 1990, a three-character alphabetical run prefix was used, starting with AAA, and followed by a number in sequential order. Most of the films also have a unique NSW Aerial film number which was allocated by the Lands Department. (7). Occasionally, supporting information such as survey data and mosaics are also included.

There are two types of indexes to the series: photographic run cards, and key diagrams and index books. (8)

The item title generally reflects the road project being surveyed, which is often prefixed by the type of road classification: F (freeway), SH (State Highway), MR (Main Road), TO (Tourist Road), TR (Trunk Road), U (Unclassified Local Road). (9) However, some projects of a more miscellaneous nature were also undertaken, such as surveys of flood events, and in these cases the item title reflects the event.

The photographs are in the form of black and white, colour and other print types (such as infrared). Colour film was first used experimentally around 1972 and later replaced black and white film completely. The scale and lens size varies across photographic runs. Typically there is a 60 percent overlap of image between prints. The terrain can be viewed in three dimensions with the use of stereoscopic equipment.

There is also a related series of aerial survey prints entitled 'Aerial photographic prints, Adelaide River to Birdum' which were taken in the Northern Territory during World War II for national defence purposes. (10)

The series ended in 2006 with the move from analog to digital technology. Current practice is for aerial films to be captured digitally and stored electronically. (11)

Endnote
1. Roads and Maritime Services. Historic Photos and film clips, http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/about/environment/protecting-heritage/photos-filmclips/index.html (accessed 25 May 2015); State Records Authority of NSW. Functional Retention and Disposal Authority: FA242, SR File No.00/0037, p.6.
2. Department of Main Roads Twelfth Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 1937, pp.14-15, in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1937-38, Vol. 4, p.591; SRNSW: NRS 9771, 48M495, [10/27366].
3. Department of Main Roads Twelfth Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 1937, pp.14-15, in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1937-38, Vol. 4, p.591.
4. NRS 9771, 48M495, [10/27366].
5. Adastra Aerial Surveys. The 1943 Survey of Sydney, http://www.adastron.com/adastra/projects/sydney-1943.htm (accessed 15/05/2015); Land and Property Information. NSW Spatial Data Catalogue – SKM Sydney 1943, https://sdi.nsw.gov.au/catalog/search/resource/details.page?uuid=%7B85816660-36A9-4B1C-A6D5-10FCB196DCFE%7D (accessed 15/05/2015).
6. Land and Property Information. NSW Spatial Data Catalogue – SKM Sydney 1943, https://sdi.nsw.gov.au/catalog/search/resource/details.page?uuid=%7B85816660-36A9-4B1C-A6D5-10FCB196DCFE%7D (accessed 1 May 2015).
7. State Records Authority of NSW. Disposal Authority: Aerial photographs and photogrammetric records (Draft). TRIM record number D07/11031.
8. NRS 18259 and NRS 18260.
9. Roads & Maritime Services. Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads. http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/business-industry/partners-suppliers/lgr/documents/classified-roads-schedule.pdf (accessed 25 May 2015).
10. NRS 9777
11. Board of the State Records Authority of NSW. Appraisal Report Part 1 AR278, p.3, TRIM record number: D07/17630.