A property’s history is often as important as its present condition. For contamination assessments, heritage investigations, development feasibility, and planning appeals, understanding how a site has changed over time can be decisive. Mapview now provides access to historical aerial imagery for Australian properties, with coverage extending back to the 1950s for many metropolitan and regional areas.
What’s Available
The historical imagery library in Mapview draws from digitised state government aerial survey archives, the National Library of Australia’s aerial photography collection, and our ongoing partnerships with state mapping agencies.
Coverage varies by area:
- Metropolitan Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane — imagery available from the early 1950s, with captures approximately every 5–10 years up to the present
- Major regional centres — imagery available from the late 1960s to mid-1970s, with increasing frequency from the 1990s
- Rural and remote areas — limited historical coverage; current high-resolution imagery available from 2015 onwards
For each property with historical coverage, you’ll see a timeline slider in the map panel showing the available capture dates.
How to Use the Timeline
- Search for an address or navigate to a property on the map
- In the Imagery layer selector, switch from the default current view to Historical
- A timeline appears at the bottom of the map — drag the slider or click a date to load that imagery vintage
- Use the split view toggle to compare two different dates side by side
The split view is particularly useful for before-and-after comparisons — for example, comparing a site’s condition before and after a known contamination event, or tracking the fill and development of a former industrial precinct.
Practical Applications
Environmental and Contamination Due Diligence
Historical aerial imagery is a standard component of Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments (ESA). Being able to identify when filling occurred, when structures were built or demolished, or when industrial operations were active helps consultants identify potential contamination pathways. The Mapview timeline integrates directly with the EPA contamination site overlay so you can cross-reference physical changes with known regulatory history.
Heritage Investigations
Heritage consultants use historical imagery to assess the integrity and evolution of heritage-listed or potentially significant properties. Imagery from the 1950s and 1960s can show original building fabric, subdivision patterns, and landscape features that have since been altered.
Development Feasibility and Planning Appeals
Developers and planning lawyers use historical imagery in VCAT and court proceedings to demonstrate the longstanding nature of land uses, establish existing use rights, or challenge the basis of council decisions. Having decades of imagery readily accessible — rather than requiring a bespoke archive request — reduces the time and cost of gathering this evidence.
Coastal and Riverine Erosion Assessment
For properties near coastlines, rivers, or flood-prone areas, historical imagery allows direct measurement of shoreline movement, erosion extent, and flood inundation extent over time.
Access
Historical aerial imagery is available on Professional and Business plans. Current-vintage high-resolution imagery is available on all plans including Free.
Explore all features or upgrade your plan to access the full imagery archive.