Christopher O’Keeffe — Australian Map Industry Expert, Speaker and Managing Director of Mapworld

Christopher O’Keeffe is an Australian map industry specialist, writer and Managing Director of Mapworld. With 25 years of experience across specialist map retailing, navigation, ecommerce, large-format printing and map production, he is one of Australia’s most experienced public-facing voices on how maps are chosen, understood, produced and used.

His work sits at the intersection of traditional cartography and modern life: the future of Australia’s mapping industry, our growing dependence on GPS, the decline of map-reading skills, the continuing value of printed maps, and the role of mapping in emergency response, mining, tourism, education, travel and geopolitical analysis.

Christopher has helped guide Mapworld from a national chain of specialist map shops into the largest specialist map shop in the Southern Hemisphere—an online retailer and map-production business serving customers throughout Australia and internationally. His perspective is grounded not only in research, but in decades of practical experience helping people and organisations solve real mapping and navigation problems.

He is available for keynote presentations, conference panels, podcast and radio interviews, media commentary, guest lectures and industry events on maps, navigation, geographic literacy, GPS resilience, specialist retail and the changing way Australians understand the world around them.

A practical authority on how Australia uses maps

Christopher’s expertise begins where mapping meets the real world.

Over 25 years, he has worked with travellers, teachers, families, bushwalkers and mariners, as well as mining companies, government departments, emergency services, defence organisations, surveyors, planners and professional navigators. Their needs range from finding the correct topographic sheet or nautical chart to producing large operational wall maps, choosing navigation equipment and understanding which format will work in the field.

That experience has given Christopher an unusually broad view of the Australian mapping landscape. He has seen the rise of in-car GPS, the arrival of smartphone navigation, the contraction of the specialist map-shop sector, the disruption of international travel during COVID, the resurgence of travel mapping and the emergence of print-on-demand production as a way to keep important cartography available.

His authority is grounded in the practical map industry: how maps are selected, interpreted, printed, finished, distributed and relied upon. He writes for a general audience without losing sight of the technical, commercial and operational realities behind the subject.

“The important question is not whether paper or digital mapping will win. It is how Australia can take advantage of both while preserving geographic understanding, independent navigation and national resilience.”

From specialist map shops to a national online business

Christopher’s career has spanned one of the most significant periods of change in the history of specialist retail.

He worked within and helped manage the former national Mapworld network, which included specialist map shops in Perth, Sydney and Canberra. These stores brought road maps, atlases, topographic maps, nautical charts, travel guides, globes, compasses and navigational equipment together under one roof—and gave their staff direct insight into the remarkable variety of ways Australians use maps.

As retail and customer behaviour changed, Christopher helped lead Mapworld’s transition from physical shops to ecommerce. That required far more than placing products on a website. The challenge was to translate specialist knowledge, detailed product comparison and personal advice into a format that could serve someone hundreds or thousands of kilometres away.

Today, Mapworld supplies individual customers, schools, businesses, mariners, government organisations and professional users throughout Australia and overseas. Its range extends from everyday travel maps and atlases to Australian topographic mapping, official nautical charts, globes, compasses, GPS data, Australian-made flags, historical cartography and made-to-order wall maps.

Mapworld also operates its own specialist large-format production capability, allowing maps to be printed, enlarged, laminated, mounted on timber hang rails or produced on canvas to suit homes, schools, workplaces and operational environments.

Areas of expertise

Christopher writes and provides commentary on:

• The state and future of mapping in Australia

• Printed maps in a digital and GPS-dependent world

• GPS disruption, navigation resilience and independent backup systems

• Geographic literacy, spatial thinking and map-reading skills

• Australian topographic maps and practical land navigation

• Nautical charts and marine navigation resources

• Maps in emergency management and search and rescue

• Mapping for mining, government, tourism, education and business

• Maps as tools for understanding geopolitics, logistics and power

• Wall maps, historical cartography and educational mapping

• Large-format map printing, lamination and print-on-demand production

• Specialist retail, ecommerce and the reinvention of niche businesses

• Travel planning and the relationship between geography and experience

Selected analysis and articles

Christopher is the author of a growing library of articles examining maps not simply as products, but as infrastructure, educational tools, records of place and instruments for better decision-making.

Australia’s mapping future and GPS resilience

• The State of Mapping in Australia 2026
  A wide-ranging assessment of Australian mapping in 2026, including paper and digital maps, GPS dependence, map retailing, government mapping, tourism, education and the future of specialist knowledge.

• What Happens in Australia if GPS Goes Down?
  An examination of how a serious GPS outage would affect aviation, shipping, freight, agriculture, mining, surveying, emergency services and everyday navigation—and how Australia could continue operating.

• GPS Disruption in Australia: Why Paper Maps Matter
  A closer look at GPS jamming, spoofing and system failure, and the case for retaining independent maps and practical navigation skills.

• Why Australia Still Needs Paper Maps in 2026
  Christopher’s case for treating paper and digital mapping as complementary technologies—and for recognising the role of printed maps in education, planning, resilience and spatial awareness.

Geographic literacy and map-reading skills

• The Decline of Map-Reading Skills—and Why It Matters
  Why navigation is about more than reaching a destination, what is lost when people cannot interpret maps independently, and why the issue matters for education and public capability.

• How Maps Improve Spatial Thinking
  How maps help people understand scale, distance, direction, pattern and the relationship between places—abilities that a turn-by-turn instruction does not necessarily develop.

• Australian Topographic Map Symbols Explained
  A practical guide to reading the symbols, colours and conventions used on Australian topographic maps.

• How to Find the Right Topographic Map Sheet for Any Location in Australia
  A specialist guide to map indexes, sheet names, coordinates, scales and the sometimes confusing process of identifying the correct map for a location.

Maps in emergencies, industry and public life

• How Emergency Services Use Maps During Bushfires and Natural Disasters
  How agencies combine authoritative base maps, live incident information, infrastructure, hazards, access routes and uncertainty during fast-changing emergencies.

• How Search and Rescue Teams Use Maps to Find Missing People
  An exploration of search areas, terrain, probability, tracks, watercourses, communications and the role of shared geographic understanding in a search operation.

• How Mining Companies Use Topographic Maps
  How topographic mapping supports exploration, tenements, access, drilling, infrastructure, field operations, emergency planning and mine closure.

• How Tourism Organisations Use Maps to Shape Destinations
  How tourism maps influence itineraries, visitor movement, destination identity, regional dispersal and the visibility of local businesses.

• Maps: An Essential Tool for Geopolitical Analysis
  How terrain, distance, logistics, borders, resources, maritime chokepoints and transport corridors shape political power and military outcomes.

Navigation and specialist map use

• How to Choose the Correct AUS Nautical Chart
  A practical explanation of chart coverage, scale, numbering and the process of selecting the appropriate official chart for an Australian voyage or operating area.

• GPS vs Paper Maps: Why Paper Maps Still Matter in a Digital World
  A balanced comparison of the precision and convenience of GPS with the context, reliability and independence provided by printed maps.

Together, these articles reflect the breadth of Christopher’s work: from national resilience and public policy to classrooms, mine sites, vessels, emergency operations and the practical challenge of finding the right map.

Speaker, panellist and media commentator

Christopher brings a rare combination of industry history, commercial experience, technical production knowledge and accessible storytelling. He can explain why maps still matter to audiences who may not think of themselves as map users—and connect mapping to issues already commanding public attention, including technology dependence, education, national resilience, emergency preparedness, travel and geopolitics.

Suggested presentation and interview topics

• The State of Mapping in Australia
  What happened to Australia’s specialist map industry, how demand has changed and what the future holds for paper, digital and print-on-demand mapping.

• What Happens When GPS Goes Down?
  Australia’s reliance on satellite positioning, the consequences of disruption and the practical case for resilient navigation systems.

• Can Australians Still Read a Map—and Does It Matter?
  The decline of map-reading skills, the difference between following instructions and understanding place, and why geographic literacy remains important.

• Paper and Digital: Building Resilient Navigation
  Why the strongest navigation systems combine modern positioning technology with independent maps, knowledge and human judgement.

• Maps, Power and Geography
  How terrain, distance, resources, infrastructure and chokepoints help explain world events beyond the daily headlines.

• How Maps Shape Destinations and Decisions
  The influence of maps on travel, tourism, education, business planning, public communication and the way people imagine places.

• From High Street to Ecommerce
  Lessons from transforming a national chain of specialist shops into an online business while preserving expertise and personal service.

• Keeping Cartography Alive Through Print on Demand
  How large-format printing, custom production and modern finishing can preserve access to maps that conventional publishing can no longer support.

Christopher is available for conferences, professional associations, corporate events, tourism and education forums, government and industry panels, podcasts, radio, television, print interviews and guest lectures. Presentations can be adapted for specialist or general audiences.

Technical knowledge in map printing and production

Christopher’s experience extends beyond selecting and selling maps. He has extensive practical knowledge of large-format map production, including:

• Custom map enlargement and sizing

• Large-format pigment printing on professional papers and canvas

• Print-on-demand production of specialist cartography

• Professional hot lamination and full encapsulation

• Durable map formats for classrooms, offices and operational use

• Historical-map and chart reproduction

• Timber hang-rail presentation systems

• Material, finish and scale selection for different environments

Mapworld can produce maps up to approximately 1650 mm wide, enabling very large wall maps and custom displays. This in-house capability gives Christopher a detailed understanding of what happens to cartography in production: how scale, resolution, colour, paper, ink, laminate and final display size affect whether a map remains clear and useful.

Education and international outlook

Christopher holds a Bachelor of Economics with Honours, a Master of Economics and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Australia.

His training in economics and law complements his industry experience. It informs his understanding of technological change, consumer behaviour, specialist markets, commercial strategy, intellectual property and the long-term transformation of retail and publishing.

He has lived in Brazil, Venezuela, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Chile and Singapore. That international experience has shaped his interest in geography, travel, borders, cities and the way physical landscapes influence culture, trade and political power.

As a travel writer, Christopher approaches destinations through geography. He believes travel becomes more meaningful when people understand how a place fits together, why communities developed where they did and what lies beyond the route suggested by a small screen.

About Mapworld

Mapworld is the largest specialist map shop in the Southern Hemisphere and an Australian retailer and producer of maps, nautical charts, globes, compasses, navigation products, GPS data, Australian-made flags and geographical resources.

From its base in Perth, Western Australia, Mapworld serves private customers, schools, businesses, government organisations, mariners and professional users throughout Australia and internationally. It combines specialist product knowledge with large-format printing, lamination, custom sizing and print-on-demand production.

Speaking, media and professional enquiries

For speaking invitations, conference panels, media interviews, podcast appearances, expert commentary, guest articles or professional map-industry enquiries, contact:

Christopher O’Keeffe
Managing Director, Mapworld
Perth, Western Australia
chris.okeeffe@mapworld.com.au