Map of the city of Sydney and adjacent suburbsc 1907–08

The Sydney-based firm of HEC Robinson was one of Australia’s leading map producers from the late 19th into the 20th century, selling a variety of atlases, street directories, sheet and wall maps. This map of Sydney captures the city and adjacent suburbs at a time when the metropolitan population had grown to nearly 600,000, placing increasing strain on existing infrastructure. In response to this perceived critical point, in 1909 the Report of the Royal Commission for the Improvement of the City of Sydney and its Suburbs was released including recommendations to address traffic, housing, future growth and the beautification of the city. In the years and decades that followed, a number of these recommendations were realised such as the widening of Elizabeth Street and an underground city rail loop.