Cartographic King – Australian Geographic

Having won numerous international awards and set an exceptional standard for cartography in Australia and around the world, Australian GeographyBritain’s top cartographer, 80-year-old Will Pringle, died on November 16, working to the end, with accolades pouring in.

Grandpa’s favorite in the office, Will worked for Australian Geography for 37 years, starting with the fourth issue of the magazine, with issue No. 183 being his last.

Like his maps, he was always impeccably presented, professional, accessible and full of information, with a special memory for lesser-known places. Sometimes working for months on one large map, Will has been known to make changes even after the deadline in search of perfection – even painstakingly adjusting the shade of the map to better match the photos in the layout.

“I had a few rules about each card,” Will recalled in early November. “It had to be clear, precise, timely and exciting—by which I mean visually appealing.”

Growing up in Sydney and attending Balgowlah Boys’ High School, Will began cartographic training at 16 with Clive Barrass, who, among other things, created Gregory’s Street Directory of Sydney and Suburbs. It was a strict, old-school master-apprentice relationship in an era when maps were drawn entirely by hand on transparent layers that were then glued together. “The first couple of hours every morning I sat and wrote letters,” Will said. “I was pretty good at it, so it wasn’t hard work.” The incredibly neat handwriting he had to learn stayed with him for the rest of his career.

Having completed his apprenticeship a year early, Will rose through the ranks of this small enterprise before opening his own business, Travelog, primarily producing state maps and road maps sold through service stations. These stunning examples were admired by businessman and pilot Dick Smith when he created Australian Geography in 1985, so he approached Will about joining the AG team just as Travelog was being sold to Universal Publishers, which created street catalogs UBD.

“I started the magazine and always wanted to publish really good maps, but for the first year or so we didn’t have any good mapmakers,” Dick says. He asked Will to join the team and create the Australian Mapping Unit. “Will later said he worked for Australian Geography it was exactly what he dreamed of,” Dick recalls. “From the very beginning he just understood the spirit Australian Geography. One of the main reasons for the success of the magazine was that A.G. became known for his incredibly good cartography. I was very concerned about accuracy, and he was completely obsessed with making sure the cards were perfect.”

With a smile, Will recalled his “interview” with Dick a little differently: “He told me, ‘Now I have all these people working for me who don’t do what they’re told. Why do I need another one? But soon Will was sat in his CEO’s office working on huge, world-first poster maps of remote areas such as Antarctica, the Canning Stoke Route and the Birdsville Track. “The first map Will produced for AG was Australian Antarctica, a fantastic map included in our fifth issue and released in January 1987,” says Australian Geographyfounding editor Howard Whelan. “It was better than anything else National Geographic released, and that was just the beginning. But if I had to choose Will’s best map, it would be “Australia for Adventurers and Dreamers.” It accompanied the April 1990 issue, was revised and included in the October 1994 issue, and became one of the best-selling products in Australian Geographic stores for many years.”

“There’s still one hanging here in Terry Hills and I look at it every day,” Dick says.

Tony Gordon Australian Geographythe company’s creative director with 17 years of experience joins in the effusive praise. “Did Will Pringle contribute to the amazing success Australian Geography in the early years it was profound,” says Tony. “Having someone on staff literally in the next room allowed the design and cartography departments to work closely to develop an illustration and map combination that we admired. Will’s commitment to the fundamentals of mapmaking—accuracy first—along with his passion for expanding the traditions of traditional mapping through the integration of illustration and photography will create a lasting legacy. Remember, in the early days, before the advent of Apple Macs (computers) and desktop publishing, each line of font had to be typed by hand and pasted onto a basemap layer. (It was) a tedious process, requiring time and skill, as well as the necessary mastery of the art of typography. Will is internationally respected in mapping circles for his innovations and has been invited to speak at events around the world. He is a unique cartographer whose contribution to the Australian cartographic community cannot be overstated.”

Will’s many awards include two 2005 MAPublisher Map Awards, an international competition showcasing the diversity and quality of maps produced using MAPublisher software. Always looking for something that could make his maps even better, Will had a remarkable ability to change his cartographic methods over the decades to keep pace with developments in the industry – from hand-drawn maps to early computer programs and the use of high-tech technology. satellites, to LiDAR remote sensing data with meter accuracy. “You will reach a certain level in your career, but then you need to move up to the next level,” he said.

With humility, Will expressed gratitude for his longevity in Australian Geography and amazement at those whom he managed to meet there. “I had the opportunity to meet a lot of people that I wouldn’t have met under normal circumstances,” he said. “I was able to meet some great international cartographers. I had dinner with the Russian Ambassador! In those days, people even sometimes wrote poems about me. Wonderful! Why would someone do this for me? I’m very grateful for the friendships I’ve made with these guys over the years, especially someone like Greg Mortimer (Trustee of Australian Geographic and the first Australian to climb Everest with Tim Macartney-Snape). He always stuck his head in my door and said, “Goodbye.”

Former Australian Geography Editor-in-chief Chrissy Goldrick, who worked with Will for nearly three decades and became his good friend, notes that quality cartography has always been a key feature of the magazine’s long-term success. “These are the cards that have always raised Australian Geography and helped it stand out,” she says. “Will’s ability to bring the science of cartography to life, coupled with a keen eye for design and tremendous geographical knowledge of Australia, has sustained the magazine for four decades. His dedication to precision, quality and artistry has enabled generations of our readers to plan or simply dream of future adventures. It has been a privilege to work with him, learn from him and laugh with him for 26 years.”

Always one of the first to arrive at the office and often working late at night and on weekends, Will still had plenty of time for his colleagues. If someone asked a cartographic question to which he didn’t know the answer, “he would soon be pulling map after map out of his drawers and laying them out on the table, looking through them for a definitive answer,” recalls former assistant editor Amanda Burdon. . “It may take hours, sometimes even days, but he won’t stop until he finds it.”

Speaking softly in a deep, husky voice, Will had an ironic sense of humor and loved a good laugh. If you asked him, for example, what he had for breakfast, he would inevitably answer: “A businessman’s breakfast is black coffee, a cigarette and two aspirin.”

“Kind-hearted, good-natured and loyal, Will never had a bad word to say about anyone,” Tony says. “Incredibly generous, he was the epitome of a selfless man who would gladly give you the shirt off his back.”

Will was lovingly supported by Diana, his wife of 42 years, until her passing in 2009. They had four children: Daniel, Rebecca, Amber and Heath.

In addition to an extraordinary library of maps that will forever be remembered, Will’s legacy includes mentoring cartographers, both freelance and in-house. Australian Geographysome of whom subsequently opened their own mapping businesses. “Will is revered in the cartography profession not only in Australia but around the world,” says Craig Molyneux of CartDeco. “For Will, cartography has always had a less-is-more approach.” His understanding of what the user required, balanced with clarity and economy, gave his maps a surprising appeal that cartographers sought to emulate. Will also supported the cartographic profession in Australia in various ways. He allowed young students entering the profession for the first time to attend International Mapping Industry Association conferences, subsidizing their expenses—all out of his own pocket.”

Former Director of Cartography National Geographic Apple’s head of mapping, Damien Saunder, considers himself lucky to work with Will. “I believe Will was the best cartographer this country has seen in the last 30 years or so,” he says. “He was truly a legendary cartographer whom I greatly admired.”

Interestingly, one of the last maps Will worked on commemorated the 40th anniversary of Australia’s first successful ascent of Everest. With his characteristic good humor and a twinkle in his eye, he said the research was difficult because “none of these guys could remember the route.”

Will faced medical and other challenges late in life, but still valued his time at Australian Geographic and the lasting friendships he had with his former colleagues. “I remember saying to Dick, ‘It was an honor to work for you,’ and he said, ‘You didn’t work for me, you worked with me.’

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