Coordination of Cadastral Surveys in New South Wales · Coordination of Cadastral Surveys in New ... general survey in the ... "'The county maps are almost entirely the result of

Coordination of Cadastral Surveys in New South Wales

I. P. WILLIAMSON

AbstractA review is made of all major attempts and recommendations to introduce coordination of cadastral

surveys into New South Wales. The review covers the period from the first directives by the Government for ageneral survey in the 1820s, to the proposals to introduce coordination based on the Integrated Survey Grid inthe 1970s. An attempt is made to draw some conclusions from the historical review which will assist in theintroduction of some form of coordination of cadastral surveys in the future .

IntroductionA previous article examined the development of the existing cadastral survey system in New

South Wales (Williamson, 1984). It made no attempt to discuss what the system may have beenunder different circumstances; the aim of that article was to simply quantify the existing system andto discuss why it developed in the manner that it did, This article summarises major attempts andrecommendations at improving the system -all of which are associated with the coordination ofsurveys.

The attempts at improvement over the past one and a half centuries have been considerable.Mention of these attempts (up to 1953) and the environment in which the recommendations weremade are summarised by Beaver ( 1953A):

"It would be impossible to even conjecture the number of meetings, resolutions,recommendations and reports over the past 90 years. requesting the responsibleauthorities to abandon the use of the magnetic meridian for azimuth purposes, to usethe trigonometrical surveys to a greater extent by breaking down the primarytriangulation to smaller areas, to control cadastral surveys from the same and to place,special reference marks for the control of land surveys. Over the past years thebranches of surveying, and the control of the same, have been divided into manydepartments, mostly governmental, and there has been no attempt to coordinate thesesurveys under one authority. Some government and semi-government departments haveconsidered their survey information as confidential."

An overview of all the attempts and recommendations for coordination of surveys is necessaryin order to appreciate the reasons for their failure, which are both political and technical. All thesefactors must be recognised and clearly understood if future changes and improvements to the systemare to be contemplated.

Early Attempts at CoordinationThe first steps to carry out a permanent trigonometric survey of New South Wales were taken

by the Government Astronomer and the Deputy Surveyor General, P. F. Adams, in 1867 when theyselected a baseline on the shores of Lake George. As was mentioned in a previous article(Williamson, 1984) there were a number of attempts at instigating a permanent general survey priorto this but they were not successful.

I. P. WILLIAMSON, M.Surv.Sc., Ph,D. (N.S.W.), MIS Aust., Senior Lecturer, School of Surveying. University of New SouthWales.

274 The Australian Surveyor, December, 1984, Vol. 32, No.4

"No complete diagram or set of diagrams exists of the original triangulation; or any record orevidence .showing in what degree the several angular measurements, terrestrial and astronomical.were found to be consistent with one another." (p.8).

Regarding the map and the associated survey by Mitchell:"It will be obvious that a map, still uncompleted, constructed on such data and in such a manner aswe have now described, though of considerable value in delineating generally the features of thecountry, as a map reference. and as a guide to a future and more accurate survey, cannot have anyclaim to the character of a 'trigonometrical survey', in the correct and ordinarily receh'edacceptation of the term" (p.8).

The Commissioners had the following comments on the county maps, which were used for charting

grants:"'The county maps are almost entirely the result of chain and compass measurements. having been compiled inthe office, on the scale of two miles to an inch, from surveys of rivers and ranges, and of lands intended forgrant or occupation. The political of the lands are thus laid down, with that limited degree of accuracy whichcan be attained by .\"uch mean.\". These maps, however, are of considerable practical import (JJlce, !1.\" indexmap.\" and vfjicial recurd.l. ., ( p. 9 ).

COORDINATION OF CADASTRAL SL'RYEVS IN NEW SOUTH WALES

The Royal Instructions which were issued to Darling when he became Governor of N.S.W. (1825-1831)requested him to divide, the Colony into districts, counties, hundreds, towns, townships and parishes. Theprevious Governor, Brisbane, had also attempted to divide the colony in a similar manner: however, theSurveyor General of the time would not carry out the instructions: ..Oxley had determined not to allow anyoneto attcmpt anything approaching a general survey on a trigonometrical basis" (Chesterman. 1924. p. -+ ). Due tohis staff, his poor health and the backlog of work, he was simply not in a position to carry out such a demandingtask.

The task fell on Thomas Mitchell, Oxley's deputy, who approached the survey with relish and commencedhis reconnaissance in 1828. (For a copy of the Commission regarding the survey given to Mitchell by GovernorDarling. refer to the Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Council of N.S.W. during the session of the year1852). In 1834, as Surveyor General, Mitchell published his famous "Three Sheet" map of the Nineteen Countiesat a scale of 8} miles to an inch. Unfortunately, Mitchell did not base the survey on sound trigonometrical surveyprinciples and was later severely criticised in this regard. The survey failed to meet its primary objective -thatwas to relate all grants to the general survey.

Mitchell had many gifts but, unfortunately, he was arrogant and took a superior view on most subjects. Hedisagreed and argued with all the governors during his term as Surveyor General. One of the first tasks ofGovernor Denison (1855-1861) was to appoint a Royal Commission into the operations of the SurveyorGeneral's Department.

The following extracts from the Commissioners' report gives a good insight into the state of the generalsurvey of the colony in 18.55 (Legislative Council of N.S.W., 1856). Regarding the records of Mitchelrs survey,the Commissioners concluded:

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I. P. WILLIAMSON

276 The Aus1ralian Surveyor, December, 1984, Vol. 32, No.4

They commented on the use of the survey overall:

"We do not find that the general survey by angular measurement, or, the maps in which it resulted,have been used in fixing the position and area of the granted and occupied lands. The surveys mad,with the view to alienation or occupation, are still inserted on the country maps, without referenceto the general survey: nor indeed, are the angular stations sufficiently well determined to be of anyassistance to the surveyor, to serve as an efficient means for checking his work or to form thegroundwork for the compilation of country maps, on the general accuracy of which any positivedependence could be placed." (p.9),

The Commissioners clearly recognised the benefits of a coordinated survey system, including connectingthe cadastral framework to the trigonometric survey, as evidenced in their recommendations:

"The expediency of commencing such trigomometrical operations ... present the only means onwhich any dependence call be placed, for the construction of accurate general maps, for tile useal1lJ benefi' of the public; and they would furnish reliable, groundwork for the construction ofnautical charts of the harbours, bays and coasts, of the Province: and for surveys for railways,irrigigation shemes, or for similar engineering works, with the, system of levelling necessary forsuch purposes. The mere triangulation would also be of the greatest use, in assisting the operationsof every surveyor, in effectively testing his work; and, finally, in accurately fixing the position uponthe, general map of each particular survey." (p. 19).

Surveys for the Design of Sewerage and Water Systems

As can be seen from the above, the benefits of survey coordination were widely recognised in the first halfof the ninetecnth century, although the approach was generally directed at rural areas. All early attempts atcoordination of surveys in urban areas in New South Wales were associated with the construction of water andsewerage systems. The first such surveys were commenced in 1854 and have continued in one form or anotherto the present day. The most highly regarded survey during this period was the City of Sydney Detail Survey,which was carried out between 1880 and 1904; this survey was often referred to as the National Detail Survey(Mills, 1889).

As mentioned, the first survey was commenced in 1854 as a consequence of the need for an accurate mapof all houses and structures on land so that a sewerage system could be designed for Sydney. The survey wasrequested by the City Commissioners as a consequence of the Sydney Sewerage Act. 1853. The detail surveywas based on a trigonometric survey of the city, comprising 96 trigonometric stations and three baselines. Thedetail survey was completed in 1857. By 1894, the baselines and all trigonometric stations had disappeared andthe maps had become obsolete due to lack of updating (Beaver, 1953B).

The City of Sydney Detail Survey was commenced in 1880) as a consequence of a "Report on theInterception and Disposal of the Drainage of the City of Sydney and Suburbs" (Mills, 1889). The report advisedthat the Government should undertake a detail survey of Sydney and suburbs. The recommendation was acceptedand put into effect by the Water and Sewerage Act, 1880. The aim of the survey was to show all improvementsin the city and suburbs.

I. P. WILLIAMSON

notably all buildings, walls, fences and kerb lines (Mills, 1889). The survey was designed to serve all the needsof the sanitary engineer in enabling him to carry out his task of designing a sewerage and drainage system.

The detail survey was based on the present trigonometrical survey, which was commenced in the Sydneyregion in 1871. The detail plans were drawn at a scale of forty feet to an inch; the survey was accurate a~ wellas showing minute. detail. All control points and major points of detail were coordinatcd on the Cassiniprojection -see Figures I and 2. It is ironical to examine one of these plans in the light of today"s discussions tointroduce .'integrated surveys'" and find an accurate large-scale map showing all occupations with a table ofcoordinates often numbering over one hundred referring to all control points and major points of detail in theplan. By 1899, the C:ty of Sydney, the greater part of the Eastern and Western Suburbs and thc lowcr NorthShore had been included in the survey; in addition the greater part of Newcastle and West Mait- land weresurveyed. At this stage the detail survey was plotted on 1,832 plans which were continually revised: Prior 101896 the survcy- was carried out by the Department of Lands; after that date it was the responsibility of theDepart- ment of Public Works although it was operating on a greatly reduced staff (Beaver, 1953B).

Due to a lack of permanent marking of control and the associated updating of the maps the survey quicklylost most of its value. Even in 1889 these deficiencies were plainly evident as described by Mills:

"The Derail Survey makes no pretentions to permanent marking. As a matter of fact owing to thebreaking up of streets for wood paving and the large amount of new kerbing and guttering laidduring the last two or three years, nearly all the stations of the Detail Survey within the city limitshave been destroyed."

When the more urgent requirements of the Water and Sewerage Department were met interest in the DetailSurvey declined. This declining interest was compounded by a shortage of money due to poor seasons and therelatively high cost of the survey. By 1904 the survey had ceased (Wilson, 1913).

The Department of Public Works and the Sydney Water Board soon found that they could not do withoutsome form of detail survey on which to base their sewerage designs. These authorities found it necessary tocontinue carrying out detail surveys; however these surveys did not contain the same details as before, eventhough they were carried out in an accurate manner, were coordinated on the same projection and were morepermanently marked. The Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board and the Hunter District WaterBoard have continued this practice to the present day. Much of their efforts are directed at compiling a cadastralframework for their areas. In Sydney sewerage diagrams are usually prepared individually for each lot at a scaleof forty feet to an inch and show the main dwelling on the lot and all sewerage connections; in the Hunter Districtthese details are shown on large-scale plans at I: 500.

It is obvious today, in retrospect, that the Government took a very short- sighted view of the value of theDetail Survey. Their policy then, as it appears to be today, is that cadastral survey matters and plan matters ingeneral have a very low priority. The value of the survey as an aid to the definition of boundaries and theconveyancing system was acknowledged and promoted by such people as Mills (1889), He suggested a simplemodification of the survey which could tie it into the cadastral boundaries:


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I. P. WILLIAMSON

"A Detail Survey, the main traverses of which represent the alinment and which are permanently,marked in the manner mo,~1 .~uitable for the convenience of cons1an1 u.~e, would I thin" , he thebest possible S.VS1em of city and suburban survey."

Mills envisaged that all alignment marks would therefore be coordinated within the State TrigonometricSurvey. He saw the benefits of such a system as follows:

1. Absolute permanency of alignment.2. Uniformity of azimuth for all surveys.3. Practical uniformity of standard in linear measurement.4. Economy of time in making connections.5. Finality of positions determined by this survey.6. Accumulation of a mass of information directly and connected to permanent and easily

accessible marks, which in course of time would render impossible any dispute aboutposition of property boundaries.

7. Lowness of cost.Mills (1889) summarises his views in a manner which would not be out of place in today's

discussions on the coordination of surveys:"A great metropolis like Sydney needs a survey which shall not only fulfil all requirementsof the engineer and mapmaker, but, one also, which shall simplify the conduct of allbusiness connected with the transfer of land. and shall be established by law as theofficial basis of all surveys dealt with by the Land Titles Office."

The Trigonometrical Survey of N.S.W.Even though the requirement for a general survey was accepted in the colony, little was done

about it until Deputy Surveyor General P. F. Adams submitted a report in 1865 to the Governmenton the benefits of such a survey and the impossibility of preparing administrative maps based onexisting feature and portion surveys. The Government accepted the recommendation, with thesurvey commencing in 1867. The aims of the survey have been stated by A. H. Chesterman (1924),a former Surveyor General of N.S.W.:

"The immediate object of the Trigonometrical Survey of thi.'i state is the provision ofnecessary data for the accurate construction of geo- graphical maps, while at the sametime providing a check on ordinary detail surveys effected in connection with theprogress of land settlement. As a further object the survey h.1s in view the problem ofexact re-identification of the boundarie.'i of grant.'i when ordinary markings shall havebecome destroyed through various c.7uses."

This latter aim of using the survey to assist in the re-definition of grant boundaries was neverachieved; the survey was used as a basis for administrative mapping on]y. No effort was made tocalculate the coordinates or geo- graphical positions of the portion surveys (Department of Lands.1971).

Work was commenced on the Lake George Baseline in 1867. The triangulation network wassurveyed northwards and eventually connected with the network which had commenced fromSydney in 187]. This network was verified by the Richmond Base, which was measured in 1880.The triangulation survey was abandoned in 1916 as a war economy. By this time the survey coveredapproximately one-third of the State and comprised 2,700 stations (Fletcher . 1968, p.312).


COORDINATION OF CADASTRAL SURVEYS IN NEW SOUTH WALES

The Australian Surveyor, December, 1984, Vol. 32, No.4 281

I P. WILLIAMSON

Interest in Coordinates Around the Turn of the CenturyAs mentioned, interest in the coordination of surveys has been revived a number of times since it was first

discussed in the 1820s. Onc period of intercst occurred just prior to the turn of the century, with the interestrcmaining, though less intensely, until the outbreak of World War I. ,

One of the first surveyors to critically assess the survey system and to promote the conception ofcoordination was Stephen Mills (1889) who was referred to previously. He was very conscious of the advantagesof a coordinated survey system, especially as it would support the definition of boundaries and the con-veyancing system in general. He recognised these components as being central to any improved survey system.Mills proposed that alignment surveys of all streets should form the basis of the coordinated control for theDetail Survey of Sydney. The approach he proposed was both practical and feasible. If the Government hadheeded such advice and not taken the short-term view as it so often does, the problems which confront NewSouth Wales today would not exist. Comment~ by Mills ( 1889) which exhibit his frustration at the system arejust as relevant today (and maybe more so) as when he wrote them:

"in almost every direction the city and the Country are fettered andhandicapped by the negligence, and want of provission of a past generation; and if we would escapea like reproach, we must rise superior to the short-sighted policy of timorous expediency which hasproduced the state of affair, we unite in condemning".

In a letter to the editor of The Surveyor in 1889, Jones supports the suggestions by Mills for coordination ofalignment monuments, but suggests that the centre linc of each road be permanently marked. Interestingly this isthe approach adopted for all residential roads in the State of Hawaii, U.S.A. In that State the monuments are alsocoordinated under the "local coordinate system" adopted in the islands. From a practical point of view, thismethod of monumenting and controlling the cadastral framework works very well (William- son, 1974).

An article was published in The Surveyor in 1889 by J. Richmond, titled "Some Remarks Upon National orStandard Surveys", Richmond promoted the concept of a national survey based on a trigonometrical survey wherethe topography permits and traverses along roads where the terrain is flat. These surveys were designed to be partof, or connect into, alignment surveys of all streets. He particularly emphasises the importance of permanentlymarking all control points.

The most famous article on coordination of surveys during this period is the prize essay by G. H. Knibbs,published in 1891 and titled "The Nature and Public Utility of Trigonometrical, General and Cadastral Survey".The essay by Knibbs is very comprehensive and includes all relevant theory. He clearly shows that he fullyunderstood the benefits of a State-wide coordinated survey system. In particular he recognised the importance ofthe cadastral framework and land registration as central components in such a system.

.'Tile nece.\"sity or, at least, the utNity and public conveniellCe of a survey, such as we areconsidering, directly appear.\", inter alia, in;1. The security it pronli.\"es for the peaceful enjoynlent of landed estate, by contributing a nlOre

definite knowledge of (and thereby preventing uncertainties arising in regard to) itsboundarie.\".

282 The Aus1ralian Surveyor, December, 1984, Vol. 32, No.4

COORDINATION OF C/\DASTRAL SURVEYS IN NEW SOUTH WALES

2. The aid it affords in reachin,fJ the henefits of the Land Transfer Statutes; which statutes it willhe .\'hewn, demand an accurate and L'o",prehen,\"ive survey as a ba.\"is.

3. Its power in facilitating the de.\"ign and execlltion of pllblic work\". 4. Its ability to present theindispensable ba.\"is for an assessment of

the value of landed property, And, incidentall}',5. The a.\"sistance it offers in regard to the settlement of Crown lan(l\" open to alienation."

(Knibbs, 1891, pp.31-32).

Further articles appear on the same topic in the following issues of The Surveyor, In 1892, E. Dobsonpublished a paper titled "Systems of State survey". The following year F. J. Gregson published an article titled"The Per- manent Marking of Surveys". In this article Gregson again promotes the concept in much detail thatall permanent marks should be placed in the centre of roads and streets and that all marks should be coordinatedwithin the general survey for the State.

In 1895 A. F. Hall published an article titled "The Survey System of New South Wales". The article isagain a plea for a trigonometrical survey of the colony which relates all Crown grants to one control system. Halldescribes at length the deficiencies in the existing system, especially concerning the method of "isolated"surveys based on magnetic bearings. His frustration with the system is evident when he refers to therecommendations of the Royal Commission into the Surveyor General's Department in 1855.

". ..a commission was appointed with the view of bringing in a more uniform and accurate standard.Many valuable suggestions" were the outcome of this enquiry, but today we find many of the worstfeatures of the old system still in force." (p. 150).

As Hall points out, the main problem is in the role of the trigonometrical survey:

" A triangulation system has been inaugurated and extended over a large portion of thecolony, but unprecedentedly and unfortunately, it has not been applied, nor is itapplicable in its present form, except in a minor degree, to the general system ofalienation surveys."

Another paper published in 1913 by T. G. Wilson, titled "Notes on a proposed StandardSurvey for Sydney", shows that the benefits associated with coordination of surveys were still fullyrecognised and were being actively promoted in the early 20th century. Wilson describes in detail thefour stages of carrying out a "standard" survey:

I. The primary or triangulation survey2. The skeleton survey3. The alignment traverse4. The detail survey.The benefits of this standard survey were recognised by Wilson, and again he recognised the

primary role that cadastral surveys must play in such a system:". ..the first and most important is that of being a survey of record for land titles, tlnd bya system of permanent marking and the establishment of monuments to give a settledand unchallengeable basis for the delimitation of boundaries. Secondly, to provide ameans for designing sewerage sy~.tems and for recording the positions of sewers,house drains. water ~.er~.ice.\", gas mains, electric lighting .\"ervices, systems of

The Australian Surveyor, December. 1984, Vol. 32, No.4 283

I. P. WILLIAMSON

overhead wiring for e/eclric tramways, elc. Thirdly, to pro~'ide plan.\' for properlya.\"sessmenls for such authorities a.\" department.\, of taxa- tion and municipa/counci/s, and for fire brigade board.\,. Fourth/y, to take the p/ace of a mi/ilaryreconnaissance survey, and fiflh/.v, for use in engineering projects, such as rai/way.\"and tramway.\", bridges, road and street improvements, wharyes and harbour works."

It is evident that the concept and benefit of coordinated surveys was widely recognised duringthe last century but, for reasons which arc not clear, no moves were ever taken to introduce such asystem. The permanent marking of align- ments of existing and new streets and .roads is mostprobably the only outcome of the activity during this period; however even the system of alignmentmark- ing introduced is far from satisfactory.

Survey Coordination"The paucity of maps in Australia became very obvious to a large sec- tion of thecommunity during the Pacific War, This experience awakened the populace, includingthe politicians, tO' the vital need for good maps for defence purposes. This awakeninggenerated the funds necessary to implement the programme to re-commence the geodeticsurvey, and a programme of mapping for the country." (Barrie, 1976, p.30).

One of the consequences of this awareness of the need for mapping and geodetic control wasthe introduction of the Survey Coordination Act, 1949. The main purposes of this legislation havebeen summarised by Fletcher ( 1970, p.15):

1. (a) The development and proclamation of survey areas by the place- ment and maintenanceof State Survey Marks.

(b) The connection of marks by precise surveys to the State triangulation system.(c) The precise levelling of marks and connection to State Standard Datums.(d) The compilation of registers of State Survey Marks.

2. (a) The collection, recording and maintenance of details of surveys in all categories(cadastral, topographical, engineering, etc.) carried out by Government, Semi-Government and Local Authorities and some Commonwealth Authorities.

(b) The supply of data, information and advice to Authorities and the general public asrequired.

(c) The maintenance of records of "Intention to Survey" required for lodgement under theAct.

(d) The dissemination of "Quarterly Advice" Lists to Departments and Authorities,summarising proposals for surveys and mapping, and completed assignments.

Even though it appears from the previous summary that survey coordination would benefit alltypes of surveying equally, this is not the' case. As had been recognised for over 100 years theprimary concern of coordination was that of cadastral boundaries, This is evidenced by the commentsof Bayliss (1958) in relation to the use of State Survey Marks or permanent marks:

"The establishment of the permanent marks is designed to provide information of valuefor the following purposes:

284 The Austra[ian Surveyor, December, 1984, Vol. 32, No.4

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(i) Re-establishment of cadastral boundaries, because excesses and deficiencies are readily detectedand determined from the accurate traverses, and because of the permanence of the marks towhich the boundaries have previously been connected, and

(ii) Mapping, because a dense network of control points is built up." Regarding recommendedprocedures under the Act, Bayliss also commented

that:",Wany of the procedures and practices are compromises. although theinterests of the cadastral sur~.eyor, who, after all. carries out the bulk of the survevwork. has been kept in mind as far as possible."

For more detaile-d refexence to procedures and practice under the Surveycoordination Act, refer to:

l. Hallman (l973, pp. 33-34) f9r a general overview of the legislation;2. Toms ( 1978) for discussion of the methods of marking and survey;3. Overall ( 1974, p. 12) for the operation of the Survey Coordination Branch; and4. Elfick ( 1979) regarding the calculation, storage and management of coordinates of State

Survey Marks.From a survey point of view, the primary aim of the Act was ..to provide basic control by

rigid traverse between control monuments. It was envisaged that a system of monumentation wouldbe extended rapidly over the State and that such survey would be connected to the TrigonometricalSurvey" (Fletcher, 1968, p. 313). .

This aspect of the Act failed for two reasons:"Firstly, progress with the survey has been far too slow and. secondly. no system ofplane coordinates with appropriate zones was introduced to allow proper integration ofall .\'urveys. Furthermore, the Act provided only for connection to the control .\'urveyand not for e.t'tension by coordinates from the control survey,'. (Fletcher, 1968, p. JIJ).

To some extent, the end result was to be expected, since the Department of Lands had a short-sighted and narrow point of view of the use of coordinates, particularly concerning their use forcadastral surveys, at the time the Survey Coordination Act was introduced. This view is evidencedby Bayliss (1958), an officer of the Department of Lands:

"The cadastral surveyor is not intere.\'ted in coordinates as this method of describingmetes and bounds is not u.\'ed in New South Wales, nor is it likely to be."

Bayliss obviously was not aware of the development and history of the surveying professionin New South Wales.

The new Survey Control Branch continues to carry out the functions required by the SurveyCoordination Act. Specifically, it continues to receive survey information from other Governmentorganisations which helps augment the State Control Survey. The branch continues to expand theState Control Survey. Approximately 95,000 State Control Marks have been placed; of those,approximately 30.000 have coordinate values available (Department of Lands. 1982, p. II ). Elfick (1979 , p. 305) estimates that. by the year 2000, there could be in excess of 150,000 marks in thesystem.

Survey IntegrationDuring the mid-l960s, in the eastern states of Australia, there was a ..grow- ing awareness in

the survey profession of the necessity for an even more com-

The Australian Surveyor. December. 1984. Vol. 32. No.4 285

I. P. WILl-IAMSON

prehensive system of control over both rural and urban arcas. than that "'hich would bc provided under theprcscnt Survey Coordination Act (Fletcher. 19A<J. p. 7 ). The new system which was recommended was muchmor..: than simply the coordination of surveys. A committee authoriscd by the Minister of Land~ submitted arcport in 1969 recommending 1hat "the introduction of intcgrJted surveys was absolutely imperativc for theorderly development of futur,-. survcying. land information systems. cstate and service planning and mapping ofthe Statc.. (Fletcher. 1980. p. 52 ). For a morc detailed asscssment of thc rcas<m for changl'. rcfer to Overall(1974).

The term "integration of surveys" first appears in the Australian iitcraturc in an article by Angus-Leppan in1967. The term was also used in J 967 in a letter to the Minister of Lands by the New South Wales Division of TheInstitution of Surveyors, Australia, on the initiative of the President, Mr. 1, C. Booth {Fletcher, 1980, p. 51 ). Theconcept behind integration, however, was not new, having been adopted for well over 100 years in Europe andhaving been described and promoted in New South Wales as early as the middle of the 19th century (seeLegislative Council of N.S. W., 1856, pp. 3-2 I; Mills. 1889: Knibbs, 1891: Wilson, 1913).

The aims of an integrated system of surveys for New South Walcs have been summarised by Fletcher ( 1968,p. 3 17):

..J .A bsolurely correlated .\"y,\"tem of titles.2. A bundant basic control for all mapping {}f .\"mall and large-.,'c!ll(' and the ability to plot an accurate

and complell' cada,\"tral plan.3. Control for phologrammetric plortin,t: f(Jr sun'e.\' enRi,leerillR or mappi,lg purposes.

4. Abundant basic colltrol for all engineering inve,\"tigatiOll alld plamli1l,~. 5. Colltrol on stalldards of,\"urvey for a/l purpo,,"e.\".

6. A flexible control sy.,"tem adaptable to conversion- to any unit of length such a.\" cOllversion to 111etric,\"v stem.

7. A sy.\"tem which i.," readily adal;table for electronic d!lta proces,,"in,!,' aluI plotting.8. A .\"y,\"tem e111bodyillg stalldard computation teclmique,," wl:;ch would a/low use of a State-wide

Console COl11puter Service.9. Gradual accumulatioll of related .\"urvey data available frol11 a/l flit lIre surveys and potential

reference for a col11prehensive data bank .JO. 1111mediate and ultimate sal'ing of co.'1 of survey,\", parlicularl.,' ill:

(a) Normal property sur~le)'.\".(b) Prompt supply of available data derived frompre\liou.," ,\"urve.\'s.(C) Density of coordi,laled control for mappi,lg and other pllrp(JSl'.'i readily available .

J J. The CO,,"Is of the ba.\"ic .yurvey would be l11ore fhall (Jff".el b.,' ulti,11aIe saving5."

The system of coordinatcd surveys for New South Wales, as proposed, was to be known as thc IntegratedSurvey Grid, or I.S.G. Thc grid is a transverse mcrcator projection, based on the Australian National Spheroid of1966, using two degrec zonc widths based on a subdivision of the six degree Australian Map Grid Zones(Department of Lands, 1976), Various Ncw South Wales Govern- ments have supported the concept of I.S.G.sincc 1970. The development and drafting of the necessary legislation since that time has had a "checkeredcareer", which culminated in the Bill for I.S.G. being completcd and printed in



1977. Unfortunately, from a legislative point of view, there has been no progress since that time, although theSurveyor General still has Cabinet approval to place and coordinate control marks -he continues to carry out thistask with limited finances. From a practical point of view, the I.S.G. system has been adopted by mostGovernment departments and teaching institutions in the State. Geodetic control on which to base the I.S.G.system has been spread over the Greater Metropolitan Area of Sydney. as described by Fletcher ( 1980. p. 54).This publication should be referred to for a more detailed update on the introduction of I.S.G. in thc State.

The one major area where the I.S.G. system has had virtually no impact at all is in cadastral surveying andthe State-wide large scale cadastral mapping system. Without support in this area. which comprises mostsurveying activity in the State. the I.S.G. system will never be a success... and will never receive Legislativebacking. The vast majority of support has been for engineering and construction applications.

It can be said in summary that, today, the I.S.G. system does not exist from a legislative point of viewand, in reality. is only marginarty closer to achieving its objectives than in the early 1970s. The reasons for thislack of success are summarised below:I. In 1974. the Government instituted an inquiry into the proposal to establish a system of survey integration in

New South Wales under the direction of Sir John Overall. The report of the investigation came out in favourof the proposal, but also highlighted a significant number of reservations from various bodies andindividuals. These reservations were concerned with the role of the private sector, the accuracy standardsproposed. the necessity of the proposal at all, the choice of zone width in the grid, the presentation of dataand the associated costs of introducing the new system. In summary, Overall stated: "The material receivedinvolved contrary opinions and arguments". The Public Service Board also had reservations about theproposals and consequently requested a cost-benefit study be undertaken. Even though the study showedconclusively that the benefits outwcighcd the costs. especially in the long-term, the study concluded:

"Survey Integration will have an insignificant effect on total project costs, and it seems unlikely thatthe benefits of Survey Integration will be passed on to the Private Surveyor's client."The benefits passed on to the general public could be expected to be no greater than the benefitsgained by the Government Sector." (p.66).

Considering this report and the "contrary opinions and arguments" in favour of the I.S.G. system, it is littlewonder that the Public Service Board did not support the proposals, even though a majority of the surveyingprofes- sion was furty supportive.Fletcher. the Surveyor General at the time the I.S.G. proposals were formu- lated. shares the opinion, alongwith some memb~rs of the profession. that the Public Service Board was. and stirt is, oppo"pd to the I.S.G.systcm (Fletcher. 1980, p. 53).

2. It is the viewpoint of some members of the profession that one of the major reasons for the I.S.G. in notreaching ItS full potential or receiving Icgis- lative backing was due to the opposition of a smart number ofvocal surveyors. Fletcher ( 1980, p. 54) supports this view:

The Au.\"tralian Sur,,'ey()r, December, 1984, Vol. 32, No.4 287

3.

4.

5

288

I. P. WILl-IAMSON

"II .\hollld al,\o be n(}led Ihal 111(' OPP(I.\i1i(1/1 I() 11Il' inIr()(IIICli(}11 of 111i.\ .\"y.\Jem i.\no1 cominR from edllcalnrl (Ir Rr(J{II'~I('\, or from Ol'er\ea,\ experienced .I Ilrveyor.l., or fr(lm111QI(' .l"llrl.('."(ffl M'111I arm." or I"imilar experience i,l coordi,lalioll Illrl.e.\".I. hill frvlll all'c1ivn of Jlle "Old Guard" of regi,\"lered .l"llrVC.V()r.I."

Zwart ( 1980). in his report titled .'A Re-evaluation of the Concept of Integrated Survey Systems'., concludedthat: "The notion of integrated survey systems has been more a vision than a rcality" (p. 35). He particularlyexamines the introduction of integrated survey systems into Australia and Canada and examines the reasonswhy the concept h2S not been a success. His main thesis is that the systems which were suggested orintroduced are based on European models, which are a product of a different age, culture, history andenvironment, and that they are simply not applicable to newly developing countries. Zwart argues that thesystems wp.ich havc been introduced to date are actually control referenced survey schemes designedprincipally to define cadastral boundaries, whereas he suggests that they should be designed for the controlof large-scale mapping. Zwart is also critical of the accuracy requirements of the systems like the I.S.G.which he considers are not viable from a political and economical point of view. He contends that theemphasis on such systems must bc on geographic location instead of measurement, as is the case with theI.S.G.

The I.S.G. system was promoted primarily as a mathematical solution to a surveyor's problem. It wasconcerned mainly with me:lsurement and the reduction of measurements. Little thought appears to h~vebeen given to the development or potential of new cadastral or mapping systems. The user requirements ofconveyancing, land administration, local government, utilities and planners were apparently not fullythought out. In simple terms, the I.S,G. was the incorporation of a coordinated survey system within theexist- ing cadastral system. Unfortunately the importance of the I.S.G, within the broader landadministration system was not sufficiently promoted and consequently not adequately recognised bypeople outside the surveying profession.

Insufficient attention was given to how the I.S.G, system would be used in conveyancing and titleregistration. This was a fault of both the surveyor and the Registrar General's Office not realising the impactof the proposal in this area. It appears to have been generally accepted by both parties that the I.S.G. hadlittle application to title registration anyway -it is suggested that the conveyancing system would haveproved to b~ one of the greatest users of the system. Cadastral surveying and large-scale mapping are anintegral component of an efficient conveyancing system and. in the long-term, a land information system.Both component!' require a coordinated control system before they can reach their full potential.

It appears that, when the I.S.G. system was proposed. the survey profession still had not fully realised thatthe vast majority of cadastral survey activity in the State was "controlled'. by the Registrar General's Officeand not by the Surveyor General. To therefore not include the R.G.O. in every decision, and to receive itsfull support regarding the proposal, was very short-sighted. Unfortunately both the surveyors and titlcregistry personnel have never co- operated closely and simply do not fully comprehend the role of the other.For example, even today, many surveyors do not recognise that cadastral

The Australian Sun'e-vor, December, 1984, Vol. 32, No.4

6.

COORDINATION OF C.,\DASTRAL SURVEYS IN NEW SOUTH WALES

surveying as practised in New South Walcs is part of thc conveyancing pro- cess. On the other hand,registry officials are not surveyors and simply cannot comprehend the management of spatial data -themajor aim of the I.S.G. This view of registry officials is seen in the submission of the Rcgistrar General'sDepartment to the inquiry into integratcd surveys in 1974. where

it commented:"There are .\"hort term costs in additi(}/lal pr(}ce.\".\"in,!f a/Id no di\"cVll/l/- able 10/1g ter/11benefit.\" wvllld aCCrl/e directl.\' tv the Depart/llellt" (O\o'er(dl. 1974, p.17).

It is the authors view that this aspcct may h.\vc becn more damaging to the

introduction of thc I.S.G. than any of the othcr matters.

Thc opposition to the I,S.G. has continued in recent years, Urban ( 1978A and B) and Bullock ( 1978 and1979) have both written .1 number of letters to the editor of the N.S.W. SurveyorS' Monthly Bulletinsuggesting that. in the light of today's technology, there are very few arguments for having the I,S.G. basedon two degree zones while the national A.M.G. is based on six degree zones. They both agree that such asituation I:an only lead to an unsatisfactory conclusion. The present dissention does not end with zonewidths. As Elfick ( 1978) points out. New South Wales has two geodetic survey organisations at present,each of which can give a different geographic position for the same mark -so much for integration !

It has been stated that I.S.G. has been adopted in principle by most Govern-mect departments; however, in practice, this appears to be a fragile situation. In a 1979 issue of..Jottin,r:\"'.. the monthly newsletter of the Association o~ Consulting Surveyors, N.S.W ., a summary isgiven of the problems associated with the Homebush Stadium Control Survey. which coversapproximately 100 hectares. The matter was raised at a Control Surveys Coordinating Committee meeting,which is attended by representatives of most major survey organisations in the State. The following pointsraised at the meeting highlight how fragile the use of I.S.G. is by Government departments in New

South Wales:(a) The Department of Main Roads is to continue with I.S.G. ground coordinates, while the Public

Transport Commission and Public Works Department will adopt local rectangular coordinates.

(b) Central Mapping Authority standards were proposed for mapping. How- ever the Public WorksDepartment is interested in engineering and architectural aspects and hence does not view the work asessentially a mapping project. Public Works will not, therefore. conform to C.M.A. standards as theconstruction viewpoint is not involved with projection factors

and I.S.G.

(c) The Sydney Water Board suggested common coordinates and I.S.G. values for ccrtain points to cnabletransformations from one system to

the other .(d) The C.M.A. pointed out that all other States in Australia had adopted six degree zones and that the

Army, National mapping and C.M.A. (for 1 : 25,000 mapping and smaller) use six degree zones inNew South

Wales.

The A Ilstralit111 Sllr\'e.\'()r, Dccl:mber. 1984. Vol. 32. No.4 289

I. P. WILLIAMSON

(e) C.M.A. pointed out that all large-scale mapping in the State is on six degree zones, although I.S.G. isshown by marginal notations. Individual maps are on an I.S.G grid format.

In all fairness to I.S.G., it must be stated that it has been adopted for all mining surveys in New SouthWales and is the framework on which the Sydney Water Board. Sydney City Council and Prospect CountyCouncil base their cadastral mapping systems. Other large engineering oriented departments. such as thePublic Works Department Land the Department of Main Roads in general use the I.S.G. control for majorengineering works. In summary it appears that most organisations which have introduced systems basedon a coordinate grid since the introduction of I.S.G.. of which the above are an example. have adopted thatprojection: the problem lies with the users which have existing systems.

7. The accuracy requirements and procedures for surveys carried out on the I.S.G., as proposed in the I.S.G.Manual (Department of Lands. 1976) are excessively complex and involved: many members of the professionwere apparently confused by the proposals.It is obvious that the I,S.G. system has many problems to sort out. Only the future will tell which direction

coordination will take in New South Wales.

Conclusion

The most interesting aspect in reviewing moves to introduce an improved survey system in New SouthWales is the large number of recommendations for co-ordination of surveys during the last 150 years. Therequirement for connecting all Crown grants onto one general survey was proposed as early as the 1820s. By1850 the principles and benefits of a coordinated system were understood and clearly spelt out. From the 1880sonwards such proposals were refined. For the next century virtually no new concepts were proposed although therecommendations for "survey integration" in the 1970s were a considerable refinement.

Since cadastral surveying in Australia principally serves the conveyancing system, and that system worksreasonably well even though it has a number of deficiencies, the Government is not particularly concerned aboutchanging the system. The present system is not a direct expense on the Government since it is based on theprinciple .that the "user pays". Unfortunately the Government is not aware of the large expense that such anarchaic and labour intensive system incurs to the public and, more particularly, to itself.

In the past the Government has recognised the need to improve cadastral surveying in the State. Thisdesire was a primary objective of both thc Trigono- metrical Survey of N .S. W. when it commenced in 1867and also of the Survey Coordination Act, 1949, as mentioned previously. Unfortunately these objectives werenever realised. The main reasons for the lack of reform during the last century may be summarised as !follows:

1. The existing "isolated" survey system was firmly entrenched in practice and was serving its then primaryobjectives for alienation of land and conveyancing.

2. There was a very large requirement of land for settlers and, consequently, for most of the last centurysurveyors could barely keep up with the demand for their services. In such an environment surveyors orlegislators were not

290 The A,i.llrolion Surveyor, December, 1984, Vol. 32, No.4


about to introduce a system which might delay alienation of land in the short-term.3. Cadastral surveying, and surveying in general, has never been a politically sensitive area as distinct from

alienation of land or land tenure. There has never been a demand for excellence by the Government in thisarea - expedience has generally been the rule. This is evidenced by "selection before survey." and thediscontinuance of the Office of the Surveyor General for a period.

4. To the above reasons must also be added the technical and administrative reasons in "support" of the "isolated"survey system as described in a previous article (Williamson, 1984).

For several years during the 1970s it appeared that the I.S,G. system would be introduced into New SouthWales. The reasons for its 1ack of success have already been mentioned; however the lack of emphasis that theproponents placed on the application of the I.S.G. to the cadastral system in general should be stronglyemphasised.

One of the important facts that can be gained from the previous review is that history is presently repeatingitself in the cadastral surveying and mapping arena. In the last century the greatest chance New South Wales hadof gaining a coordinated cadastral survey and mapping, particularly in urban areas, was with the National DetailSurvey described previously. , With Government recognition for the importance of that system, and with a smallamount of increased financial support, New South Wales could now have a system equal to any in the world.Unfortunately the National Detail Survey was primarily instituted for one reason -to facilitate the design of waterand sewerage systems in the Sydney metropolitan area. Once this need was generally satisfied interest in theDetail Survey waned, with the consequence that the maps were not updated and hence they lost much of theirvalue. The parallel case can be seen today when Government moneys are expended on an extensive cadastralmapping system for the greater Sydney region by the Sydney Water Board. They have designed their systemprincipally to meet their needs and objectives. For a relatively small increase in administration and costs such asystem could meet the needs of the State ..:- not just this one authority.

If coordination of surveys on a State-wide basis is to be a reality surveyors will have to change thedirection of their activities away from purely measurement oriented systems, such as the I.S.G., to systems whichare directed more towards cadastral mapping and which take more account of land administration in general.

ReferencesAngus-Leppan. P. V.. 1967. ..Land System Reforms in Canada and Their Possible Application in Australia". The

Australian Surveyor, Vol. :?1, No.7.Barrie. J. K.. 1976. ..The Surveying Profession in Australia: A Personal Interpretation of its Historical

Development, Current and Future Trends", The Australian Surveyor. VoI. :?8. r..-o. I.Bavtiss. R. V.. 1958. ..Coordination of Cadastral Surveys", The Australian Surveyor. -Vol. 17. No. :?. -Beaver. P. W.. 1953A. ..The History of Surveying in N.S.W.", The Australian Surveyor, VoI. 14, No.6.Beaver. P. W., 1953B. ..The Early Detail Surveys of Sydney", The Australian Surveyor. VoI. 14, No, 8.

The A1Istralian Surve.\'or. Dccl:mber, 1984, Vol. 32, No.4 291

I P. WILLIAMSON

Bullock. K. R.. 1978. '.Letter to the Editor'. -Integratcd Survcy~. Grids and Rail- ~ay Gaugl:~ .'. The N .~.. U..Surve.\'or.\ ' Monthly Blllleli/1, Scptemhcr .

Bullock. K. R., 1979. "Integration and I.S.G The N.~..U'. ~.url.{'.\'urx. Monlhly 8,,11{,- lill, January.Chesterman, A. H.. 1924. '.Thc Trigonometrical Survey of New South Wales.., New South Wales Department of

Lands, Sydney.Department of Lands, 1971. "SCOPE -,,"ew Era in Surveying -Revie" of I.ands Administration", Government

Printer, Sydney.Department of Lands, 1976. "Manual of the Nc~' South Wales Integr:Jtcd Survcy Grid.., Government Printer,

N.S.W.Department of Lands, 1982. "Ncw South Wales Departmcnt of Land~ Annual Report 1980-81", Government

Printer, N.S.W.Dobson. E., 1892. "Systems of State Survey", The Surve-\.or, Voi. 5, No.5.Elfick, M., 1978. "Integration", The N.S.W. Surveyor.\' Monthly B{llletill, Dccemhcr. Elfick, M., 1979. "TheDesign and Structure of the Mark Management Systems for

Integrated Surveys in N.S.W:', The Au.\"tralian Surve-vor, VoI. 30, No.1. Fletcher, L, N., 1968. "Integrationof Surveys". The Au.ftralian S/1rvoyor, Voi. 22,

No.4.Fletcher, L. N. (Convener) 1969. "Integrated Surveys". Report of the Investigation Committee convened by the

Surveyor General of N .S. W .Fletcher, L. r.;;., 1970. '.Present and Future Mapping Requirements in New South Wales -Report of Committee

convened by the Surveyor General of N.S.W.", Department of Lands, Sydney.Fletcher, L. N ., 1980. "Integration of Surveys -Promise and Progress", The A U.f-

tralian S/1rveyor, Voi. 30, No. I.Gregson. F. J., 1893. '.Permanent Marking of Surveys", The S/1rveyor. VoI. (i, No.6. Hall. A. F ., 1895. '.TheSurvey System of New South Wales", The SI{r\'{'yor, Voi 8,

No.7.Hallmann, F. M.. 1973. .'Legal Aspects of Boundary Surveying as Apply in Ncw South Wales", The Institution of

Surveyors, Australia, New South Wales Divi- sion, Sydney.Jones, W., 1889. "Marking and Alignment of Streets", Letter to the Edito;, The Sur- veyor, VoI. 1, No.11.Jottings, 1979. .'Homebush Stadium Control Survey", A.fSOci{ltion of Com.ultin.J.' Sur- veyor.f Newsletter, 5.79.Knibbs, G. H., 1891. "The Nature and Public Utility of Trigonometrical, General and Cadastral Survey", Prize

essay, The Institution of Surveyors, N.S.W. Inc.Legislative Council of r.;;,S. W ., 1852, .'Votes and Proceedings of the Legislativc Council during the Session of

the Year 1852". Government Printer, Sydney.Legislative Council of N.S.W., 1856, "Votes and Proceedings of the Legisl~tivc Council during the Sessioff of the

Year 1855", Voi. 11, Government Printer, Sydney.Mills. S., 1889. "Can the Detail Survey of Sydney and Suburbs be made to Sati~fy Important Public Requirements

Other Than Those for which it was Instituted", The Sur\'e.vor, VoI. I, No.9.Overall, J. W. 1974. '.Report of the Inquiry on the Proposal to Establish a System of Survey Integration in New

South Wales", Department of Lands.Richmond, J ., 1889. "Some Remarks upon National or Standard Surveys", The Sur- vt'yor, Vol. 1, No.12.

(Manu.fcript received ]8 October ]983; accepted for publication]5 December ]983)


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