Help: Maps

Maps on our website let you explore historical locations, walking routes, heritage features, and special research layers created by the society. The map viewer works on all modern devices and provides a simple, consistent experience for both Members and Public visitors.

This page explains how the Maps system works, what you can do with it, and the differences between the Public Maps and Members Maps collections.

🌐 Public Maps

Public Maps are available to everyone visiting the website. They include:

• General historical maps
• Walking routes
• Public heritage features
• Selected overlays prepared for public release

What Public users can do:

• Zoom and pan the map
• Turn layers on/off (only the public layers)
• Click features to Open linked photos
• View the map full‑screen

What Public users cannot do:

• Access Members‑only layers
• Edit or annotate maps
• Download GIS data
• See internal research layers

Public Maps are designed to be simple, safe, and easy to use.

👥 Members Maps

Members Maps include everything in Public Maps plus additional layers reserved for society members.

These may include:

• Detailed research layers
• Sensitive heritage locations
• Work‑in‑progress mapping
• Internal survey data
• Layers linked to Members‑only photo collections

Click the arrow in the left to see a list of the members maps

• Historic Tourist Maps
  • Tourist guide maps created between 1888 and 1933
• Historic Selection Maps
  • Maps showing the selectors blocks. Maps dated 1878 to 1963
• Historic Overlays. Modern vector overlays created from historical data showing:
  • 1868 Foot and dray tracks
  • The original selections
  • Harmony Vale, the official gazetted location of Harmony Vale, the district
  • The size of bushfires over the district
• Historical Markers. Modern vector locations created from historical data showing:
  • Eateries
  • Guesthouses
  • Hills
  • Places of worship
  • Pioneer’s houses
  • Public buildings
  • Shops
  • Other structures
  • Tourist attractions
• Reference Layers
  • Land Parcels
  • Suburbs & Postcodes
  • Parks & reserves
  • Contours (m)
  • Contours (ft)
  • Watercourses
  • Shear displacement
• Photo Collections
  • The location of the photos in the society collection.

What Members can do:

• View all layers, including Members‑only content
• Access map linked Members‑only photos

What Members cannot do:

• Modify the map
• Upload new layers
• Change layer styling
• Create new maps
• Access administrative tools

Members have enhanced viewing, not editing rights.

🧭 How to Use the Map Viewer

The viewer is designed to be intuitive. Here are the main controls:

• Move the Map — Click and drag
• Zoom In/Out — At top left — Use the + and – buttons or your mouse wheel
• Layer Panel — At top right — Turn map layers on or off and also adjust their opacity
• Base Opacity — At bottom left — Adjust the bast layer opacity

Members will see more layers in the panel than public users.

📂 How Maps Relate to Photos

Some map features include links to photos stored in:

• Public Photos
• Members Photos

If a feature links to a Members‑only photo:

• Members will see the thumbnail and can open the photo
• Public users will not see the link at all

This keeps sensitive or private images protected while still allowing Members to explore them through the map.

🛠 Behind the Scenes (for those curious)

Our map system uses:

• QGIS Server to render map layers
• Leaflet to display maps in the browser
• PhotoPrism for linked images
• Role‑based access control to determine which layers appear

This ensures fast loading, accurate rendering, and secure access control.

📞 Need Help?

For general website problems please contact the website administrator via the contact form and select Website.

If you cannot access the Members area or believe you should have additional permissions, please contact the website administrator via the contact form and select Member’s Access Problems.