Detail of the Arrowsmith Map
Arrowsmith Map
This hand-coloured 1839 map, mounted on linen, was drawn by John Arrowsmith from the surveys of John Septimus Roe, then Surveyor-General of Western Australia. It shows the divisions of the south-west of Western Australia into counties, and surveys of the coastal settlements, routes of explorers, and details vegetation, soil and fauna. It includes insets of Guildford, Fremantle, Perth, Kelmscott and Augusta showing property lots.
John Septimus Roe became Surveyor-General of the colony in 1829 and remained in that position for 42 years. He explored the coast, made journeys into the interior and selected the town sites for Fremantle and Perth.
The Treasure
(Click on one of the thumbnails above to see a larger image)
Further Reading
Jackson, J.L. Not an idle man: a biography of John Septimus Roe Western Australia's first Surveyor-General, 1797-1878, West Swan, WA: MB Roe, 1982.
Mercer, F.R. Amazing career: the story of Western Australia's first Surveyor-General, Perth: Paterson-Brokensha, 1962.