VPRS 15314 Record and Computation Books

Full description

The volumes in this series are record and computation books created during the initial geodetic survey of Victoria or closely related to it although used subsequent to that survey for additional or similar purposes. It is believed that most of these were kept at the Melbourne Observatory until its closure and from there transferred to the Office of the Surveyor - General. At that Office other volumes were possibly added to the sequence as transferred into custody.

Data was collated in the field in the field and angles books (see VPRS 15315 Field Books of the Old Geodetic Triangulation Survey) which were then sent to Melbourne with their receipt being registered in Unit 16 Receipt Book of Field Information Received at the Geodetic Survey Office. There, data was transferred to the master record books, computations were made and maps prepared. A large number of related maps can be found in VPRS 8168 Historic Plan Collection.

Units 1 and 9 are contain records of the computed bearings and triangulations. Details given on each page are the location of the recordings, the survey instrument used and the name of the observer and the date of the observations. Full details include the name of the objects observed, the bearings observed from the referring mark, the bearings computed from the North Point, the number of observations and data to do with the weight.

Units 2, 3 and 4 are the Abstract of Observed Triangulation Angles with Unit 5 as the Abstract of the Reduced Angles from these three books. Details in Units 2, 3 and 4 are the number of observations, the bearing, the mean error and the square of the error for each location sighted on. Unit 5 also contains details of latitude and longitude and the height as well as bearings, distances and heights. Also shown are data relating to the angles and triangles for the delineation of the Victoria - New South Wales border "copied from Mr Black's Field Notes" (see Unit 19 Alexander Black's Field Computations Book - Geodetic Survey).

Other data contained in Unit 5 is a Latitude and Longitude Correction Survey Mr Black (presumably completed by Alexander Black) giving stations with their latitudes and longitudes; The Latitudes and Longitudes of Minor Stations at Omeo and a table of Geodetic Latitudes, Longitudes and Heights above sea level for stations throughout Victoria.

The Computations of Latitudes, Longitudes and Azimuths in Units 6 and 8 have details of stations, their latitudes and longitudes and their heights above sea level. Unit 11 is a workbook relating to the same computations.

Units 7 and 10 contain Triangulation Computations with Unit 10 having the appearance of a workbook rather than a permanent record book. Details given are the number of the triangle, the number of observations, the observed angle, the reciprocal of the weights, the apportionment of error, the seconds of corrected angle, the seconds of angle for computation, the calculation of distances and the opposite sides given in feet and miles. For each triangle the sum of the observed angle is given with the spherical excess and the error. Unit 10 also includes the computation of latitudes, longitudes and azimuths and a set of geodetic tables.

With Unit 10, Units 13, 17 and 18 have the appearance of a surveyor's workbook. Unit 13 is identified as being Mr Thornhill's Computations Book for the Victoria - New South Wales Border. Unit 19 is Alexander Black's (later Surveyor-General of Victoria) Field Computations Book - Geodetic Survey. Included are written observations on the scope and purposes of the survey and the methods and equipment used; sketch maps and plans of survey observations and calculations and computations based upon the observations.

Unit 14 contains sketches and descriptions of the triangulation stations and the trigonometrical points established. Included are those used for the initial geodetic survey, for the demarcation of the Victoria - New South Wales border and some established later. Details given are the location, the dimensions of the station, the materials from which it was constructed and for some, the method of construction.

Unit 12 is a volume used by the Survey Branch of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey (VA 538) from 1896. George Ditchburn, a draughtsman responsible for the compilation of maps at the Survey branch wrote on the volume that it is a "Copy from a book obtained from Observatory". Consisting of a summary of latitudes and longitudes it includes later annotations and corrections until 1956. It also contains cross-references to the field books and other volumes by number and to worksheets.