Surveying instrument museum
AGA Geodimeter Model NASM-2A The first commercially available electro-optical distance meter.
Over the years the School of Surveying and Geospatial Engineering (formerly Schools of Surveying, Geomatic Engineering and Surveying, and Spatial Information Systems) of the University of New South Wales has collected a number of valuable instruments both from donations and in-house collection.
Our collection contains 164 valuable instruments from the 19th and 20th centuries grouped into four categories: Scientific and Mathematical Instruments, Theodolites, Levelling Instruments, and Electronic Distance Measurements (EDM) Instruments. This virtual museum has historical instruments such as the first commercial electro-optical distance meter (AGA Model NASM-2A Geodimeter), the Geodetic Micrometer Theodolite used for setting-out of the Sydney Harbour bridge, and a number of instruments donated by the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electro Authority (SMHEA).
Unfortunately these instruments are not publicly accessible, however, from time to time, they are loaned to museums to display at public exhibitions. In the meantime take a look at this virtual museum for a comprehensive catalogue of the instrument collection.
- Scientific and Mathematical instrument
- Theodolites
- Levelling instruments
- EDM instruments
- Reference materials
Scientific and Mathematical Instrument
The instruments listed below are identified by their unique catalogue numbers. Click on the instrument for more information.
| Name of instrument | Maker | Catalogue number |
| Trough compass | A. Tornaghi, England | 0101 |
| Height gauge | Chesterman, England | 0102 |
| Artificial horizon | Troughton & Simms, England | 0103 |
| Surveyor's compass | Unknown | 0104 |
| Nautical sextant | Unknown | 0105 |
| Clinometer | Unknown | 0106 |
| Box sextant | Unknown | 0107 |
| Pocket drawing compass | Unknown | 0108 |
| Station pointer | H. Hughes & Sons Ltd., England | 0109 |
| Height gauge | Grey & Rushton, England | 0110 |
| Rangerfinder | Wild, Switzerland | 0111 |
| Indian inclinometer | J. W. Handley, Australia | 0112 |
| Altimeter | Wallace & Tierman, USA | 0113 |
| Time recorder | Omega Watches, Switzerland | 0114 |
| Planisphere chart | Unknown | 0115 |
| Chronoscope | Lab-Tronics, Australia | 0116 |
| Chronometer | Thomas Mercer Ltd., England | 0117 |
| Chronometer | Thomas Mercer Ltd., England | 0118 |
| Converter for time signal receiver |
Unknown | 0119 |
| Signal transmitter | Unknown | 0120 |
| Chronograph | FAVAG, Switzerland | 0121 |
| Micrometer station pointer | Tamaya & Co, Japan | 0122 |
| Micrometer station pointer | Tamaya & Co, Japan | 0123 |
| Trough compass | A. Tornaghi, England | 0124 |
| Calculating machine | Facit AB, Sweden | 0125 |
| Calculating machine | Brunsviga, Grimme Natalis & Co, Germany |
0126 |
| Calculating machine | Facit AB, Sweden | 0127 |
| Full circle compass | A. Tornaghi, England | 0128 |
| Planisphere chart | Unknown | 0129 |
| Eidograph | Troughton & Simms, England | 0130 |
| Full circle compass | A. Tornaghi, England | 0131 |
| Nautical sextant | Sextant Marine | 0132 |
| * Prismatic compass | E. R. Watts & Son, England | 0133 |
| Service compass | Hilger & Watts Ltd., England | 0134 |
| Liquid compass | Unknown | 0135 |
| Declinatory instrument | Fennel, Germany | 0136 |
| Sounding sextant | Kelvin & Hughes Ltd., England | 0137 |
| Calculating machine | Facit AB, Sweden | 0138 |
| Integrator | Stanley, England | 0139 |
| Optical square | Precision Instrument Co, Australia | 0140 |
| Steel tape | Chesterman, England | 0141 |
| Steel tape | Chesterman, England | 0142 |
| Stadia computer | J. Y. C. Richmond | 0143 |
| Linen tape | John Rabone & Sons, England | 0144 |
| Gunther's chain | Unknown | 0145 |
| Electronic calculator | Canon, Japan | 0146 |
| Laptop personal computer | Toshiba, Japan | 0147 |
| Pocket stereoscope | Carl Zeiss, Germany | 0148 |
| Alidade | William Ford Stanley (W. F. S), England |
0149 |
| Ewing stadialtimeter | Esdaile & Sons, Australia | 0150 |
| Telescopic alidade | Hilger & Watts Ltd, England | 0151 |
| Microptic alidade | E. R. Watts & Son, England | 0152 |
| Plane table | Unknown | 0153 |
| Echo sounder | Raytheon Marine, England | 0154 |
| Rangefinder | Wild, Switzerland | 0155 |
| Metric camera | Rollei Fototechnik, Germany | 0156 |
| Artificial horizon | Unknown | 0157 |
| Alidade | Esdaile | 0158 |
| Abney level | Sokkisha | 0159 |
| Abney level | WRP | 0160 |
| Lettering set (Leroy II) | Keuffel & Esser (K & E) | 0161 |
| Whirling psychrometer | Casella | 0162 |
| Digital planimeter | Tamaha | 0163 |
| Polar planimeter | Allbrit | 0164 |
| Master grid template | Haag & Streit | 0165 |
| Abney level | Stanley | 0166 |
| Abney level | Stanley | 0167 |
| Aneroid barometer | Mechanism | 0168 |
| Aneroid barometer | Thommen | 0169 |
| Precision aneroid barometer |
Thommen | 0170 |
| Marine GPS receiver | Trimble Navigation | 0171 |
| Stereo micrometer | Wild | 0172 |
| Mirror stereoscope | Esdaile & Sons | 0173 |
| Mirror stereoscope | Topcon | 0174 |
| Drafting set | R. Reiss | 0175 |
| Double pentaprism | Zeiss | 0176 |
| Double pentaprism | Wild | 0177 |
| Double pentaprism | Sokkisha | 0178 |
| Curta handheld calculating machine |
Cortina Ltd. | 0179 |
| Double pentaprism | Stanley | 0180 |
| Single pentaprism | Precision Instrument Co. | 0181 |
| Double pentaprism | Hilger & Watts Ltd. | 0182 |
* This instrument was missing from the collection during the relocation of the School of Geomatic Engineering in July 2000. Please inform the School and the NSW Police if you come across any instruments marked with an asterisk. |
||
Theodolites
The instruments listed below are identified by their unique catalogue numbers. Click on the instrument for more information.
| Instrument | Model | Maker | Catalogue |
| Micrometer theodolite | Everest | Troughton & Simms, England | 0201 |
| Exploration theodolite | T12 | Wild, Switzerland | 0202 |
| Th 1 | Carl Zeiss, Germany | 0203 | |
| Micrometer theodolite | Carl Bamberg, Germany | 0204 | |
| Micrometer theodolite | E. R. Watts & Son, England | 0205 | |
| Exploration theodolite | T12 | Wild, Swtizerland | 0206 |
| Precision optical micrometer theodolite |
T3 | Wild, Switzerland | 0207 |
| Optica0l micrometer theodolite |
ST156 | Hilger & Watts Ltd., England | 0208 |
| Micrometer theodolite | Troughton & Simms, England | 0209 | |
| Vernier theodolite | Stanley, England | 0210 | |
| Mining vernier theodolite | Breithaupt, Germany | 0211 | |
| Vertical staff tacheometer |
RDS | Wild, Switzerland | 0212 |
| Photo-theodolite | P30 | Wild, Switzerland | 0213 |
| Optical micrometer theodolite |
T1 | Wild, Switzerland | 0214 |
| Optical scale-reading theodolite |
K1-S | Kern & Co., Switzerland | 0215 |
| Horizontal staff tacheometer |
RDH | Wild, Switzerland | 0216 |
| Vernier theodolite | Hilger & Watts Ltd., England | 0217 | |
| Vernier theodolite | B236 | W. F. S., England | 0218 |
| Micrometer theodolite | E. R. Watts & Son, England | 0219 | |
| Vernier theodolite | Troughton & Simms, England | 0220 | |
| High precision optical micrometer theodolite |
T4 | Wild, Switzerland | 0221 |
| Gyro-theodolite | B. A. C., England | 0222 | |
| Optical micrometer theodolite |
Theo 010 | Carl Zeiss, Germany | 0223 |
| Optical micrometer theodolite |
T2 (E) | Wild, Switzerland | 0224 |
| Optical scale-reading theodolite |
T16 (E) | Wild, Switzerland | 0225 |
| Optical micrometer theodolite |
DKM2-AEM | Kern & Co., Switzerland | 0226 |
| Optical micrometer theodolite |
Th 2 | Car Zeiss, Germany | 0227 |
| Optical scale-reading theodolite |
Th 4 | Carl Zeiss, Germany | 0228 |
| Striding level | T2 attachment | Wild, Switzerland | 0229 |
| Rotatable objective pentaprism |
T2 attachment | Wild, Switzerland | 0230 |
| Diagonal eyepieces | T2 attachment | Wild, Switzerland | 0231 |
| Compass theodolite | T0 | Wild, Switzerland | 0232 |
| Precision motorised electronic theodolite |
TM3000 D | Wild, Switzerland | 0233 |
| Diagonal eyepiece | for Theo 010 | Carl Zeiss, Germany | 0234 |
| Striding level | for Theo 010 | Carl Zeiss, Germany | 0235 |
| Horrebow level | for Theo 010 | Carl Zeiss, Germany | 0236 |
| Repetition theodolite | Cooke, Troughton & Simms Ltd., England | 0237 | |
| Tribrach | HP 11426A | Hewlett Packard, USA | 0238 |
| Prism adapter | HP 11425A | Hewlett Packard, USA | 0239 |
| Optical plummet | HP 11424 A | Hewlett Packard, USA | 0240 |
| Trivet | (with tilting plate) | Kern, Switzerland | 0241 |
| Traversing targets | Part of PZ equipment | Kern, Switzerland | 0242 |
| Traversing targets | Part of PZ equipment | Kern, Switzerland | 0243 |
| Tilting plate tripod | Kern, Switzerland | 0244 | |
| Astrolabe attachment | for Wild T2 | Wild, Switzerland | 0245 |
| Magnetic compass | B3 | Wild, Switzerland | 0246 |
| Target rod | for Th 2 | Zeiss, Germany | 0247 |
| Target rod | for Th 2 | Zeiss, Germany | 0248 |
| Data reader | GIF 10 | Wild, Switzerland | 0249 |
| Data reader | GIF 12 | Wild, Switzerland | 0250 |
| Zenith/Nadir plummet | (small) | Kern & Co., Switzerland | 0251 |
| Traversing target | for Theo 010 | Zeiss, Germany | 0252 |
| RS-232 Interface | GIF-2 (GRE3) | Wild, Switzerland | 0253 |
| Subtense bar | BL 16-21 | Wild, Switzerland | 0254 |
| Subtense bar | (2 m) | Wild, Switzerland | 0255 |
| Optical micrometer theodolite |
T1A | Wild, Switzerland | 0256 |
| Optical micrometer theodolite |
ST200-3 | Hilger & Watts, England | 0257 |
Leveling instruments
The instruments listed below are identified by their unique catalogue numbers. Click on the instrument for more information.
| Instrument | Model | Maker | Catalogue number |
| Dumpy level | Baker, England | 0301 | |
| Precision tilting level | E. R. Watts & Son Ltd., England | 0302 | |
| Precision tilting level | Hilger & Watts Ltd., England | 0303 | |
| Precision tilting level | S.500-109 | Cooke, Troughton & Simms Ltd., England |
0304 |
| Tilting level | Hilger & Watts Ltd., England | 0305 | |
| Tilting level | E. R. Watts & Son Ltd., England | 0306 | |
| Tilting level | NK 2 | Wild, Switzerland | 0307 |
| Automatic level | Ni 2 | Carl Zeiss, Germany | 0308 |
| Autocollimation eyepiece | for Ni 2 | Carl Zeiss, Germany | 0309 |
| Automatic level | S27 | Vickers, England | 0310 |
| 90o (objective) prism | NA3000 | Carl Zeiss, Germany | 0311 |
| Digital level | Leica, Switzerland | 0312 | |
| Plane parallel plate micrometer |
10 mm, for Ni 2 | Carl Zeiss, Germany | 0313 |
| Plane parallet plate micrometer |
5 mm, for Ni 2 | Carl Zeiss, Germany | 0314 |
| Precision levelling staff | Carl Zeiss, Germany | 0315 | |
| Automatic zenith plummet |
Autoplumb ST555-2 |
Watts Ltd., England | 0316 |
| Automatic precision level | Ni 007 | Carl Zeiss, Germany | 0317 |
| Automatic level | Cooke, Throughton & Simms Ltd., England |
0318 |
EDM instruments
The instruments listed below are identified by their unique catalogue numbers. Click on the instrument for more information.
| Instrument | Model | Maker | Catalogue number |
| Short-range distance meter | DM 501 | Kern & Co. Switzerland | 0401 |
| Medium-range distance meter | Geodimeter 14 | AGA, Sweden | 0402 |
| Electronic tacheometer | HP 3820A | Hewlett Packard, USA | 0403 |
| Short-range distance meter | HP 3800B | Hewlett Packard, USA | 0404 |
| Short-range distance meter | HP 3800B | Hewlett Packard, USA | 0405 |
| Microwave distance meter | MRA 101 | Tellurometer, South Africa |
0406 |
| Microwave distance meter | MRA 101 | Tellurometer, South Africa |
0407 |
| Precision distance meter | MA 100 | Tellurometer, South Africa |
0408 |
| Microwave distance meter | CA 1000 | Tellurometer, South Africa |
0409 |
| Microwave distance meter | CA 1000 | Tellurometer, South Africa |
0410 |
| Medium-range distance meter | Geodimeter NASM-2A |
AGA, Sweden | 0411 |
| Medium-range distance meter | Geodimeter 6A | AGA, Sweden | 0412 |
| Medium-range distance meter | Geodimeter 6A | AGA, Sweden | 0413 |
| Semi-electronic tacheometer | GTS-2 | Topcon, Japan | 0414 |
| Vertical circle attachment | for HP3805 | Hewlett Packard, USA | 0415 |
| Triple prism | AGA, Sweden | 0416 | |
| Single prism | AGA, Sweden | 0417 | |
| Electronic tacheometer | TC-1600 | Wild, Switzerland | 0418 |
| Electronic tacheometer | ET-1 | Topcon, Japan | 0419 |
| Triple prism | GDR-11 | Wild, Switzerland | 0420 |
| Slope reduction calculator | SRC-3 | Topcon, Japan | 0421 |
| Electronic tacheometer | Wild TC1610 | Leica, Switzerland | 0422 |
| Rectangular/Tiltable reflector | GDR-31 | Leica, Switzerland | 0423 |
| Electronic tacheometer | DTM-821 | Nikon, Japan | 0424 |
| Battery charger | BC-10 | Topcon, Japan | 0425 |
| DC-DC converter | AC-5 | Topcon, Japan | 0426 |
| Hand-held distance meter | Disto Classic 5 | Leica, Switzerland | 0427 |
| Electronic tacheometer | SET3 | Sokkisha, Japan | 0428 |
| Electronic fieldbook | SDR | Sokkisha, Japan | 0429 |
| Triple prism reflector | GDR-11 | Wild, Switzerland | 0430 |
| Triple prism reflector | GDR-11 | Wild, Switzerland | 0431 |
| Single prism reflector | GDR-3 | Wild, Switzerland | 0432 |
| Tiltable prism | OMNI, USA | 0433 | |
| Tiltable single prism | 571125740 | Geotronics AB, Sweden | 0434 |
| Mini prism reflector | JR | OMNI, USA | 0435 |
Reference materials
Links to virtual museums and relevant websites containing information on historical surveying instruments:
The Lady Denman Heritage Complex
Dent Street, Huskisson, NSW 2540, Australia
|
Scientific Instrument Collection
website.lineone.net/~bsneesby/index
|
Study Collection of Kern & Co,
Schlossplatz 23, 5000 Aarau, Switzerland kern-aarau.ch/kern/willkommen/welcome
|
Auctioneers of Fine Art, Antiques
Willoughby, Ohio, USA
|
Virtual Archive of Wild Heerbrugg
swissonline.ch/dedual/wild_heerbrugg/
|
Maison du Geometres
79, Cours Charlemagne
|
Macleay Museum University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
sydney.edu.au/museums/collections/macleay
|
Scientific Instrument Collections in Australian Universities
optusnet.com.au/jph8524/JHUniInstColl
|
National Technical Museum Prague
|
Science Museum
Exhibition Road, South Kensington,
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/
|
Förderkreis Vermessungstechnisches Museum e.V. Museum fur Kunst und Kulturgeschichte
http://www.vermessungsgeschichte.de/
|
The Whipple Museum of the History of Science
Cambridge, England
|
International Institution for the History of
http://www.fig.net/hsm/index.htm/
|
Antique Surveying Instruments at 'oobject' (blog/directory)
http://www.oobject.com/category/antique-surveying-instruments/
|
Hewlett-Packard Archive
|