Appendix U - Imagery Interpretation Guide

1. Introduction

The contents of this appendix exists to assist standard capture and imagery interpretation of the Australian Landscape. This guide is to be used as a reference during feature capture processes but does not have precedence over documentation in other chapters and appendices of this specifications (e.g. size criteria and feature type definitions). This guide is not comprehensive, in terms of all feature types, but rather focuses of features or feature associations identified as having systematic difficulties in interpretation over the last ten years of 1:250000 and larger scale topographic data revision and acquisition.

The guide has been broken up into categories for the speed, and ease, of viewing on the web. If a image or interpretation is associated with two or more categories, it will be duplicated in each category to maximum accessibility to users of this specification. Additional images will be added over the course of time to expand this guide as new issues develop and image examples become available.

If required, hovering over each example image will provide information on the type of image used (e.g photograph, orthophotography or SPOT xmi), the resolution of the image used (e.g. 60cm or 2.5m) as well as where appropriate the band combination used (e.g RGB= 123). In addition a scale bar has been included in each image, where possible, to allow users of this specification to get an approximation of the size of features represented in each image.

The following table is provided to outline the download times expected when downloading files on different bandwidths. In each of the examples provided in the next chapter, there are 1-2 images and a description of these images. The examples also include distinctive characteristics and regional considerations of the particular feature. The size of each example is given in kilobytes.


Bandwidth (transfer speed)
File Size
56 Kbps 256 Kbsp 1.544 Mbps 10 Mbps 45 Mbps 100 Mbps
400 kilobytes 59 sec 12.8 sec 2.12 sec 0.33 sec 0.07 sec 0.03 sec
600 kilobytes 1 min 28 sec 19.2 sec 3.18 sec 0.49 sec 0.11 sec 0.05 sec
800 kilobytes 2 min 3 sec 25.6 sec 4.24 sec 0.66 sec 0.15 sec 0.07 sec
1 Megabyte 2 min 26 sec 32 sec 5.31 sec 0.82 sec 0.19 sec 0.08 sec
1.5 Megabyte 3 min 44 sec 54 sec 8 sec 1.3 sec 0.28 sec 0.13 sec
15 Megabyte 37 min 26 sec 8 min 12 sec 1 min 21 sec 12.58 sec 2.8 sec 1.26 sec

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2. Categories in the Imagery Interpretation Guide

2.1 Habitation and Associated Areas

This portion of the guide "Habitation and Associated Areas" focuses mainly on the following types of features: Buildings, Built Up Areas , Homesteads, Populated Places, Cemeteries and Recreation Areas. It will go into detail on some example forms of complexes such as schools.

2.1.1 Homesteads

2.1.2 Buildings

2.1.3 Schools

2.1.4 Hospitals

2.1.5 Golf Courses

2.1.6 Greenhouses

2.1.7 Rifle Ranges

2.1.8 Race Courses

2.1.9 Cemeteries

2.1.10 Substations

2.1.11 Built Up Area Delineation

2.1.12 Miscellaneous Areas

2.1.13 Place of Worship

2.1.14 Ovals

2.1.15 Waste Management Areas


Note: When being used for internal or offline use; Habitation and Associated Areas (19MB) can be viewed in one summary page.
(Not recommended for external online download as transfer speed of 56 Kbps may take 47 minutes to download this page.)


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2.2 Transport

This portion of the guide "Transport" focuses mainly on the following types of features: Aviation Facilities, Roads, Railway, Foot Tracks, Ferry Routes and their associated constructions (e.g bridges, tunnels, etc).

2.2.1 Road Surface - Sealed/Unsealed

2.2.2 Roads Vs Linear Feature

2.2.3 Landing Grounds

2.2.4 Road Bridges

2.2.5 Railways

2.2.6 Road Existence

2.2.7 Road Overpasses


Note: When being used for internal or offline use; Transport (17.1MB) can be viewed in one summary page.
(Not recommended for external online download as transfer speed of 56 Kbps may take 42 minutes to download this page.)


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2.3 Hydrography

This portion of the guide "Hydrography" focuses mainly on the following types of man-made and natural water associated features: Canals, Rapids, Watercourses, Flats, Lakes, Pondage Areas, Reservoirs, Dams, Waterholes, Waterfalls, Water points, Water Tanks, Spillways, Locks, Bores.

2.3.1 Water Tanks

2.3.2 Canals

2.3.3 Pondage Areas

2.3.4 Reservoirs

2.3.5 Dams

2.3.6 Canals Vs Contour Banks

2.3.7 Dams Vs Vegetation


Note: When being used for internal or offline use; Hydrography (18.4MB) can be viewed in one summary page.
(Not recommended for external online download as transfer speed of 56 Kbps may take 45 minutes to download this page.)


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2.4 Infrastructure

This portion of the guide "Infrastructure" focuses mainly on the following types of features: Aerial Cableways, Dam Walls, Fences, Vertical Obstructions, Windpumps, Yards, Conveyors, Mines, Petroleum Wells, Storage Tanks

2.4.1 Fences

2.4.2 Water Towers

2.4.3 Storage Tanks

2.4.4 Mine Areas

2.4.5 Yards

2.4.6 Chimneys

2.4.7 Fire Towers

2.4.8 Silos

2.4.9 Wind Turbine Generator

2.4.10 Grain Bunker


Note: When being used for internal or offline use; Infrastructure (9.6MB) can be viewed in one summary page.
(Not recommended for external online download as transfer speed of 56 Kbps may take 23 minutes to download this page.)


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2.5 Vegetation

This portion of the guide "Vegetation" focuses mainly on the following types of features: Cleared Lines, Orchards, Plantations, Rainforest, Forest, Mangrove, Windbreaks.

2.5.1 Cleared Lines

2.5.2 Cultivated Areas

2.5.3 Cotton Gins

2.5.4 Windbreaks


Note: When being used for internal or offline use; Vegetation (4.6MB) can be viewed in one summary page.
(Not recommended for external online download as transfer speed of 56 Kbps may take 11 minutes to download this page.)


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2.6 Marine

This portion of the guide "Marine" focuses mainly on the following types of features: Jetties, Wharfs, Boat Ramps, Sea Walls, Offshore Rocks, Reefs, Shoals, Foreshore Flat, Wrecks, Lighthouses.

2.6.1 Boat Ramp


Note: When being used for internal or offline use; Marine (762kb) can be viewed in one summary page.
(Not recommended for external online download as transfer speed of 56 Kbps may take 2 minutes to download this page.)


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2.7 Agriculture

This portion of the guide "Agriculture" focuses mainly on the following types of features: Intensive Animal Production.

2.7.1 Intensive Animal Production


Note: When being used for internal or offline use; Agriculture (4.2MB) can be viewed in one summary page.
(Not recommended for external online download as transfer speed of 56 Kbps may take 11 minutes to download this page.)

2.8 Utility

This portion of the guide "Utility" focuses mainly on the following types of features: Powerlines, PowerStations, SubStations, Pipelines.

2.8.1 Powerline

2.8.2 Substation

2.8.3 Power Station OR
Power Generation Facility


Note: When being used for internal or offline use; Utility (1.5Mb) can be viewed in one summary page.
(Not recommended for external online download as transfer speed of 56 Kbps may take 4 minutes to download this page.)


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Topic contact: mapfeedback@ga.gov.au Last updated: January 20, 2012