Historical topographic maps

Topographic maps depict natural and man-made features on the ground.

Our collection of scanned historical topographic maps of Queensland is available for free through Open Data and can be searched for and accessed via the Queensland Globe.

We have produced topographic maps in varying scales since 1962. Topographic maps produced from 1971 onwards use a standard map numbering convention to define a map extent.

Note: Those still in copyright are made available via Creative Commons CC BY licence, which means that you can view, print etc. without any restrictions.

How to access historical topographic maps

Queensland Globe

Historical topographic maps can be accessed via the Queensland Globe by launching a Historical maps topic. It allows you to search for and access our department's released historical map scans for any Queensland location.

The following guide explains how to access historical map scans using the Queensland Globe's historical maps topic.

Open Data

Historical topographic maps can also be accessed via the Open Data portal. Links to individual series are included in the table below.

• Click on the resource series you want to view. A summary of the map series displays as well as options to view, including Download (CSV).
• The fields displayed (e.g. title) can be expanded to view the details.
• If the Download (CSV) option is selected, the url for the map scan is located in the Download link column (Column G).
• Copy this URL and paste it into your browser.
• Press enter and the map scan opens.
• You can then save the map to a location of your choosing or crop parts and paste into documents etc.

Related links

• Explore Queensland’s current topography virtually through QTopo.
• Read about researching historical maps and plans.
• Learn about Queensland parishes and historical land administration.
• Contact the Queensland State Archives for research information and to obtain copies of other historical maps and documents.