Beautifully detailed chart of Sydney Harbour from Bradley Head to Dawes Point. The chart carefully lays out both contemporary and later developments, including the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, which was added on later versions of this chart.


The survey was first performed by J.D. (John Dodd) Nares, son of the famous Polar explorer, George Nares. Both men would rise to become Admirals in the Navy. The original survey was made in 1912-13 by the Survey Ship "Fantome". The chart went through several editions and this example has small corrections to 1939. One of the major additions is the presence of Sydney Harbour Bridge, which was opened in 1932 but its planning did not begin until 1914.


This chart was previously part of the archive of Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners, a firm of civil engineers. Gibb was a former Civil Engineer in Chief to the Admiralty during the Great War. A manuscript "A39", on the lower right corner of the map is most likely an internal location reference. A light manuscript pencil grid has been added around Garden Island, again for internal use.


SL [AUNZ2866]