STAEDTLER, MARS DRAWING COMPASS SPARE PARTS BOX AND LID

These drawing tools were used by Jurgen Gossman in the 1980s and 1990s when he was a town planner and later a member of the planning department in the City of Armadale. These tools were used to create hand drawn technical plans for subdivisions, drainage systems, roads and other engineering tasks. In the mid to late 1990s the need to use these tools was slowly replaced by computer programs. Staff would have been trained in how to use these tools as they were gaining their engineering degrees.
The word "compass" means "go around in a circular course". Drawing compasses were used in ancient Rome but the compass before the 18th century had a needle that scratched surfaces, instead of a pen. Although it has fallen out of common use in the professional environment, they are still commonly used in classrooms.
Since the establishment of local governments across Western Australian in 1871, they have been responsible for the designing and construction of local roads and drains. They also quickly became responsible for town planning, meaning staff with the skills to create accurate drawings have always been needed. The tool represents a manual skill that was essential for council staff who worked in the planning department that has now been replaced by computer programs.
Staedtler's origins in writing implements can be traced back to as far as the 17th century. The company itself was founded in 1835 as a pencil factory in Nuremberg and its logo represents Mars, the Ancient Roman god of war. They gradually expanded their product lines to include technical drawing, art materials and accessories and continue to be one of the most successful brands in their field.