W. W. deLacy's 1865 map of the territory of Montana |
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| Authors: | Richard L Saunders |
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| Institution: | Curator of Special Collections and University Archivist, Paul Meek Library , University of Tennessee , Martin, TN, 38238, USA Phone: (1) 731 587 7094 Fax: (1) 731 587 7094 E-mail: saunders@utm.edu |
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| Abstract: | Abstract The Topographical Survey of the Orange Free State, executed by the British War Office between 1905 and 1911, was not only one of the first but also one of the finest topographical surveys to be undertaken in British colonial Africa. The motivation for this undertaking stemmed from three sources: the personal interest of Sir David Gill (H.M. Astronomer at the Cape) in the measurement of the arc of the 30th meridian; Britain's imperialistic intervention in South Africa which resulted in the South African War (1899–1902) against the Boer Republics and which stressed the need for reliable military maps for warfare as well as for the general defence of the new colonies; and the need for accurate maps for purposes of colonial administration and land tenure. The survey took five and a half years to complete, and the 1: 125,000 series (G.S.G.S. 2230) that was compiled represented the only accurate maps of this part of the continent for almost seven decades. |
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| Keywords: | Topographical maps twentieth century geodetic survey topographical survey arc of the 30th meridian cadastral compilation British South Africa Colonial Survey Section Orange River Colony Orange Free State British military mapping War Office South African war Charles Close David Gill |
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