Ausway

Ausway is an Australian cartography and publishing company whose best-known products are detailed metropolitan street directories and related mapping services. Its publishing history began with the development of Melway, a street directory for Melbourne. Merv Godfrey and Iven Mackay started preparing the project in 1961, at a time when commercially available road directories did not meet their expectations for accuracy and detail. Godfrey had previously drawn road maps for petrol stations while working for the Victorian Government's State Electricity Commission. He took extended leave from that employment and eventually resigned to concentrate on the directory, working with his wife to complete the publication. Mackay undertook extensive field checking, driving through Melbourne in a second-hand Morris Minor to verify roads and other map details. The first Melway edition appeared in May 1966 after approximately five years of manual research and pen-and-ink cartography. Its price was substantially higher than that of its closest competitor, but its detailed presentation and perceived accuracy helped it gain acceptance. Publicity on Graham Kennedy's television program In Melbourne Tonight further increased awareness. Melway became sufficiently familiar to Melbourne residents that its name entered common local usage as a generic reference to a street directory. The publication's success allowed the business to move beyond its origins in a private residence in Malvern; in 1985 it relocated to office premises in Mount Waverley. The corporate identity changed in 1991, when Melway Holdings adopted the name Ausway Publishing. The company then extended its metropolitan directory model beyond Melbourne. Sydway was introduced for Sydney in 1993, Brisway followed for Brisbane in 2005, and a Perth directory was launched in 2009 or 2010 under the Melway Perth name. The Perth product was derived from the Perth StreetSmart directory. Ausway's directory portfolio has also included coverage of surrounding regions, such as the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and several Western Australian centres. In addition to bound street directories, Ausway has produced laminated, folded and rolled maps in different sizes and formats, high-resolution digital map images, and index data. Its electronic eway products reproduce the company's directory maps in software form, allowing users to search locations, calculate distances and print selected maps. The company also extended its mapping data into navigation hardware through Navway, an in-car satellite-navigation range. Described models included the M470, T470 and P470, with features varying from lane guidance and Bluetooth hands-free calling to traffic information through the SUNA traffic channel. Ausway's digital activities have included mobile mapping applications and online directory access. The Aus Map application for Android and iPhone provided access to Ausway map coverage and could offer on-screen route guidance, while street-directory.com.au provided searchable online access to directory products. These services placed Ausway in competition with digital mapping and directory offerings from Sensis, including Whereis and UBD-derived products. The brand's core positioning remains grounded in locally detailed, practical road information delivered through print, digital files, online search and navigation formats.

Ausway's origins lie in an attempt to create a more accurate and useful street directory for Melbourne. In 1961, Merv Godfrey and Iven Mackay began drawing maps by hand for the proposed publication. Godfrey brought experience from preparing road maps for petrol stations during the 1960s, while his main employment was with the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. He took a year away from that job to work on the directory and later resigned, completing the project with assistance from his wife. The mapping process was unusually manual and methodical. After the maps had been drawn, Mackay travelled around Melbourne checking roads and map details in a second-hand Morris Minor. The work took about five years. The first Melway directory was released in May 1966 at a price of $2.50. Although the price was higher than that of its nearest competitor, the product's detail and quality attracted users. A television appearance by Graham Kennedy on In Melbourne Tonight's New Products segment helped bring the directory to a wider audience. Melway became a familiar household reference in Melbourne, and its name became colloquial shorthand for a street directory. The enterprise initially operated from Godfrey's private residence in Malvern. Continued commercial success led to a move to office premises in Mount Waverley in 1985. In 1991, Melway Holdings changed its name to Ausway Publishing, reflecting a broader corporate identity and an ambition extending beyond a single Melbourne product. The company launched Sydway for Sydney in 1993, Brisway for Brisbane in 2005, and Melway Perth for Perth and other Western Australian locations around 2009–2010. The directory range covered both metropolitan areas and selected surrounding regions, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie. Ausway also diversified the forms in which its geographic information was sold. Alongside bound directories, it produced maps that could be laminated, folded or rolled, as well as digital map images and index data. Eway was an electronic version of the Melway, Brisway, Sydway and Melway Perth directories for Microsoft Windows. It provided location search, distance calculation and printing capabilities, and was intended to be updated in step with the printed books. The company further entered vehicle navigation with Navway, a range of in-car satellite-navigation units loaded with Ausway mapping data. The documented range included the M470 base model, the T470 with traffic information, and the higher-end P470 Professional. Features included Ausway-style road display, lane guidance, Bluetooth hands-free calling and, on the traffic model, access to the SUNA traffic channel. Ausway also offered the Aus Map application for Android and iPhone, using an internet connection to retrieve map data and providing on-screen route guidance. Its online directory products were made searchable through street-directory.com.au, creating a digital channel that competed with Sensis's Whereis service and UBD-derived mapping products. The available reference material does not establish a current ownership structure, executive roster or precise present headquarters.

• 2009

  Melway Perth introduced

  [1]Auswayen.wikipedia.org

  Ausway introduced a Perth-focused directory derived from the Perth StreetSmart product, with coverage extending to other Western Australian centres.

• 2005

  Brisway launched

  [1]Auswayen.wikipedia.org

  The company expanded into Queensland with Brisway, covering Brisbane and nearby areas.

• 1993

  Sydway launched

  [1]Auswayen.wikipedia.org

  Ausway entered the Sydney market with the Sydway street directory.

• 1991

  Melway Holdings renamed Ausway Publishing

  [1]Auswayen.wikipedia.org

  The company adopted the Ausway Publishing name as its business expanded beyond the original Melbourne directory.

• 1985

  Business moves to Mount Waverley

  [1]Auswayen.wikipedia.org

  Following the success of Melway, the company moved from its original Malvern private-residence base to office premises in Mount Waverley.

• 1966

  First Melway edition published

  [1]Auswayen.wikipedia.org

  The first Melway street directory was released in May after roughly five years of map drawing and road verification.

• 1961

  Hand-drawn Melbourne directory project begins

  [1]Auswayen.wikipedia.org

  Merv Godfrey and Iven Mackay began preparing a detailed Melbourne street directory through manual cartography and field research.

A locally detailed Australian mapping and street-directory specialist serving motorists, households, businesses and navigation users across print and digital formats.

• Street directory · 1966

  Melway

  Ausway's original and best-known Melbourne street directory. It was built from detailed hand-drawn mapping and extensive road verification, and became a widely recognized local reference. The range has included standard and large-print editions, as well as a separate Ballarat edition.

• Street directory · 1993

  Sydway

  A street directory covering Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Coverage associated with the product has also incorporated the Central Coast of New South Wales in later editions.

• Street directory · 2005

  Brisway

  A Queensland-focused directory covering Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba. It extended Ausway's metropolitan directory model into a wider regional market.

• Street directory · 2009

  Melway Perth

  A Western Australian street directory covering Perth and selected regional centres including Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie. The product was derived from the Perth StreetSmart street directory.

• Digital directory software

  eway

  An electronic Windows-based version of Ausway's directory products. It provided searchable maps, distance calculation and printing functions, and was designed to be updated alongside the printed directories.

• Satellite-navigation device

  Navway

  An in-car navigation range using Ausway mapping data. Documented models included the M470, T470 and P470 Professional, with features such as lane guidance, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity and, on the traffic model, live congestion information through the SUNA traffic channel.

• Mobile mapping application

  Aus Map

  A mapping application for Android and iPhone that accessed Ausway directory coverage through an internet connection. It supported on-screen directions and included Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth map products among other map scales.

• 2005

  Expand into Queensland with BriswayProduct launch

  Background

  The company continued geographic expansion of its printed directory range.

  Action taken

  Brisway was introduced for Brisbane and nearby Queensland markets.

  Aftermath

  The portfolio grew to include major Queensland population centres and surrounding regions.

  Source

• 1993

  Expand into Sydney with SydwayProduct launch

  Background

  Ausway sought to apply the Melway street-directory model outside Melbourne.

  Action taken

  The company launched Sydway for Sydney and surrounding coverage.

  Aftermath

  The launch established a multi-city directory portfolio.

  Source

• 1991

  Adopt the Ausway Publishing identityStrategy

  Background

  The business had developed from a Melbourne directory publisher into a broader mapping company.

  Action taken

  Melway Holdings changed its name to Ausway Publishing.

  Aftermath

  The new identity accompanied expansion into Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and digital mapping formats.

  Source

• Extend mapping into digital and navigation formatsProduct launch

  Background

  Changing consumer use of geographic information created demand for searchable digital maps, mobile access and in-car navigation.

  Action taken

  Ausway developed eway, online directory access, the Aus Map application and Navway navigation devices.

  Aftermath

  The brand offered its directory data through software, web, mobile and hardware channels in addition to printed books.

  Source

• 1993

  Ausway expands its directory portfolio beyond Melbourne[1]Auswayen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The company launched Sydway for Sydney, extending the Melway directory concept into another Australian metropolitan market.

• 1991

  Melway Holdings adopts the Ausway Publishing name[1]Auswayen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The company changed its corporate name from Melway Holdings to Ausway Publishing as its mapping and publishing activities expanded.

• 1966

  Melway street directory introduced for Melbourne[1]Auswayen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The first edition of Melway was published after several years of hand-drawn mapping and field verification by Merv Godfrey and Iven Mackay.

• Ausway develops digital and navigation products[1]Auswayen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The brand broadened its offer from printed directories into eway electronic directories, online mapping, mobile applications and Navway in-car navigation devices.

1. 1Auswayen.wikipedia.org