McArthur's universal corrective map (1979)

This map was published by Stuart McArthur in 1979 as a protest against the imposition of representing maps with the northern hemisphere at the top.

Stuart McArthur painted the first version of his map with the southern hemisphere at the top when he was only 12 years old, in 1970. According to the story, his teacher corrected him and asked him to make the map the right way round. correct. Throughout the rest of his adolescence, he continued his personal battle until 1979, when, while studying at the University of Melbourne, he managed to publish this map in commemoration of Australia Day on 26 January.

The map is loaded with intentions to place Australia at its centre. In addition to the obvious fact that the south appears at the top, the ocean that appears divided is the Atlantic and not the Pacific (as is commonly the case). In this way, Australia is placed in a privileged position: at the centre and at the top. As if all this were not enough, the map also uses a colour gradient on land surfaces, painting Australia and New Zealand in white and areas further away from this central point in different shades of orange.

If you would like to learn more about the history of map orientation, I wrote about the reason why here. the north is at the top.

Milhaud Maps

McArthur's universal corrective map (1979)

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