National Map – Exploring Australia’s Data Layers

Resource overview:
National Map is an interactive website developed by Geoscience Australia and CSIRO that provides access to hundreds of Australian spatial datasets. It allows users to explore information on topics such as land cover, infrastructure, environment, population, and transport at both national and local scales.

In the classroom:
Teachers can use National Map to help students investigate real-world issues such as urban sprawl in their city, bushfire management, or agricultural land use. For example, a Year 8 class could overlay population density with transport networks to explore how cities expand. In senior geography, students can use National Map for independent research projects, accessing authentic data for analysis.

Five features teachers may find useful:

• Large range of datasets from trusted government sources.

• Layers can be turned on and off to compare different themes.

• Interactive zoom function for moving from national to local level.

• Free, browser-based tool with no downloads required.

• Useful for student-led inquiry and authentic case studies.

Curriculum connections:

• Year 7: AC9HS7K04 – Examine interconnections between people, places and environments.

• Year 8: AC9HS8K05 – Explain how the characteristics of places are influenced by human activity.

• Year 9–10: AC9HS10S04 – Analyse relationships and trends using geographical data.