29 June 2008
The art of maps
|
In your idle moments, do you ever wonder what your desert island book would be? For me, I'd think seriously about choosing an atlas, then I could dream about all the places in the world that I might be if I wasn't washed up on this island. Maps have always had a mythical element to them, combining science, art and imagination: from clay tablets, to river charts, to Google Earth.
The National Library of Australia has just published a book called Australia in Maps. It's a collection of what the Library thinks are our greatest maps—selected from the 600,000 or so in their collection. The result tells the story of not just Australian history, but also how maps shape our perception of the world.
Lyn Gallacher is speaking to Martin Woods, curator of maps at the National Library.
Further Information
Story Researcher and Producer
Lyn Gallacher
Radio National often provides links to external websites to complement program information. While producers have taken care with all selections, we can neither endorse nor take final responsibility for the content of those sites.
