[1] AUSLIG's main function was to provide national geographic information.
[2] It produced maps and audiovisual products relative to many aspects of Australian geography from the technology available during its time of operation.
[3][4] It was formed in 1987, when the Australian Survey Office[5] joined with the Division of National Mapping.
[6] The Division of National Mapping had been in operation since 1947,[6][7] and had been publisher of the Atlas of Australian resources which had incorporated over 20 component booklets of standard information about Australian natural resources at the time of publication.
[13][14][15][16] The Australian Survey Office, under its own name, was working with remote sensing data in 1988.