Story: Modern mapping and surveying

Surveyors or spies?

Surveyors or spies?

During the Second World War, survey teams doing night observations often caused alarm amongst the public. In one case they sparked a police call-out to search for Nazi spies, as reported in this June 1940 article from the Otago Daily Times. In the end the Department of Lands and Survey issued public notices to let people know when and where the teams were working.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: Otago Daily Times, 22 June 1940, p. 10 (N-P 1460-10)

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Melanie Lovell-Smith, 'Modern mapping and surveying - Geodetic triangulation', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/document/18899/surveyors-or-spies (accessed 19 April 2024)

Story by Melanie Lovell-Smith, published 24 Nov 2008, updated 1 Aug 2018