Historical maps and plans
This page contains links to resources for historical maps for Australia and Globally.
Alert
It is important to recognise historically recorded information is often from the perspective of colonial settlers. Many of the below map resources are not often inclusive or reflective of Indigenous knowledge. Being aware of the perspectives of authors is one way to be critically reflective. We have also developed a page within this guide specific to Indigenous Australian maps.
Finding historical maps in our ADPML collection
Historical maps include those that may only be accessible through special collections and archives. These types of maps may have been digitised but in some cases they are only available in hardcopy.
The Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library (ADPML) contains historical special collection resources as does the Deakin Archives collection. This includes maps, architectural plans and atlases.
To view the hardcopy resources, please get in touch with our Special Collections Librarian to arrange a viewing time.
Search the Special collections
You can find and locate maps in our Special Collection using the below search box.
Enter your required location, followed by the word map. For example: Geelong map. Then press Search.
* All search results open in a new window. *
Global historical maps
Browse and view places with timelines Compare historical maps to see the evolution of a place.
Australian historical maps
An information piece on decolonising historical maps, Bess Moylan, National Library of Australia
Victorian historical maps
Click on the plus (+) icons below to explore historical maps and resources related to Victoria, Melbourne and Geelong.
All Victoria
A tool for digitally aligning ('rectifying') historical maps and plans from Public Record Office Victoria's collections to match today's precise maps.
A collection of rare and antique Victorian maps.
A guide to researching the history of Victoria's colonial settlement based on published and digitised sources.
Covering over 1600 destinations throughout Victoria. View a snap-shot of the history of every town, city, suburb, village and settlement with a population of over 200 people. Created by Monash University and University of Queensland.
Genealogy
This guide focuses on using the SLV maps collection, and on researching Victorian family history, including immigration to Victoria.
Land use and property research
Plans and maps for researching land and property
Vicmap Planning History is the map data representing the land use zone and overlay controls for all Victorian planning schemes.
Sources and information for architectural historian research of the history of places and buildings in Victoria
Melbourne
The kinds of historical information often found on these "historical" plans include:
- early descriptions of soils and native vegetation
- location of huts, fences, gardens and other capital improvements made by squatters
- location of other buildings
- tracks used by original settlers
- reserves set aside for public use
- early place names
- location of pastoral runs
- ship wrecks
- the general progress of European settlement at various times
- progress of cadastral, geodetic and physiographic surveys at particular times
Melbourne and metropolitan board of works plans and maps series
(The University of Melbourne)
These MMBW plans were used for the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system.
Shows property boundaries, building footprints and other build details
Shows streets, railway lines and property boundaries. Some sheets also show contours.
Begun in 1977 in three scales, this series includes property boundaries, foot-printed large public buildings and chiefly detailed 1 meter contours for the whole of the city.
Sands & McDougall Directory maps are useful for looking at the broad early settlement and development of Melbourne.
Street directories
- Melbourne street directories (1912-1952)
Digitised Melbourne street directories, State Library of Victoria.
- Melways
Digitised Melways street directories (1966 -1999) University of Melbourne.
Geelong
A broad collection of maps, plans and photographs from the Bellarine, the Golden Plains, the Surf Coast, the Borough of Queenscliff and beyond.