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Issued in 1964 under the direction of the Commonwealth Department of Trade and Industry, this striking pictorial wall map was designed to promote Australia’s national identity through a vivid blend of economic data, regional industry, tourism, and natural beauty. Intended for public exhibition and export promotion, the map is an emblem of Menzies-era optimism and self-presentation.
The central image shows the Australian continent in muted sage-green tones, overlaid with a network of air and sea routes linking major cities, ports, and inland production hubs. Dozens of yellow markers identify "major developmental projects," many illustrated with small, stylized vignettes: cattle and sheep stations, wheat fields, hydroelectric dams, iron ore mines, sugar plantations, oil refineries, and bauxite facilities. Aboriginal figures are shown engaged in ceremonial life.
Surrounding the map is a spectacular botanical and zoological border reminiscent of the work of Betty Temple Watts. Native flora such as banksia, waratah, wattles, flannel flower, and desert peas appear on the left and lower borders, while the right is dominated by finely rendered native fauna: koalas, kangaroos, a platypus, lyrebird, emu, magpie, black swan, and a vivid pink Major Mitchell cockatoo. The naturalistic style of these borders provides a lush, decorative contrast to the modernist clarity of the central image.
Inset panels along the sides and bottom provide an encyclopedic range of national statistics current to 30 June 1963. These include data on mineral production from 1939 to 1962, power generation, fuel reserves, agricultural yields, primary exports, shipping and transport infrastructure, and population distribution. Several small maps visualize disparate themes including coal fields, primary industry zones, power station distribution, and projected demographic growth.
As a work of mid-century graphic design, Australia: Tourism and Resources is a remarkable synthesis of visual culture and statecraft. It captures a moment when Australia sought to define itself as more than a scenic frontier, and as a rising industrial nation within the global economy.
