Rottnest Island, Wadjemup

This survey map lays out Rottnest Island, the small stretch of land off the coast of Western Australia near Perth. Its other name, Wadjemup, comes from the Whadjuk Noongar people, the traditional custodians of the area, and means something close to "place across the water." Drawn with a careful hand, the map follows every curve of the coastline, marks the salt lakes scattered across the interior, and names the bays that dot the shore, among them Salmon Bay and Porpoise Bay. A wide central zone is marked "Public Recreation," some 4,000 acres in all, which hints that the island was being set up as a spot for visitors when this was made.

Cartographers, the surveyors and draftsmen who measured and recorded the land, produced work like this. While not art in the usual sense, the map holds a quiet appeal thanks to its fine contour lines, neat hand lettering, and the warm faded tone of the aged paper. Every detail speaks of slow, patient measurement and a steady hand at the drawing table.

The island's calm surface hides a painful story. For many years Rottnest served as a prison for Aboriginal men, and a great many died there, far from their families and country. A document devoted to leisure and recreation makes for an odd companion to that history, a reminder that one place can hold gentle and sorrowful memories side by side.