Reading time: 6 minutes
Every year, tens of thousands of New South Wales State Library patrons walk past a stunning mosaic replica of the Tasman Map on the floor of the Mitchell library vestibule. The original Tasman map, recently restored, charts the two voyages of the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642 and 1644.
The desire to obtain knowledge of the world around us is a classic human trait. Investigations into the size, shape, and movement of the planet (and other planets) are constant throughout history, giving rise to several theories about the wider world. Some of these theories are made even more remarkable by their incredible accuracy, without all the tools and technologies we have to confirm them today.
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Reading time: 7 minutes
Mapmakers in history occasionally got it wrong. Sometimes, very wrong.
Maps are one of humanity’s greatest inventions. Early maps explain how humans understood the world around them, navigated, fostered trade, or conquered foreign lands.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
From the cave paintings of Montignac to the Mercator Projection and beyond, maps explain how humans viewed the world throughout history.
