Geoscience Australia MapConnect geoMap theme

Well folks, this map is a fine example of what is on offer for free from Geoscience Australia at the MapConnect home page. This example map has been created using the geoMap theme, which seems to offer high quality pdf maps for download which are fully featured extracts from the 250K database. Various other databases such as geological maps are on offer.
In a reasonably simple process the area of interest and extent of coverage for the geoMap can be defined. Page sizes range from A4 to A0, bigger the page, the wider the area of coverage. Then in a two step process the map is downloaded as a pdf file attached to email from GA. The map generated is of the highest quality, which is an exact replica of the printed 250K map. File sizes are big; this map which covers only part of the ACT is about 1.3MB; a map to cover the entire ACT requires A1 page size and the file size is 10MB.
Again, to get the map into the blog you need to upload to docstoc, get an embedding code and compose or edit the post in html!!!
As expected from pdf docs, the map as embedded in the blog can be zoomed and panned to great detail.
Unlike the maps created in the 250K theme, maps created in the geoMap theme cannot be marked up or have layers turned on or off, nor can they be given a title. They do have an index map inset to show the area of the map and a scale bar. The coordinates of the centre of the map [marked with a cross] are given.
The geoMap theme offers another tool to show maps in the blog; one which you need to use to develop its full potential. The output looks much more professional than the extracts from the NatMap DVD set that I have used previously.

geoMap_250K_A4_Canberra -