Australia — East Coast, Double Point to Cape Tribulation & the Barrier Reefs (1843–48)

The Admiralty chart that opened Queensland’s most dangerous reef coast

Before this coast was charted, the waters between Double Point and Cape Tribulation were among the most treacherous on Earth — a dense maze of coral, shoals and shifting channels guarding the rainforests of Far North Queensland. This magnificent British Admiralty chart, surveyed between 1843 and 1848 by Captain Owen Stanley and the officers of HMS Rattlesnake, marks the moment this lethal stretch of the Great Barrier Reef was finally measured, mapped and made navigable.

Engraved by J. & C. Walker, this was the working chart that allowed explorers, mail ships and naval vessels to push north through Australia’s tropical frontier.

This is not a decorative map.
It is the key that unlocked Queensland’s wildest coastline.

⚓ What This Chart Shows

This finely engraved Admiralty sheet reveals one of the most complex marine environments on Earth.

• The northeast Queensland coast from Double Point to Cape Tribulation

• The Great Barrier Reef system plotted in extraordinary detail

• Detached reefs, coral heads and shoals

• Hundreds of bathymetric soundings showing safe depths and danger zones

• Coastal relief shown by hachures and spot heights

• Greenwich prime meridian — true Admiralty navigation standard

This was the chart captains trusted when navigating one of the most reef-choked stretches of Australia’s coast.

🧭 Why This Chart Works

Most reef maps show where coral lies.
This shows where ships could pass.

• Surveyed by HMS Rattlesnake — one of Britain’s great survey vessels

• Compiled from years of hazardous reef exploration

• True British Admiralty production — the gold standard of navigation

• Dense technical detail — soundings, shoals and channels

• Museum-grade engraving by J. & C. Walker

This is the chart that transformed this coastline from a dead end into a navigable corridor.

✨ Premium Finishes

Every Double Point to Cape Tribulation (1843–48) Admiralty Chart is printed in Australia using archival methods to preserve every fine engraved line and depth figure.

📐 Size

745 mm (W) × 1000 mm (H)
A dramatic portrait-format wall map that perfectly suits the long, reef-lined Queensland coastline and its maze of coral passages.

🎯 Ideal For

• Maritime and naval history collectors

• Yacht clubs and sailing institutions

• Museums and libraries

• Reef researchers and environmental centres

• Anyone fascinated by the Great Barrier Reef

🤝 Our Commitment

• Printed in Australia with professional colour management

• Archival pigment inks for long-term stability

• Premium laminates and canvas for durability

• Natural timber hang rails for elegant presentation

• Hand-checked and carefully packed before dispatch

Before it became a world wonder, the Great Barrier Reef was a deadly frontier.
Choose your finish and bring the chart that first revealed it onto your wall.