Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO)

Mariners rely on the Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO) for chart corrections, Notices to Mariners, and tide tables, often while at sea. Morpht turned more than 18 months of AHO research into a new GovCMS website on a condensed schedule, making this safety information faster to find and download.

Safety information, faster to reach at sea

More than 18 months of AHO research became a working website on a condensed schedule. Mariners now reach chart corrections and tide tables faster, even at sea.

Delivered on a condensed schedule [Confirm: build time in weeks], building on 18+ months of AHO research
Nine content types, including a dedicated type for Notices to Mariners (NtM) with edition-specific downloads
Tide publications covering 90+ primary ports and around 700 secondary ports, easier to find
Meets the Australian Government Digital Experience Standard
Performance tuned for high download volumes and users with limited connectivity at sea

About AHO

Drupal 11 | Convivial GovCMS | Migrations | Web development

The AHO provides Australia's national charting service under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention and the Navigation Act 2012 (Cth). Its website serves the maritime community in Australia and overseas.

The previous site had been in place for more than 10 years and was hard to maintain. Finding hydrographic updates, spatial datasets, and safety information meant navigating many static pages. The site also delivers high volumes of Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) files and NtM publications.

Visit the site

The Solution

We used Convivial for GovCMS so accessibility was built in from the start. Given the download demands, we engaged GovCMS early to confirm the platform could handle the expected traffic, and optimised performance for users in a range of conditions.

AHO website screenshots on hand held devices

Discovery

Discovery workshops with AHO stakeholders clarified the website's purpose, audiences, and information needs. They informed a new information architecture and navigation that supports user journeys and organisational requirements.

Content modelling

Discovery shaped a content model of nine content types. A dedicated NtM type gives users edition-specific downloads and related tracings, supplements, and cumulative lists.

Australian Notices to Mariners page on Imac

Publications and Resources

The Australian National Tide Tables and AusTides cover more than 90 primary ports and around 700 secondary ports across Australia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Antarctica, and Timor-Leste. Making them easy to find was a priority throughout.

Design

The design reflects the AHO's role as a trusted provider of hydrographic information. It balances maritime and geospatial content with clarity and accessibility, and supports the AHO's refreshed brand identity.