Sir William Dixson began collecting maps in the 1890s, along with books, artworks, manuscripts, coins and realia. Like David Scott Mitchell, Dixson collected Australiana, with special emphasis on early navigation and geography, exploration of the Pacific, and early Australian settlement. Following his death in 1952, Dixson’s entire collection including his magnificent map collection was transferred to form the Dixson Library. In 2009 the State Library of New South Wales commenced a project to digitise the Dixson Map collection commencing with over 1,000 sheet maps dating from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. This project was completed in 2011 with access provided through the State Library’s website.

In 2014 the Library completed the digitisation of a collection of 775 charts and views published by Alexander Dalrymple between 1769 and 1806 covering coastlines and islands of Africa, Asia, Australia, Middle East and New Zealand. Dalrymple was appointed as the British Admiralty’s first Hydrographer in 1795, a role he retained until his death in 1808. Alexander Dalrymple was passed over for the command of the Endeavour. He insisted that James Cook did not try hard enough to find the southern continent. He criticised John Hawkesworth’s official account of the voyage in a published Letter from Mr Dalrymple to Dr Hawkesworth occasioned by some groundless and illiberal imputations in his account of the late voyages to the South (1773). His ‘Postscript to the Publick’ states:

‘The point is not yet determined whether there is or is not a SOUTHERN CONTINENT? although four voyages have been made..., at the same time I dare appeal... that I would not have come back in Ignorance.’

This paper will discuss the provenance and significance of Dixson’s collection of Dalrymple charts and Dalrymple’s role in one of the most significant periods of discovery related to Australia and New Zealand. It will also provide an overview of the Library’s current Digital Excellence Project which aims to digitise the Library’s most iconic, at risk and highly valued collections. The project will also undertake a complete renewal of the Library’s underlying infrastructure and systems ensuring online access to one of Australia’s most respected and valued collections.