Thomas Livingstone Mitchell: mapmaker

Mitchell's 'Map of the Nineteen Counties' was compiled from 900 surveys, and engraved by himself and engraver John Carmichael, costing Mitchell nearly £1200. Mitchell wrote to Undersecretary Hay that, 'my map is nearly all on copper having been myself obliged to etch the hills and ranges as few engravers can do this satisfactorily.'

A copy of the map was submitted to Lord Stanley on 5th May 1834. Mitchell wrote, 'I consider it one of the most accurate specimens of constructive plan drawing ever produced of an extensive territory on the same scale. Having protracted my principal points, and reduced and filled in the contents of about 900 maps ... still in this office, and with which this reduction can be compared - I have produced a map which will answer all practical purposes for which accurate maps can be required - and especially for determining general lines for railways or great roads.' Votes and Proceedings, 1855, vol 2, Inquiry into the S.G.'s Dept., p. 8.

Digital order no: a4149001

Digital order no: a1480017

Digital order no: a1480022

Area: from the source of the Nepean River to Port Hacking, and from Parramatta and Port Jackson to Wollongong. Map shows, coastline, mountains, forests, small farms, grass hills, boat harbour, marshes, bays, Parramatta, Lansdowne Bridge, Liverpool, George's River, Woronora River, Nepean River, Cook's River, Dahlia Creek, Cordeaux River, Cataract River, Campbell Town, Port Hacking, Wattamolla, Bulgo, Coal Cliff, Bulli, Mt. Keira, Broughton's Pass, Jordan's Pass, Wilton, and Pheasant's Nest.

Digital order no: a4593001

Map shows landowners, measured allotments, rivers, creeks, shoreline, and road. Area: from the dam at Cooks River, along the shore of Botany Bay, past Dolls Point, Rocky Point, and to George's River and Townsons [Kogarah] Bay.

Digital order no: a4699001

Digital order no: a5148001

Area: from Little Forest (west) to Campbelltown (west). Shows: new line from Lupton's to Appin. Georges River, Nepean River and Barge River highlighted in blue. Razor Back shaded in grey. Part of the Papers of Sir Thomas Mitchell, Vol. 7 : Miscellaneous : A 295-2

Digital order no: a5433001

Area including Keera [i.e. Keira], Korimul [Corriaml], and Wonona [Woonona]. Map shows roads, creeks, and "sources of the Cataract River."

Digital order no: a4700001

The map shows the planned, but never constructed, section of the Southern Road from Cambelltown, via Appin and Pheasant's Nest Pass, two routes from Campbelltown over the Razor Back, one via Menangle and the other via Camden. Details in the map and the bridge illustration correspond to letters of 17 April 1830 from the Commissioners for Apportioning and Valuing the Lands of the Colony, one of whom was Mitchell, recommending the building of the Great Southern Road of this map and Mitchell's progress report of 1855 (and letter dated September 1843 enclosed) which recommends the building of wooden bridges. Because of their style and relation to these features the map and view have been attributed to Mitchell and dated around the time he was advocating the type of bridge shown. Includes an illustration: Bridge for the Pheasant's Nest.

Digital order no: a3521001

Signed by Thomas Mitchell, the drawing of this map is attributed to Robert Dixon who joined Mitchell in 1827 on his journey to survey the Gross Valley. Shows: roads "now used, or known and M[oun]t Hume's new line".

Digital order no: a5151001

Digital order no: a1480013

Digital order no: a1480014

Dates for the `Victoria Pass' sketches are estimated from the time Mitchell was superintending the building of the Pass.

Digital order no: a2443004

In 1836, some 40 convicts were transferred from a depot west of Old Bowenfels to a new stockade at Bowens Hollow, on the east side of Mitchell's new line of road. At this encampment, up to eighty men worked on the road and quarried stone for the abutments of a new bridge over Bowens Creek. Today, a sub-division of Old Bowenfels called Quarry Place contains remains of the convict quarry.

Digital order no: a4693001

Digital order no: a1480016

Digital order no: a1480009

The original of map 40, published in Major Mitchell's "Engravings to accompany the report upon the progress made in roads (...)", Sydney: James Waugh, 1859. Shows most of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River catchment area, from Mittagong, Illawarra and Sydney coastal catchments, draining into Broken Bay. Area: counties Camden and Cumberland, the coast from Kiama to Manly; west to Mittagong Range.

Digital order no: a928543

This map is an important early proof of portion of Major Mitchell's map, with name places and outlines of mountains added in Mitchell's hand. Same proof on verso, with 20% more shown at top, but no holograph notes. The area shown entails the Central Tablelands and Goulburn and Hunter Rivers, first surveyed on Mitchell's instructions by John Rogers from September 1829. Compared with the final engraving, this map shows that only some of the mountains marked in red by Mitchell [Jerry's Plains Range, Mt. Wambo?] were in fact added. Thomas Tyrwhitt Balcombe was son of William Balcombe of the St. Helena notoriety, who was the first Colonial Treasurer. Balcombe was a draftsman and later a field surveyor in the Surveyor General's department. A painter, lithographer and sculptor, he shot himself at his home, Napoleon Cottage in Paddington, in 1861.

Digital order no: a4621001