AHO - 30 Years in Wollongong
On the 7th November 2024 the Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO) celebrated 30 years being located in the Illawarra Region.
The AHO was formed in 1920 and provides Australia’s national charting service under the international conventions of Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the United Nations Convention of Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Navigation Act 2012 (Cth).
The AHO produces official nautical charts (paper & electronic), publications and other products and services in Australia’s Charting area to support maritime safety, the protection of the marine environment and increasing maritime trade.
The products and services provided by the AHO is critical to the success of the Australian economy:
- 99% of Australia’s imports/exports are transported by sea
- $1.2 Billion of trade moves through Australia’s ports each day
- Australia has the third largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the world
- Australia’s charting area is over 1/8th of the earth’s surface including 60,000km of coastline and 8,000 islands
- Approximately 30,000 SOLAS class ships visit Australian ports each year
- Australia has over 10 million km2 of maritime jurisdiction
A purpose built facility was built beside Wollongong Railway Station (pictured below). Senator Robert Ray, Minister for Defence announced the move on 24th June 1992.
The lack of room to expand the North Sydney facility due to the increased volume of survey data and finalisation of the current lease was the trigger that sparked the move. The Hydrographer at the time was CDRE J Leech RAN and there were 125 staff working in the North Sydney Office (pictured to the left).
The site was sold to Navy from Wollongong Council for $400,000 which was considered a fair price of the day.
The move was reported as being in line with Regional Development Strategy recommendations that included diversifying the region’s economic base by encouraging government departments to relocate to the Illawarra. Approximately 50% of the technical staff left the organisation due to the relocation of the office. The organisation was rebuilt with local Illawarra recruits.
Of the current 160 staff members, there are 8 original North Sydney office staff members still employed at the AHO site in Wollongong.
Since the move to Wollongong, there have been nine Hydrographers, with CDRE R L Phillips RAN the current Hydrographer of Australia.
Over the past 30 years, the AHO has moved from a primarily paper based product model to digital based delivery for its navigation products and services which include Electronic Navigation Charts (ENC), digital tidal, navigation & maritime safety products.
The AHO also represents Australia both nationally and internationally in activities from charting and surveying, to developing policy, standards and specifications for maritime geospatial data, hydrographic surveying, and charting in Australian Waters.
The AHO is a foundation member of the 
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), contributing to international stakeholder groups and forums to advocate for Australia’s maritime geospatial interests.
The AHO is the current chair of the South West Pacific Hydrographic Commission (SWPHC), oversees the Australasian Hydrographic Surveyors Certification Panel (AHSCP) and is the Primary Charting Authority (PCA) for Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
Further information about the history of the AHO can be found on our history page.