Viewing Historic Plans and Maps

in Google Earth

Once Google Earth is installed, follow these steps to view historic plans and maps in Google Earth. You might find it easier to print these instructions beforehand - click HERE to open a print-friendly version of these instructions which you can print using your Browser's Print facility.

1. After reading all of these instructions (below the table), click on the relevant link for the historic plan or map for a particular suburb:

2. A Dialog Box should open, asking you to save the Google Earth file. It will have the file extension ".kmz". Choose where you are going to save the file, then click SAVE.

3. Wait for the ".kmz" file to finish downloading, then locate it and open it by double-clicking it. Google Earth will open and display the historic plans or maps in their respective locations in its 3D viewer.

4. In Google Earth, the links to the historic plans or maps are found listed in the left-most panel, under Temporary Places, found at the bottom of the Places panel (you may need to scroll down to see them) - see screenshot, below.

Ticking the small box beside each Plan name makes that Plan visible in the 3D viewer.
Unticking the small box hides that Plan.
Single-clicking on a Plan's name will highlight it.
Double-clicking on a Plan's name will move that Plan into view in the 3D viewer.

5. At the very bottom of the Places panel is a Transparency Slider. It controls the transparency of whichever Plan is highlighted in the list. (Make sure the Plan's name is highlighted, its "visibility" box is ticked, and that the highlighted Plan is in view in the 3D viewer).

6. Note that the Plans are "draped" over the countryside in Google Earth. Use the usual Google Earth controls to zoom, rotate, and tilt your view so you can see how the Plans follow the contours of the ground.

Google Earth screenshot showing Places panel and Transparency Slider.