In January 1976, just over 300 employees of the NSW Public Sector’s Central Mapping Authority (CMA) moved from Sydney to Bathurst in the largest regional decentralization initiative ever undertaken by the NSW State Government. The organization is currently called Spatial Services, Department of Finance, Services & Innovation NSW.
2016 marks 40 years since that move. Very little recognition of this important milestone has occurred locally. The impact that 300 new people and their families had on the economy and many facets of Bathurst community life, particularly sporting and service organisations, was quite significant.
Nowadays, nearly all of those 300 original employees have retired. Quite a few still reside in Bathurst and are active (particularly in volunteering roles) within the Bathurst community. So to some extent, the move in 1976 is still having a positive effect on the city. There are a couple of people who moved here in 1976 still working at LPI.
In 1976, there were no personal computers, no mobile phones, no internet or email, no digital cameras or GPS. We have certainly come a long way in map technology since then, and while the procedures for making maps has changed significantly, the fundamental principles in surveying, photogrammetry, cartography and map publication are still required in the production of modern, accurate maps.
In the digital world, maps are now produced from spatial data The demand for high accuracy of the spatial data is 25 to 50 times greater than the accuracy which was achievable in 1976. In 2016, users expect that map data is also current, being days and weeks old, not months and years. The number of users of digital maps has increased at least 100 fold so the demand for the production of up to date, accurate spatial data will only increase in future.
To celebrate the four decades of mapping in Bathurst, it is planned to hold a special dinner on Saturday 5th November. There will be other events planned around the weekend, including a social golf event on Friday, a Sunday BBQ lunch and other functions. As well as the people (and their current partners) who moved to Bathurst in 1976, we encourage all previous and current employees (and their partners) of the organization to join in and celebrate with us. It is important that we recognize the generational change of the employees as well as the vital role of mapping technology in Bathurst, past, present and future.
If you are an ex-employee of the CMA or a current employee of the organisation, please “save the date” in your diary. Even if you would like to participate in the celebration, please email your details to 40yearsmappinginbathurst@gmail.com by 2 September so we can book venues etc.
