OA Mapping Committee chairman Adrian Uppill organised a highly successful mapping workshop in Adelaide today. It was attended by almost 30 mappers from all states and territories, ranging from current elites Rob Preston, Murray Scown and Lachlan Hallett to mapping maestros Alex Tarr and Jonathon Sutcliffe.

The workshop began with an enthralling presentation by Robert Rusk from Aerometrex on the history of aerial photography and photogrammetry in Australia, showing the large advances in technology and quality of imagery in the last 30 years and how that has flowed through to production of high resolution georeferenced aerial photographs, digital contour maps and 3D images. He also showed how laser beams bounced off the ground from planes can now create amazingly precise contour maps using LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology.

Adrian Uppill reported on the advances in use of LIDAR by European mappers from the recent international mapping workshop in Norway, and warned of the dangers of over-mapping which have been experienced in some countries already. Neil Simson reported on practical uses of LIDAR by town planners across Australia and the availability and potential uses of LIDAR by orienteering mappers in Australia. GPS units are now being extensively in Australia for mapping and a number of practical examples were presented by Lachlan Hallett, Rob Simson and Adrian Uppill.

A wealth of information is found in the OA mapping pages at the mapping pages