The Admiralty carried out surveys and published charts of the Australian coast throughout the 19th century in support of the defence and commercial development of the colonies. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) assumed responsibility for hydrographic surveys in 1920, and for the publication of charts in 1942.
Throughout the 19th century, the Admiralty conducted surveys and published charts of the Australian coast to aid colonial defense and commercial development. In 1920, the RAN took over hydrographic surveys, and in 1942, it began publishing charts.