The John Arrowsmith Australian Maps Project Dorothy F. Prescott Background Arrowsmith’s death, the amended states of the same title. There may be John Arrowsmith (1790–1873) was title for the London atlas indicating time gaps between states, suggesting an important English cartographer, his ownership. that other undiscovered states exist. especially for Australians. A member The website is based on the The Oxford English dictionary of a family of geographers, his method of comparative cartography, definition of the word ‘state’ includes production focused on mapping in which numerous copies of a map the following: ‘An etched or engraved British colonies around the world title are compared and differences plate at a particular stage of its at a scale that surpassed that of any between them are noted. This progress’. Another definition is: other contemporary map maker. enables seemingly identical maps to Additionally, he had access to the be arranged in chronological order An issue of a map which differs in very latest despatches received at of creation and publication. On the some way from all other issues of the Colonial Office and the British website, the date given for any state the same map. On each occasion Admiralty, which formed the source of a map title is the actual date when the copper plate is altered, for many of his productions. His portrayed, which may be different either by the addition or removal work covers the period 1832 to 1862. from the purported publication date of information, a new state of The John Arrowsmith Australian printed on the map. the map is produced. The use of Maps Project, www.asmp.esrc. the term ‘edition’ applies only to unimelb.edu.au, is a website hosted by Map titles and states books but not to maps.2 the eScholarship Research Centre of The result of this study indicates the University of Melbourne Library. that not all copies that appear to be The website’s structure allows It was launched in July 2012 at a identical actually are. One can say with for the future interpolation of yet tri-organisation cartographic meeting assurance that Arrowsmith issued and undiscovered states of each of the held in Brisbane. The website reissued map titles without updating 13 map titles depicting Australia provides links to maps of Australia or indicating to the purchaser that a that occur in copies of the London included in John Arrowsmith’s map had been amended in one way or atlas found to date. Each map title London atlas of universal geography, another. Collectors and libraries need has been treated like the chapter of a which went through at least eight to be aware of this fact when investing book, under which will be found a list editions between 1834 and 1858.1 in an Arrowsmith map, to ensure they of the states of that particular title. These maps are found in various are not acquiring something they The list of states for each map starts collections around the world, and already hold. In addition to being in with a summary of the history of in issues of the continuation of the London atlas, individual maps that particular map title, followed by Arrowsmith’s atlas: Stanford’s London were available from stock, and some links to each of the states of that title. atlas of universal geography. Edward titles appear in books and government Each state shows a description of that Stanford (1856–1917) purchased publications. state, institutional holdings, published John Arrowsmith’s copyright, If two maps are different they are resources, associated persons and plates and stock at auction after classified on the website as different images. Each state is described and 34 University of Melbourne Collections, issue 12, June 2013 Henry William Pickersgill, Portrait of John Arrowsmith, c. 1820, oil on canvas, 76.0 × 63.5 cm. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London. the differences between the states • The south eastern portion of not indicate this by updating the are noted in detail. There are further Australia issue date to reflect the changes. An links to persons mentioned in a map, • The colony of Western Australia example of this kind can be seen in many of these being to entries in the • Cockburn Sound the early issues of his Eastern portion Australian dictionary of biography, • King George’s Sound of Australia, which is the right-hand which has also been published • The district of Adelaide, South sheet of two sheets covering the online. The work continues and Australia continent. Five issues dated ‘1838’ the website will be added to in the • Map and chart of the west coast have been found and no doubt more future. of Australia exist, but the last two states of this • South Australia shewing the purported date are at least 1840, and Arrowsmith’s Australian division into counties of the settled possibly later, in content. maps portions of the province The maps reflect the progress of Research to date has found 13 map • A new map of South Australia exploration of the continent by the titles in the London atlas that relate • Australia, from Swan River to British, after arriving in what became to Australia. Two additional maps Shark Bay. Sydney in January 1788 to establish have been included on the website a penal settlement. By 1832 John (and in the list below) as they are Each of these titles has been Arrowsmith was documenting the the earlier states of the Maritime investigated in depth by comparing process of discovery and exploration portion of South Australia and of all available copies, one with another. through large-scale mapping. A Map and chart of the west coast of Examples of map imprints show us comparison of his 1838 map of the Australia from Swan River to Shark that Arrowsmith might reissue a continent (illustrated page 36) with Bay, but have not been found in any map without any change whatsoever his 1862 issue (illustrated page 37) is edition of the London atlas. The to the internal content. The map Van dramatic. titles of these two earlier maps are Diemen’s Land is a classic example For the first issue of hisLondon A new map of South Australia and of reissue without any change or atlas (1834), John Arrowsmith Australia, Swan River to Shark Bay updating of map content throughout included three (out of 50) plates on respectively. The full list is as follows: its life. Six issues have been found, Australia, all focused on discovery which bear imprints from 1832 to and exploration: Map of the discoveries • Map of the discoveries in Australia 1842. All are identical in content in Australia (plate 35), Discoveries • Van Diemen’s Land with only the date in the imprint in Western Australia (plate 36), • Discoveries in Western Australia altering, and, in the case of the first (illustrated page 38) and Van Diemen’s • Eastern portion of Australia issue, its plate number differs from Land (plate 37). These three maps • Australia from surveys made by the later issues. show the extent of British exploration order of the British Government Alternatively, Arrowsmith in the southern part of the continent • Maritime portion of South might reissue a map, having made after almost 50 years of British Australia changes to the internal content, but occupation. Dorothy F. Prescott, ‘The John Arrowsmith Australian Maps Project’ 35 John Arrowsmith, Australia from surveys made by order of the British government combined with those of d’Entrecasteaux, Baudin, Freycinet, &c, &c, London: John Arrowsmith, 1 May 1838 (state 1838/1), hand-coloured engraved map, sectioned and mounted on linen, 59.0 × 83.2 cm. MAP RM 782C, National Library of Australia. From this point onwards the even though the number of plates contain and the individual titles London atlas became a bespoke increased over time. These atlases included will vary from copy to copy. publication, tailored to the should therefore be treated as By the time Arrowsmith’s London requirements of the purchaser. The individual publications for the atlas title page recorded ‘1838’ as contents page remained unchanged purposes of cataloguing, because the date of publication, the new through the life of the publication, both the number of plates they and revised Australian plates were 36 University of Melbourne Collections, issue 12, June 2013 John Arrowsmith, Australia from surveys made by order of the British government combined with those of d’Entrecasteaux, Baudin, Freycinet, &c, &c, London: John Arrowsmith, 1 January 1862 (state 1862/2), hand-coloured engraved map printed in two overlapping sheets, sectioned and mounted on linen, 64.0 × 84.0 cm. Z/MC 804/1862/1, Mitchell Library Map Collection, State Library of New South Wales. appearing. To the original three plates portion of Australia and The maritime 1 May 1838—while the Maritime for the continent may be added a portion of South Australia. The first portion of South Australia appeared further three: Australia from surveys issues of all three maps record 1838 on 5 June 1838. This was quickly made by order of the British government as the first date of issue, the west and followed by the first issue ofThe combined with those of D’Entrecasteaux, east halves of the map of Australia south eastern portion of Australia in Baudin, Freycinet &c., &c.; Eastern being issued on the same date— August 1838, The district of Adelaide, Dorothy F. Prescott, ‘The John Arrowsmith Australian Maps Project’ 37 Below: John Arrowsmith, Discoveries in Western Opposite: The district of Adelaide, South Australia (state 1833/6; imprint 1838/1) from Australia: As divided into country sections from Returns to two addresses of the Honourable the House the trigonometrical surveys of Colonel Light late of Commons, dated 26 June and 3 August 1838, Survr Genl.