Inside Hema Maps
For anyone who has planned a lap of Australia, tackled an iconic 4WD track or searched for a campsite beyond the bitumen, the name Hema Maps will be familiar. Behind its printed maps, atlases and digital navigation products is a story shaped by adventurous founders, ambitious field expeditions and a determination to map poorly documented places.
In a recent episode of the Off-Grid Downunder Podcast, Hema Maps Chairman Sam Hayward joined hosts Steve, Mark Banks and Vaughan Hindley to discuss the origins of the company, the evolution of Australian mapping and what travellers should consider before venturing into remote country.
The conversation explored why accurate mapping still matters, how real-world information is collected and why printed maps continue to complement modern GPS navigation.
You can watch the full episode here: Mapping Australia with Hema Maps | EP 43 - YouTube
From family road trips to an Australian mapping business
Hema Maps began with Henry and Margaret Boegheim, whose first names provided the company with its now-recognisable name: “He” from Henry and “Ma” from Margaret.
After establishing photocopying and office-supply businesses, the couple became involved in laminating marine charts. Their interest in camping and four-wheel driving soon exposed a larger problem: useful touring maps were difficult to find away from major population centres.
An early contract to create a map of the Mackay region helped set the business on a new course.
According to Sam, the founders were not trained cartographers. They approached maps as adventurous travellers and practical designers, considering how colour, symbols, road classifications and points of interest could help someone quickly understand a region. Fuel, camping areas and essential services were part of what made a map useful.
That traveller-first perspective became central to the Hema Maps identity.
The expedition that helped define Hema Maps
One of the podcast's most interesting insights concerns the Great Desert Tracks project, which began taking shape during the 1990s. Hema Maps recognised that the farther travellers ventured into inland Australia, the less reliable the available mapping became.
The response was an 18-month field program involving staff travelling in pairs across predetermined routes. Teams recorded tracks, intersections, coordinates and practical touring information.
At the time, early consumer GPS units could provide coordinates or point towards a destination, but they did not offer today's detailed moving maps. Recording latitude and longitude at remote intersections allowed travellers to relate their GPS position to a printed Hema map.
The project became a turning point for the business and helped establish the Great Desert Tracks map series as an important resource for Outback touring. More importantly, it created an approach that continues today: mapping should be checked on the ground, not produced entirely from behind a desk.
Why ground-truthing still matters
The Hema Map Patrol grew from those early desert expeditions and remains one of the company's defining programs. Its field teams travel Australian roads and tracks to collect data, verify routes and update points of interest.
Satellite imagery may show that a road exists, but it cannot always reveal bull dust, corrugations or deep ruts. Nor can it reliably confirm whether a remote fuel outlet keeps limited hours, a campsite allows dogs or a facility provides water or waste disposal.
Hema Maps supplements Map Patrol fieldwork through its Alpha program, a community of experienced Outback travellers who collect track data and information across the country.
For caravanners, this can make a substantial difference. A closed track, flooded crossing or unavailable fuel stop may require a detour of hundreds of kilometres. Knowing where services are located and when they operate is essential in remote Australia.
Printed maps and GPS devices serve different purposes
Another useful takeaway from the podcast is that the debate should not necessarily be “paper versus digital”. Sam describes printed maps and GPS navigation as complementary tools.
A GPS device shows a traveller's position and helps them follow a route. A printed road atlas or regional map provides a wider view, making it easier to understand distances, compare alternatives and see what lies beyond the immediate route.
This broader perspective becomes important when conditions change. If flooding closes a road, a detailed printed map can reveal alternatives that may not be obvious on a small screen. It can also show national parks, historic sites and scenic diversions an automated search may overlook.
Hema Maps carries its familiar cartographic style across print and digital products. Travellers can plan with a road atlas, regional map or guide, then use the HR-1 Nav or HX-BOX on the road. Motorcycle travellers can also consider the handlebar-mounted HX-M1.
Preparation remains the most important navigation tool
The episode repeatedly returns to one central message: remote travel requires perspective and preparation.
Distances across Australia can be deceptive. A 250km journey on an Outback track cannot always be treated like 250km of highway driving. Road conditions, towing weight, weather and fatigue can turn a seemingly manageable distance into a full day behind the wheel. Fuel consumption may also increase significantly on corrugated roads, in sand or when towing into a strong headwind.
Reliable maps are therefore only one part of the plan. Travellers also need to understand their vehicle's range, research fuel availability, allow realistic travel times and carry suitable communications and recovery equipment. Sam's advice for newcomers is reassuringly simple: start with smaller trips and build experience before attempting a major remote-area journey.
More than lines on a map
Perhaps the strongest idea from the podcast is Sam's observation that mapping is not only about roads and tracks. It is also about the stories surrounding them.
Routes across Australia often follow water sources, historic transport corridors, pastoral routes and much older Indigenous pathways. Towns and landmarks carry stories that can add meaning to a journey, while seemingly minor points of interest can become the most memorable part of a family holiday.
That philosophy explains why Hema Maps continues to invest in fieldwork while developing new digital tools. The objective is not simply to direct travellers from one destination to another. It is to help them understand where they are, recognise what they are passing and discover experiences they might otherwise miss.
For Caravan World readers planning their next trip, the full Off-Grid Downunder Podcast interview provides a fascinating look behind one of Australia's best-known mapping brands. It is a reminder that good navigation begins well before departure -and that the right combination of research, printed mapping and digital guidance can help travellers see more, travel more confidently and return home safely.
You can watch the full episode here: Mapping Australia with Hema Maps | EP 43 - YouTube
Inside Hema Maps and the Story of Mapping Australia