This map of the Colony of New South Wales exhibiting the situation and extent of the appropriated lands including the counties, towns, village…

Colouring: Coloured

Condition: Very Good. Case broken right edge

Confirmed: No

Description: This map spans from Trial Bay (labeled as Tryal Bay) in the north to Moruya in the south, marking landholdings across the colony with owners' names. At the top, an inset of Australia is included.nRobert Dixon arrived in Sydney in 1826 to serve as assistant surveyor under the Surveyor-General, Lieutenant John Oxley. He was tasked with surveying New South Wales's southern districts, extending to the Illawarra. In 1827, Dixon embarked on a solo exploration of the Burragorang Valley, where he became lost for four days, narrowly surviving. Between 1827 and 1829, he conducted numerous surveys in the Blue Mountains, completing a trigonometrical survey of Mount King George. However, two attempts to explore the Grose Valley, including one with Thomas Mitchell and Edmund Lockyer, failed due to the rugged terrain. His Blue Mountains surveys ultimately enabled Mitchell to design a new road to Bathurst.nDixon also surveyed the original site of Goulburn, then called Goulburn Plains, before it was relocated in 1833 from the Wollondilly River's banks to its current site. In 1831, he surveyed the Queanbeyan region, tracing the Molonglo River to its junction with the Murrumbidgee River and beyond. His work extended to the Upper Hunter and New England districts and included mapping the ranges between the Lachlan and Macquarie Rivers. Notably, Dixon followed the Bogan River for 67 miles, though he did not find the highlands he had been instructed to explore.nAfter completing an extensive survey of the colony, Dixon returned to London in 1836 on a two-year leave for "urgent private business." While in England, he published this map, compiling data from his official surveys and other sources. This act displeased the colonial government, prompting Mitchell to deny Dixon reinstatement upon his return to Sydney.nThe map is dedicated to Sir John Barrow, Bart., president of the Royal Geographical Society and a member of the Board of the Admiralty, known for promoting Arctic voyages by explorers such as John Ross, William Parry, James Clark Ross, and John Franklin.

First published: London: Joseph Cross, 1837

Mapmaker: Dixon, Robert (1800-1858)

Notes: Purchase details

Primary Category: Southern Continent

Rarity: R2 Very rare – one or two copies appear on the market

Sheet size (cm): 76×126

Technique: Copper Engraving

This state: 1837