-- Infrastructure and health -- Tourism and leisure -- World stage -- Territorial expansion -- Science.

'Maps that shaped Australia' is an important contribution to the understanding of the way the nation developed. Maps were vital to the expansion of the colony in the early 1800s to mid this century - although most of the maps are from the 1800s. Some of the maps in the book have rarely, if ever, been available in the public domain. The maps are also a testimony to the capabilities of the cartographers, as well as the great map publishers of the time such as John Arrowsmith and John Bartholomew. Among the many unique maps included in this book are several by surveyor general Thomas Mitchell including his 1834 Map of the colony of New South Wales and his 1831 Chart of the Zodiac. Another is a map of Western Australia that is accompanied by a proposal for that state to secede from the commonwealth after federation. The book has James Bonwick's map from 1862 called Routes to the Victorian Diggings and a 1903 map showing sites affected by the bubonic plague in Sydney. Other maps record the daring exploits of early explorers such as John McDouall Stuart who crossed the continent, Cecil Madigan who named and traversed the Simpson Desert and Donald Mackay who pioneered aerial surveys of inland Australia. The book includes a map showing the route of pioneer aviator Ross Smith's first flight from England to Australia in 1922. The maps provide an information base to help build the nation from colonial times to modern Australia. They are part of the nation's rich heritage. They also tell a story of human endeavour and of events that have shaped the nation's culture, folklore and built environment.