Pumice pegs to GPS - Surveying 75 years on

Pumice pegs to GPS - Surveying 75 years on.

Technology – Star Lights to Satellites – 75 years of Cheal

An important slice of New Zealand history goes on display at the Taupō Museum this March. It’s an exhibition that draws heavily on the story and legacy of Surveyor Laurie Cheal and celebrates 75 years of the company he founded.

In a first for Taupō, the show details the journey of surveying - from hand made totara and pumice pegs, theodolites and whale bone rulers to 21stcentury three dimensional laser scanning, hydrographic mapping and Geographic Information System and details the diversity of engineering and resource planning requirements needed in today’s land development process.

Full of authentic historic equipment and instruments, original maps and drawings through to 21st century laser scanning and GPS, the show documents the world of surveying from the 19th century to today’s digital age and demonstrates the influence those early surveyors had on settlement and our modern landscape.

Boundary marking for tribes and individuals is as old as history. For Māori in Aotearoa/New Zealand ahi kā, the burning fires of occupation, determined title to land. Triangulation and boundaries set by pegs in the ground created a new spatial reality and Surveyors had a crucial role – selecting sites for towns, cities, farms and settlements and created maps of topography, contours and ownership with a guaranteed title system.

“It will be a fantastic exhibition and something I’ve wanted to help create for a very long time,” says Cheal Director Phil Battersby. “We’re telling Laurie’s story and also showcasing the diversity of work the company has grown into.”

Peter Langford an Auckland-based designer, whose work includes Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Experience, NZ Trade & Industry international exhibitions as well as the Tongariro National Trout Centre, designed the show which opens on Monday March 10 and runs to April 10 (includes Easter).

This exhibition has wide appeal and is definitely worth making the trip to Taupō to visit.

“It’s a must-see,” says Phil.

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