Maps and Surveys, Published 10 July 2026

Did You Know? Queensland Was Measured One Chain at a Time!

Long before GPS, drones and digital mapping, Queensland's early surveyors relied on a simple but remarkably accurate tool known as the Gunter's Chain.

Invented in 1620 by English mathematician Edmund Gunter, the chain measured exactly 66 feet (20.12 metres) and consisted of 100 metal links. It became the standard tool for measuring distance throughout the British Empire, including Queensland.

As Queensland was explored, settled and mapped during the 1800s, survey parties carried these heavy chains across bushland, scrub, ranges and open plains. The men responsible for stretching and aligning the chain were known as chainmen, and their work was often physically demanding and carried out in challenging conditions.

The Gunter's Chain influenced many of Queensland's early land measurements. Roads, property boundaries, town allotments and rural selections were frequently surveyed using chains and links as standard units of measurement. Many historic survey plans and property descriptions still contain these measurements today.

A survey team typically included a surveyor, chainmen, flagmen and labourers. Together they helped establish the boundaries of farms, towns and transport routes that shaped the Queensland we know today.

Next time you look at an old Queensland survey map, remember that many of its distances were measured by hand, one chain length at a time.

And for you mathematicians out there:

100 links = 1 chain 1 chain = 22 yards (66 feet or 20.1168 metres) 10 chains = 1 furlong (220 yards or 201.168 metres) 8 furlongs = 1 statute mile (1,760 yards, 5,280 feet or 1.609344 kilometres)

A few interesting facts:

80 chains = 1 statute mile A mile contains 8 furlongs, and each furlong contains 10 chains — giving a total of 80 chains.

10 square chains = 1 acre

Have you ever come across an old survey peg, boundary marker or historic map showing measurements in chains and links?

A note on our visuals: To help tell this story, we’ve used computer‑generated illustrations modelled on public domain archives. These are produced strictly for educational, non‑commercial history sharing.

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