This article was originally prepared for and read at the XIXth International Geographical Congress, Stockholm, August 1960. It deals until the preparation and content of the first edition of the Atlas of Australian Resources, Australia's first national atlas. The author has been editor of the Atlas since early in 1956. Currently he is directing the preparation of a second series of Atlas maps, which will be in part revised editions of earlier maps but will also include a number of maps on new topics.