1942 Gill Pictorial Map of Australia, World War II

Australia Remade by World War II.

This is a colorful 1942 pictorial map of Australia prepared by MacDonald Gill, a pioneer of the genre. Produced in the early phase of the Pacific War (1941 - 1945) against Imperial Japan, part of World War II (1939 - 1945), the map focuses on Australia's resources, which would prove critical to winning the war.

A Closer Look

The map depicts Australia with its constituent territories, cities, and major waterways labeled. Various natural resources, from sheep and cattle to iron, coal, and tin, are labeled and represented by symbols explained in a legend on the left. Maritime resources such as fish, pearls, and oysters are also labeled along Australia's coast. Decorative flourishes include the compass rose at the bottom-left, Australia's coat of arms at the top-right, and illustrations of a warplane and a navy ship, stylized latitude and longitude lines, and fish along Australia's coast. A text box at the bottom-right discusses Australia's wartime mobilization and contributions to the Allied war effort.

Australia in the Pacific War

Although Australian troops had been fighting in the European Theater since the outbreak of World War II, the Japanese lightning advance through Southeast Asia that began on December 8, 1941 (in tandem with the Pearl Harbor attack) posed an existential threat to the country, which at this time was a largely autonomous Dominion within the British Empire. Both Japanese and Allied propaganda emphasized the potential for a Japanese invasion of Australia. In reality, an invasion was beyond the capabilities of Japanese forces. Still, Australian ports were certainly in danger of being attacked or even blockaded, and indeed the port of Darwin suffered a large Japanese aerial raid on February 19, 1942. Perhaps even more concerning was the near-simultaneous fall of Singapore, which closed the Straits of Malacca to the Allies and potentially cut off Australia from most of the world. In part because of these developments, the influence of the United States (including nearly 1 million U.S. military personnel) in Australia increased dramatically during the war, whereas Mother England was preoccupied with its own survival and unable to render significant assistance to Australia, rearranging Australia's strategic outlook ever since.

Australian troops, sailors, and airmen played a vital role in the Allied effort in the Pacific, particularly in battles in Burma and the southwestern Pacific in New Guinea, Borneo, and the Dutch East Indies. The war also kick-started industrialization in what had been a predominantly agricultural country to that point, boosting Australia's postwar economic prospects. As elsewhere, and perhaps more so given its relatively sparse population for such a large landmass, women stepped into key roles outside the home, leading to changes in gender roles during and after the war.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by MacDonald Gill in 1942 and published by Alf Cooke Ltd. in London. Similar pieces prepared by Gill were entitled 'Canada and Newfoundland Their Natural and Industrial Resources' and 'New Zealand Her Natural and Industrial Resources.' These are all quite scarce and desirable now. The present map was reissued after the war (c. 1946) with the textbox at bottom-right changed to reflect the immediate Postwar situation. This first edition of the map is noted among the holdings of eleven institutions in the OCLC, with some examples including the notation 'Issued by British Information Services, an agency of the British Government New York.'

Cartographers

Leslie MacDonald Gill (October 6, 1884 - January 14, 1947), known as 'Max Gill,' was a British cartographer, architect, and graphic designer. Known as MacDonald Gill or Max Gill, Gill was born in Brighton and was the younger brother of Eric Gill, a leading personality in the Arts and Crafts movement. Gill was educated at the Chichester Prebendal School, and the Holyrood School, and took classes in drawing and engraving at a local college. He began creating maps as a young map for map drawing competition in magazines. At 16, Gill was apprenticed as an architect to Leonard Pilkington. He relocated to London in 1903, where he worked for the ecclesiastical architectural firm of Sir Charles Nicholson and Hubert C. Corlette. While there, he attended meetings at the Art Workers Guild and attended classes at the Central School of Arts and Crafts. He went into business with his brother, Eric Gill, in 1908, doing architectural designs and murals. His first commercial map, a 'Wind-Dial' map for a gentlemanly estate in Buckinghamshire, was drawn in 1909. Gill is best known for his 1914 Wonderground Map, a pictorial map of the London Underground commissioned by Frank Pick, used to promote tourism among Londoners by using the Underground. He probably received the commission through is associate with Gerard Meynell of the Westminster Press. He is also known for multiple other pictorial maps and is credited with inaugurating the 'Golden Age of Pictorial Cartography.' Gill also designed the upper-case lettering used on headstones and war memorials by the Imperial War Graves Commission.   Further Details...

Alf Cooke (1842 - 1902) was born in Hunslet, Leeds. In 1866, he established a business there selling newspapers, stationary, and letterpress prints which he had made. He quickly moved into chromolithographic prints and found great success, relocating to Headingley in the early 1870s. In 1880, a fire destroyed his shop and he had to start over nearly from scratch but was able to repeat and even exceed his earlier successes. His print shop developed a specialty in chromolithographed portraits, such as of Queen Victoria, which were extremely popular. In 1885 he was granted a Royal Warrant as 'Chromolithographer to Her Majesty' and afterwards preferred to be called 'the Queen's Printer.' Around the same time, he moved into a grand country estate (Weetwood Hall) to match his lofty reputation. Cooke also entered politics and in 1890 was elected Mayor of Leeds. In 1894, his print shop burned down again but a grand new factory was quickly built on the same site - the building still stands and is now part of Leeds City College. After Alf's death in 1902, his sons took over the company - it was merged twice in the following decades but continued to use the name 'Alf Cooke' for many years, even after the founder's descendants were no longer involved in its operation. The company eventually became part of the Bemrose Corporation, which produced printing and packaging products.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good. A few minor spills along old fold-lines, reinforced on verso with archival tissue. Old pinholes, stabilized on verso, in corners.

References

Rumsey 8564.000. National Library of Australia, MAP G8961.A5 1942. OCLC 271669166.