GSSA Google Earth™ Cemetery Initiative

Data file last updated: 29-Jul-2010 with 2319 entries and 1070 links to eGSSA Photo Albums

Experienced users click here to view the map of GSSA cemeteries on Google Earth™ (Google Earth™ .KMZ file)

Also see the touring section below for some interesting places to visit.

Table Of Contents

• Background
• How to access the GSSA Google Earth™ Cemetery Initiative
• What does the map show?
• How do I find a cemetery in which I am interested?
• How accurate is the information presented?
• Is this GSSA information shown on Google Earth™?
• Touring
• How can I make comments or suggestions?
• Who developed this Initiative?

Background

When our volunteers were recording cemetery information they often noted the “GPS” coordinates of the cemetery, in the early days by using the 1:50000 map series and then, more recently, by hand held GPS. Thus the Cemetery Recording Project built up a database of cemetery location information. The development of free internet based mapping systems such as Google Earth™ provides a useful platform for visual display of coordinate information, and adds to the range of research services available for genealogists.

Links with the Photo Project run as a free service by the eGSSA BRANCH are being developed, and this data is shown where available.

Of the 4167 cemetery locations captured by the Project to date, 2422 (58%) have GPS coordinates and are shown on the GSSA Google Earth™ Map. Of these, 11153 (48%) have links to the eGSSA albums.

The Project is concerned with all cemeteries of SA interest; the Map shows relevant cemeteries as far afield as Bermuda, Sri Lanka and Egypt.

How to access the GSSA Google Earth™ Cemetery Initiative

• You will need a modern computer system with broadband or similar facility

• Download the Free Google Earth ™ software free from http://earth.google.com/

• CLICK HERE to view the map of GSSA cemeteries on Google Earth™.

What does the map show?

The GSSA Google Earth™ Map opens with a high level view of Southern Africa showing all the GSSA cemetery locations with a GSSA icon. The standard features of Google Earth™ can be used to zoom in or out, rotate the image, or “Fly to” various Placemarks or coordinates. Places of interest shown in the default Google Earth™ maps also assist with navigation.

For more information on using Google Earth™, please refer to the Google Earth Documentation.

	By zooming down in the general area of interest, the icons separate and the Cemetery Name pops up. Where there are multiple cemeteries on one farm, the distinguishing number 1, 2, etc also appears. The colour codes used for the Cemetery Name text are as follows: Processed and Published on DVD and Photo: Bright Blue Processed and Published on DVD only: Bright Green Published in Photo album only: Yellow Green Not yet processed: White
Clicking on the GSSA icon loads a popup window with the following information: • Cemetery title information: (Farm Name, Locality, Magisterial District, Province, Country) • Recording Status (ranging from “Published on DVD & Photo” to "Not yet Processed" • Number of names in Cemetery (on DVD) • Military interest marker • Web link to the Photo Album run by the eGSSA (if photos of this cemetery are available)
How do I find a Cemetery in which I am interested?
	Features presently available are: • The standard place list shown in Google Earth page under your "Places" sidebar. It shows the GSSA cemeteries arranged by Country and Province, and can be searched for names of interest. A sub-header gives more information about the cemetery locality. A single click loads a popup box with the cemetery info. • For further assistance with cemetery names and cemetery recording status, refer to the Excel files on the main National Cemetery Recording Project page. These files are updated monthly.

How accurate is the information presented?

Every effort is made to ensure that the information is as accurate as possible.

However, inaccuracies do arise, mainly due to the following:

• Locations derived from the 1:50000 maps have the double disadvantage of being scaled and read off the paper map, and also the coordinates are Cape System and not the worldwide WGS84 used by Google Earth and GPS handhelds. We are correcting these coordinates as time permits.
• Use of incorrect GPS datum by recorders.
• The chance of inaccuracies during the coordinate recording and data processing stages.
• Some areas of the Google Earth maps are “fuzzy”, so accurate cemetery locations cannot be obtained and approximations are used.

As far as possible, we note the accuracy level of the coordinates and audit the locations shown for correctness.

The data is updated at the end of each month.

Is this GSSA information shown as a "layer" in Google Earth?

At present we are test running the Google Earth™ information without involving Google directly. However Google has shown interest in creating an official layer for the GSSA to present the data for all Google Earth users world-wide.

Watch this space!

Touring

Here are some interesting cemeteries which you can find on the GSSA Google Earth™ map:

How can I make comments or corrections?

Please communicate by email to:

DVD Project, GPS data and mapping: The DVD Project Data Coordinators, Peter and Beverley Moss: Peter Moss

Photo Project: The eGSSA Photo Project Coordinator, Alta Griffiths.

Who developed this GSSA Google Earth Cemetery Initiative?

The GPS data was collected from the many volunteers who have over the years provided information to the Cemetery Recording Project and the Photo Project. This information is collated for annual DVD publication by Peter and Beverley Moss. Their sons Stewart Moss and Adrian Moss, who spent many happy hours of their childhood sitting in hot cars while Peter & Beverley recorded yet another cemetery of interest, provided the initiative and technical expertise:

• Stewart Moss conceived the initial idea and undertook the software development so that Google Earth could read and display the Cemetery Index data.

• Adrian Moss designed and built the new web page.

We thank them most sincerely for their time and effort, without which this initiative would never have got off the ground.