Australia's supply of physical maps is at risk of disappearing as one of the country's last map stores prepares to close its doors in Adelaide.
Cartographer Anthony Stephens owns The Map Shop on Hindley Street, where he has been selling — and creating — maps for 35 years.
"Life is finite and, having reached my 80th year, I think it's about time [to retire]," he told 891 ABC Adelaide.
"For 59 years, I've been making maps. The first computer map I made was in 1978, so we were fairly trendy at the time.
"It was really a pen and ink [job] to start with."
Mr Stephens said they sold overseas maps, local and government maps, wall maps for schools and businesses, and "anything to do with a graphical representation of the Earth".
Customers included schools, bushwalkers, 4WD owners, people mapping their ancestry or history, and "people going overseas trying to plan their trips".
"That's the difference with maps; you can actually plan what you're going to do," Mr Stephens said.
"A screen GPS and a phone is an aid to a map; it's not a replacement, and that's been pointed out many times by the SES and so on."
Mr Stephens already has buyers for his specialist map drawers. (891 ABC Adelaide: Malcolm Sutton)
Mr Stephens said there were very few map stores left in Australia — a "small one in the Melbourne suburbs", one in Hobart, "and that's it".
Adelaide's The Map Shop is consequently one of the main national suppliers, having sent maps to customers in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria on Monday alone.
"Once upon a time there would be a number of wholesalers in Australia who would supply, but as the number decreased, we've had to go overseas to buy our product so we now get it direct from Canada, Belgium, Austria and so on,"Mr Stephens said.
"That means we've got over 50 different suppliers supplying The Map Shop."
'We need maps!'
ABC listeners were anxious when they heard The Map Shop would be closing its doors after Tuesday next week.
"We work on the APY Lands and Google Maps is useless up there, so we still use paper maps as they are accurate." — Andrew
"I still carry paper maps in the B-double. It's always the case when you need to change my route because of road closure that my phone has no coverage. Saved me big fines for being 'off route'." — Ian
"This is a shame to see our last national map supplier close shop. Someone should pick up the baton and keep this venture alive. We need maps! When your device doesn't work, what are u going to do?" — Frosty
"We have as many map shops in Australia as we do oil refineries. Is this another crisis?" — John
Melanie told the ABC she bought maps after planning a bicycle journey from Adelaide to Sydney because she wanted something to give her "perspective, and help me work out my route and stay away from hills".
Listeners shared their own maps, including this large print of Adelaide's old tram routes. (Supplied)
Kerry said he had bought a tailor-made, colour-coded map to show where all his ancestors were born before they immigrated to Australia.
Custom orders a joy
Mr Stephens said creating maps was the shop's main function, with pastoral companies and government agencies among his regular customers.
"But the greatest fun is, in fact, doing those little custom maps," he said.
This included plotting the course that a man had travelled across the world on three boats during his lifetime.
"He presented those to his grandchildren to show what he had done in his life," Mr Stephens said.
A custom map showing where a married couple were born in the United Kingdom and Canberra. (Supplied: David)
Mr Stephens said business remained solid in the shop despite some decline as a result of the digital age, notably, the end of the well-known Fullers Street Directory that printed its last edition in 2014.
He said the most popular map was, "surprisingly, a wall map of Adelaide", and it was often bought by businesses.
"It shows that business doesn't just work electronically; it likes to have something on its wall to show where its customers are, where distribution is,"Mr Stephens said.
Mr Stephens had not been able to find someone with the right background to buy the business.
"The people who've run The Map Shop — I've been running it for over 35 years — have always had a military background to start with, or have been outdoor-type people," he said.
"To try and find someone who is young enough, keen enough and interested enough in maps, I could not find.
"It's not for want of trying, so if anyone's still interested, please call me."
Mr Stephens has been working as a cartographer for 59 years. (891 ABC Adelaide: Malcolm Sutton)
