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This item is no longer under copyright in Australia and is in the public domain. It may be used freely. When using or sharing this item attribution should be given to the City of Sydney Archives.

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Atlas of the suburbs of Sydney (Higinbotham & Robinson)

Description

Unique IDAS-1193Start dateBetween 1st January 1885 and 31st December 1890Start date qualifiercircaFormatMapDescriptionThe firm of Higinbotham & Robinson were publishers and lithographers in late nineteenth century Sydney, well known for printing and publishing maps. Their maps are recognisable by the 'HR' monogram and 'fiat lux' motto impaled on the arrow indicating North.

Between about 1885 and 1890 Higinbotham & Robinson published a sequence of small maps covering many of the municipalities in the greater Sydney area.

Each map shows the boundaries of the municipality, with the principal streets, railway lines, wharves, parks and reserves. If a municipality was divided into Wards, as most were, the ward boundaries and names are also shown. The maps do not usually show natural features except for shorelines rivers and creeks.

In some cases there is more detail. For example the Waterloo map shows swamps and water supply dams and some of the more prominent industrial sites. The Redfern map shows the Eveleigh rail workshops.

A few maps were published in more than one edition. For example the Marrickville map was reissued at some point to show adjustments to ward boundaries and a new rail line.

The scale of the maps varies between 50 chains to the inch (Ryde & Marsfield for example) to 15 chains to the inch (Waterloo). There are 80 chains to the mile.

The municipality maps are particularly useful today for evidence of early street layouts and street names, and also because they show the ward boundaries. The historical rate books of local Councils, now a popular research source, are usually organised according to wards and the maps are an easy way to work out which ward to focus on.

Not all municipalities were published. For example there is no map for the Municipality of Smithfield & Fairfield (incorporated 1888). The item list mentions all those we are aware of in the City of Sydney Archives, which we intend to make available in the Historical Atlas.

A good place to see a complete list of NSW municipalities, with foundation dates and other information such as changes of name and amalgamations, is Local Government Local History: a guide to NSW local government minute books and rate records, edited by Joy N Hughes (Royal Australian Historical Society 1990).
LanguageEnglish (eng)

Item

Willoughby. Parish of Willoughby. Lithographed and published by Higinbotham and Robinson

Waverley. Parish of Alexandria. Lithographed and published by Higinbotham and Robinson

Waterloo. Parish of Alexandria. Lithographed and published by Higinbotham and Robinson

Victoria. Parish of Willoughby.

Strathfield. Parish of Concord.

St Peters. Parish of Petersham. Lithographed and published by Higinbotham and Robinson

East St Leonards. Parish of Willoughby.

St Leonards. Parish of Willoughby.

Map - City of Sydney. St Phillips, St James, St Andrews, St Lawrence and Alexandria, 1886-1889

Ryde and Marsfield. Parishes of Hunters Hill and Field of Mars.

Rookwood. Parishes of Liberty Plains, Concord and St John.

Map - Redfern. Parishes of Alexandria and Petersham. Higinbotham and Robinson, circa 1886

Map - Randwick. Parishes of Alexandria and Botany, circa 1886-1889

Petersham. Parish of Petersham. Lithographed and published by Higinbotham and Robinson

Parramatta. Parishes of St John and Field of Mars

Paddington. Parish of Alexandria. Lithographed and published by Higinbotham and Robinson

Prospect and Sherwood. Parishes of Prospect and St John.

North Sydney. Parish of Willoughby.

Mosman. Parish of Willoughby.

Marrickville. Parish of Petersham. Lithographed and published by Higinbotham and Robinson

Map - Macdonaldtown. Parish of Petersham, 1886-1889

Manly. Parish of Manly Cove.

Map

Vaucluse and Woollahra, Parish of Alexandria, circa 1886-1889

Newtown, Parish of Petersham, Lithographed and published by Higinbotham and Robinson, circa 1886-89

Access

Public access statusOpen to public access

Identification and Arrangement

Source system ID1193

Digitisation

Digitisation statusFully digitised

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Atlas of the suburbs of Sydney (Higinbotham & Robinson)