Welcome to the MediaMap Brisbane history page where we Hit the Rewind and take you on a journey through the MediaMap unit’s 20-year history at QUT. Enjoy!
Join the MediaMap Archiving team for a special panel style interview with special guests; Stephen Harrington, Benjamin Nicoll, Callum McWaters and Marcus Foth as we celebrate the history of MediaMap Brisbane.
A Journey through the Ages
2000 – 2002
In October 2000, Brisbane Media Map was launched as a part of the QUT server as a directory of Brisbane media and communication firms. The website quickly became a popular resource for students, professionals and job-seekers alike.
Brisbane MediaMap: First Hand Archive by Malotutoatasi Vaimoso Semaia.
Join Malo as she talks with Christina Spurgeon about the first version of Brisbane MediaMap which was published in 2000.
2003 – 2004
Throughout 2003, a new database management system (DBMS) was installed and media hot spots were introduced. Having achieved a more sophisticated user experience, the Brisbane Media map gained the interest of other institutional partners nationally and internationally.
The year 2004 saw institutions in Sydney, Melbourne and Malmo (Sweden) commence using media maps, following the architecture of Brisbane Media Map.
2005 – 2008
The year 2005 saw the grouping of entries at the subcategory level and the addition of a search field, significantly improving the map’s interface. The following year, 2006, saw the implementation of Google Maps API, which created a visual display for business clusters within a media category. Through 2007 to 2008, the maps’ geographical boundaries were redefined, and media profiles were introduced. The DBMS system was altered to Ruby on Rails, a web application framework, due to its usability.
The Legacy of Authentic Learning by Camryn Giles.
The years between 2005 and 2008 were filled with progress and innovation for Brisbane Media Map. However, one key component of the unit remained consistent throughout this time; authentic learning.
2009 – 2014
In 2009, Brisbane Media Map left the QUT server to become brisbanemediamap.com.au, giving students much more creative freedom, meaning the website got given a makeover almost every year. This time period saw a defined organisational structure created, including internal and external communication teams and much clearer communication.
Brisbane MediaMap: Preparing students for the real world by Taylah Daviss.
Join Taylah as she discusses the Brisbane MediaMap’s role in preparing students for the real world with the help of former student and tutor Ella Chorazy.
2015 – 2017
Brisbane Media Map merged with Entertainment Industries Map and created the Brisbane Entertainment And Media Map (BEAMM).
These two websites were merged together in 2015 in a strong attempt to unite the entertainment industries and media and communications industries together. Rather than just Brisbane, it included companies spanning from Noosa to Byron Bay.
2018
In 2018, Brisbane Media Map became independent of BEAMM, and was rebranded as ‘Straddl’.
This was the first time that Brisbane Media Map stepped away from the directory format, and became directed towards offering an industry resource for media and communications students.
2019
The year 2019 began with the creation of MediaMap Brisbane. The cohort of Brisbane media map semester one, under the management of Benjamin Nicoll collectively decided to rebrand and completely recreate the resource, and from this decision, stemmed the successful transformation of Straddl to MediaMap Brisbane. In semester one a new website and brand was successfully created, developed and passed on to the next group of students. The cohort of semester two continued to develop and improve the resource through brand adjustments and content creation whilst paying tribute to the past 20 years.
The resource was celebrated through the development of a series of articles that can be seen on this page and through a panel discussion that invited past academics to discuss the resource.