The view from above, recorded properly.
A drone puts a camera where a person can't easily stand: above a site to show how it sits in the landscape, along a roofline or cliff face, or over ground that is unsafe or slow to walk. For heritage work, that view is only useful if it is captured for a reason and kept as a record. Trace Archaeology flies drones as part of heritage surveys, monitoring programs and building inspections, and the images become part of the project record rather than a separate photo shoot.
This page covers drone photography and aerial inspection. If you need measured 3D models, see Photogrammetry & 3D Recording. If you need maps and spatial data of Country built with Traditional Owners, see Cultural Mapping & GIS.
Where aerial photography helps
- Site overviews. A photograph from height shows a heritage place in its setting, which ground photos rarely capture, and fixes how the place looked on a given date.
- Condition and change. Repeat flights from the same positions give like-for-like images over time, useful for monitoring programs and for checking a place after nearby works.
- Hard-to-reach fabric. Roofs, chimneys, parapets, upper walls and steep slopes can be photographed without scaffolding or rope access, so an inspection can be scoped before anyone climbs.
- Reports and engagement. Clear aerial images make reports easier for decision-makers to follow, and help communities see a place they care about from a new angle.
How we fly
Every flight is planned before we arrive. We check airspace and access, agree with the landowner or manager what will be photographed, and confirm the flight suits the conditions on the day. Our drone operators have completed CASA training and fly within CASA's rules.
On Aboriginal heritage projects, we agree with Traditional Owners before any flight what may be photographed, who can see the images and how they will be stored. Some places and features are not to be photographed or shared, and we follow that direction.
You receive a selected set of images with the date and flight location recorded, ready to go into a report, a monitoring file or a heritage management plan.
Related projects: One Mile Jetty, Carnarvon and Gosnells Quarry.
Trace Archaeology is a division of Trace Enterprises, which brings heritage, environmental and planning specialists together under one roof.
Every heritage, environmental and planning project starts with the right conversation.
Tell us what you are planning and where. We'll tell you what assessments and approvals it needs, who should be involved and what happens next.