Ever wanted to compare the Noosa Heads of 1967 with the Noosa Heads of the 2000s?
Such comparisons are now just a click away thanks to the Queensland Government releasing over 800,000 aerial images online showcasing a bird’s eye view of Noosa from as far back as the 1930s.
The 800,000 images of the whole state have gone digital and are now available online so Noosa residents can search and find an aerial photo of their street, favourite beach or surfing spot.
Acting Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Bill Byrne announced the new QImagery online collection – one of Australia’s most thorough collections of aerial photographs with images dating back to the 1930s.
“Local history buffs will be able to take a walk down memory lane and see how their street has changed over the decades, as well as tracking changes to their school, workplace or major infrastructure development over time,” he said.
“QImagery takes these photos out of the darkroom archives, and sorts them in a way that makes it meaningful and accessible to all Queenslanders.”
The Department of Natural Resources and Mines (DNRM) and its predecessors have collected the aerial photographs as part of the co-ordinated State Aerial Photography Program that started in 1949.
The collection is a reference for topographic mapping and for infrastructure planning such as roads and railway, monitoring coastal landscapes, and for flood management.
DNRM has created digital versions of the photographs and overlaid them on an online map, making them available to anyone to search, and access, for free.
QImagery is one of a wave of new investments in spatial technologies helping Queenslanders – such as the soon to be released updated Queensland Globe, which provides public access to the latest high-quality and detailed topographic information of the state.
Mr Byrne said the digital images could now be preserved for future generations, unlike the old film versions. To access QImagery, visit qimagery.information.qld.gov.au.
