Updates
The GOLA database is a subset of the geodetic information database GESMAR, (GEodetic Survey MArk Register). An up to date copy will be downloaded from GESMAR fortnightly. The date of the last update is displayed on the main entry page.
 

Extracting Limits
Station mark details can be obtained by entering either the mark name, a geographic rectangular window, or a grid rectangular window. For WA, coordinate entries are in GDA94 / MGA94 or GDA2020 / MGA2020. To minimise excessive extracts, the number of points that can be extracted is limited to 200 on any single enquiry. If you find your initial search window exceeds the number of points allowed, then break it down to 2 or more smaller windows.
 

Geodetic Mark Name Format Rules
A geodetic mark has a primary name and possibly up to 2 alternate names. GOLA searches for all combinations. There are several rules associated with the naming convention of geodetic marks. For example:

• A mark name can be derived from: 
  • A 1:250,000 map name (JACKSON 15) 
  • A 1:10,000 map name (APPLECROSS 4) 
  • An alphanumeric series (R 123, NMF 45) 
  • A feature name (GUNJIN) 
  • A 1:250,000 map BM code (HR 15).

• In GOLA the stamped name or map abbreviation code cannot be used directly. 
• Old Metropolitan Water Board BM's may be prefixed with either MWB or MWS. You may have to key in both options to find the point you require. 
• Those bench marks designated BM 1 etc must have its appropriate 1:250,000 map abbreviation code included in the name field in parenthesis. Eg BM 23(PIN). This form is valid for all BM numbers between 1 and 99. The map code is excluded if the number is greater than 99. 
• A number following a letter must have a space between them. For example, R 123 not R123. 
• A letter following a number must have no space between them. For example, PERTH 2A not PERTH 2 A. 
• To emphasise the last two rules here is an example. LAKE JANDABUP 16AT 1 The majority of SSM names use either the 1:10,000 or 1:250,000 map name designation. Similarly the BM names use almost predominantly the 1:250,000 BM code designation. To assist clients, tables detailing the 1:250,000 map names and BM codes, and 1:10,000 map names are provided at the end. 
• Note that 1:10,000 map names are specific to Landgate and bear no relevance to the State Large Scale Map Series.

Partial Name Searching
As the name field entered in GOLA must match the data base entry exactly in format, it can be quite complex. To ease this, GOLA carries out a partial name search. For example let's say you wanted to search on the mark BOORABBIN 2 but you couldn't remember if it had one or two B's in the name. All you do is simply key in BOOR and hit the "Search" button. The system will return ALL marks whose primary or alternate name commences with BOOR. In this case it returns about 181 marks in sorted order and you then make your selection. You have to make sure you key in a sufficient number of characters so that you don't exceed the 200 point extraction limit. Obviously if you just keyed in B or BO this would occur. 

Because of this partial searching even if you key in the exact name format of the mark you require, you could still finish up with a selection set. Eg if you keyed in MULLALOO 15 it would return that mark plus all the other marks such as MULLALOO 151, 152 etc, unless you add a space to the end of the name.

Station Detail Provided
From the selection set provided you can display the station details for just one mark by clicking on it, or the entire list by pressing the "All Points" button. The "GDA2020", "GDA94" or "Both" radio buttons allows the report to provide either a double or single datum report.The information can be then viewed or printed locally by clicking on the browser "Print" button.

To assist maintaining the currency information, feedback about the current condition of the mark can be submitted using the "Send status update" button.

Graphic Station Summaries
Once the station details are displayed you can view the graphic station summary by clicking on the text "View the graphic summary".

In many cases there will be more than one graphic station summary available. For example the latest summary plus any number of superseded images. Any of these can be selected for viewing. Clients would normally select the latest summary. Note also that a small number of geodetic marks do not have any graphic station summaries.