New Arrival Rare Large Colonial Map Of Australia By Stanford, 1859: Large Nsw, Tasmania Your 65% Coupon Inside [96eZAIPH]

Step into a pivotal moment in colonial history with "The Australian Colonies," an exquisite 1859 map crafted by the renowned Edward Stanford for the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (SDUK). This rare cartographic gem captures Australia at a fleeting crossroads, just before the birth of Queensland and during a period of intense debate and evolution in the continent’s internal boundaries. Each colony is rendered in vibrant hues, delineating a landscape in flux and offering a unique window into the ambitions and uncertainties of mid-19th-century empire.

Edward Stanford, whose name would soon become synonymous with the finest maps of the British Empire, was uniquely positioned to create such a work. His privileged access to the Colonial Office and the Royal Geographic Society allowed him to incorporate the latest intelligence from the frontiers of exploration and governance. This map stands as Stanford’s inaugural depiction of Australia, reflecting both his technical mastery and his ability to capture the geopolitical pulse of the era.

The map’s political boundaries are among its most compelling features, displaying the so-called “ghost boundary” at 26° South latitude—an ephemeral demarcation that existed for only a matter of months. Here, New South Wales stretches northward in orange, while a vast yellow expanse wraps around South Australia, forming a slender corridor between South Australia and Western Australia. This arrangement, both irregular and impractical, would soon vanish as Queensland was proclaimed and South Australia’s western border shifted, making this map a rare record of a vanished administrative landscape.

Beyond its political intrigue, the map is a celebration of Australia’s dramatic geography. It meticulously charts the sweep of the Great Australian Bight, the intricate waterways of the Murray and Darling Rivers, and the rugged contours of the Blue Mountains and Australian Alps. The insets and main map alike highlight Tasmania—recently renamed from Van Diemen’s Land—alongside the prominent islands of Kangaroo, King, and Flinders, and the distant promontories of Cape York and Arnhem Land. These natural features, paired with the careful delineation of peninsulas, gulfs, and straits, evoke both the challenges and the allure of the Australian continent.

Scattered across this landscape are the burgeoning settlements and port towns that would grow into today’s great cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, and Hobart, alongside early outposts such as Geelong, Launceston, Newcastle, and Fremantle. Each is meticulously plotted, bearing witness to the spread of colonial enterprise and the forging of new societies on ancient land. For the discerning collector, this map is more than a historical document—it is a testament to the dynamism, complexity, and beauty of Australia at a moment of profound transformation.

Cities and towns on this map

• Sydney
• Melbourne
• Brisbane
• Adelaide
• Perth
• Hobart
• Geelong
• Launceston
• Newcastle
• Bathurst
• Goulburn
• Maitland
• Parramatta
• Windsor
• Ipswich
• Port Macquarie
• Moreton Bay (now Brisbane region)
• Port Phillip (now Melbourne region)
• Portland
• Albany
• Swan River (now Perth region)
• Fremantle
• Port Adelaide
• Port Lincoln
• Port Augusta
• Rockhampton
• Townsville
• Bowen
• Maryborough
• Mackay
• Toowoomba
• Ballarat
• Bendigo
• Port Arthur (Tasmania)
• George Town (Tasmania)

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Inset map of Tasmania (formerly Van Diemen's Land)
• Colonial borders for New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, and the yellow region representing northern and central Australia
• The "ghost boundary" at 26° South latitude marking the northern limit of New South Wales
• The narrow yellow strip of territory wrapping around South Australia, forming a border between South Australia and Western Australia
• Great Australian Bight
• Bass Strait
• Gulf of Carpentaria
• Spencer Gulf
• Gulf St Vincent
• Torres Strait
• The Australian Alps
• Blue Mountains
• Flinders Range
• Kangaroo Island
• King Island
• Flinders Island
• Melville Island
• Murray River
• Darling River
• Murrumbidgee River
• Lachlan River
• Cape York Peninsula
• Arnhem Land
• Eyre Peninsula
• Yorke Peninsula
• Nullarbor Plain

Historical and design context

• Name of the map: The Australian Colonies
• Date of creation: 1859
• Mapmaker/publisher: SDUK (Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge), published by Edward Stanford
• Edward Stanford was a leading British mapmaker with privileged access to the Colonial Office and the Royal Geographic Society, producing his first map of Australia with this edition.
• The map captures a rare and short-lived period in the territorial evolution of Australia, just before the creation of Queensland in June 1859.
• Shows a unique arrangement of colonial boundaries, including the ephemeral "ghost boundary" at 26° South latitude.
• Depicts New South Wales with a northern boundary at 26° South and a yellow region wrapping around South Australia, forming a narrow strip between South Australia and Western Australia.
• The arrangement shown on the map was soon replaced by new boundaries as colonies were established and borders adjusted.
• Features a large inset of Tasmania, which had only recently been renamed from Van Diemen’s Land in 1856.
• The map is considered rare, with no known examples appearing on the market since 1990.
• Uses bright colors to distinguish between different colonial jurisdictions and includes detailed labeling of physical and political features.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 100in (250cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

Please note: the labels on this map are hard to read if you order a map that is 20in (50cm) or smaller. The map is still very attractive, but if you would like to read the map easily, please buy a larger size.

The model in the listing images is holding the 36x20in (90x50cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.