CASE STUDY
NationalMap: The project that made open data visible
For over a decade, NationalMap was a cornerstone of Australia’s open data movement, making spatial data accessible, usable, and actionable for government, industry, and the public. While the platform was decommissioned in June 2025 following a decade of service, its legacy lives on through the technology it inspired, the cultural shift it supported, and the open-source foundation it created.
Key takeaways
Need: Make Australia's scattered government spatial data discoverable, viewable, and usable in one place.
Solution: Federated spatial data platform built on open-source TerriaJS technology, enabling drag-and-drop visualization of thousands of datasets from 50+ custodians and seamless 2D/3D navigation accessible to users regardless of technical background.
Technology: Integration of CesiumJS, LeafletJS, and TerriaJS open-source frameworks to federate data directly from custodians' servers and data.gov.au.
✔ Federated 13,000+ datasets from 50+ data custodians
✔ $70M projected net economic benefit by 2030
✔ 20,000+ monthly sessions at peak usage
Fragmented data, missed opportunities
In 2014, government spatial data in Australia was scattered across departments and hard to access. There was no centralised tool for discovering, viewing, or combining this wealth of information, despite its potential value for researchers, businesses, policy-makers, and everyday citizens.
Open data had become a policy priority, but publishing datasets wasn’t enough. What was missing was a way to see and use it.
Building NationalMap
With backing from the Department of Communications and the Prime Minister’s Office, CSIRO’s Data61 (then NICTA) led the development of a new platform to federate and visualise spatial data using open standards and open-source software.
Built initially on CesiumJS and Leaflet and later, on what became known as TerriaJS, NationalMap allowed users to:
Explore thousands of datasets on a single map
Federate data directly from custodians’ servers or data.gov.au
Use easy to use drag-and-drop visualisation of their own files
Navigate 2D and 3D environments with ease, regardless of technical background.
NationalMap of Australia
Design manifesto
Since its release in 2014, NationalMap’s design manifesto has become a benchmark for Australia’s open data strategy, shaping future platforms and leaving a lasting legacy across government, research, and industry collaboration.
Principles:
✔ All levels of government
✔ All departments and agencies
✔ Vendor-neutral, technology-agnostic
✔ Data direct from custodian
✔ Open-source front-end
A decade of innovation and impact
NationalMap helped redefine how spatial data could be used in government and industry:
20,000+ sessions per month at peak usage
13,000+ datasets federated from over 50 data custodians
Projected $70M in net economic benefit to Australia by 2030 (Centre for International Economics, 2021)
Spawned critical spin-off projects including Australian Renewable Mapping Infrastructure (AREMI), the National Drought Map, National Environmental Information Infrastructure (NEII) and many more.
It became a powerful educational, planning, and communication tool; enabling better infrastructure planning, environmental analysis, government collaboration and more.
The legacy: What lives on
Though NationalMap was retired in mid-2025 to pave the way for new projects, its architecture and principles remain deeply embedded in today’s spatial data ecosystem:
TerriaJS, the open-source engine behind NationalMap, now powers dozens of spatial platforms in Australia and around the world, including:
PhilSA (Philippine Space Agency data portal)
NationalMap’s federated data model, intuitive user experience, and commitment to openness have become a blueprint for future platforms.
Looking ahead: A new chapter in spatial data intelligence
NationalMap wasn’t just a platform; it was a mindset shift. It showed what’s possible when all levels of government work cohesively to provide data services to businesses, citizens and academia. Today, Terria continues to build on this legacy, applying the same open, accessible, and scalable approach to new challenges across digital twins, environmental modelling, infrastructure planning, and beyond.
“NationalMap was never just about maps, it was about accessibility, empowerment, and creating a culture where government data became a shared asset.”
Ana Belgun, Co-founder and CEO
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