The Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO) provides Australia's national charting service under the SOLAS Convention and the Navigation Act 2012 (Cth), publishing Electronic Navigational Charts, Notices to Mariners, and tide tables relied on by mariners across Australia and the region. Its previous website, more than a decade old, had become difficult to maintain, spreading operational content like ENC files and NtM publications across a large number of static pages that were hard for users to navigate.
About the project
To support the development of the new website, Morpht used the Convivial for GovCMS site accelerator, helping ensure accessibility requirements were considered from the outset.
Given the website's file download requirements, the project team engaged with GovCMS early in the process to confirm the platform could support the expected demand. Performance optimisation was also undertaken to improve access for users in a range of operating environments, including mariners accessing information while at sea.
Discovery
A series of discovery workshops were conducted with AHO stakeholders to better understand the purpose of the website, its audiences, and their information needs.
These workshops informed a review of the site's information architecture and navigation. The resulting recommendations helped create a structure that better supports user journeys while meeting organisational requirements.
Content modelling
Insights gained during discovery informed the development of the website's content model. Nine content types were identified and implemented to support the AHO's information and publishing requirements.
This included a dedicated content type for Australian Notices to Mariners (NtM), which are used to update nautical charts and publications issued by the AHO. The solution enables users to more easily access edition-specific downloads and related information, including tracings, supplements and cumulative lists.
Publications and Resources
Publications are a key communication channel for the AHO and provide important information to mariners and the broader community.
These resources include products such as the Australian National Tide Tables and AusTides, which provide information for more than 90 primary ports and around 700 secondary ports across Australia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Antarctica and Timor-Leste.
Ensuring users could locate these resources quickly and easily was an important consideration throughout the project.
Design
The design approach aimed to reflect the AHO's role as a trusted provider of hydrographic information and services. The website balances maritime and geospatial content with a focus on clarity, usability and accessibility.
The visual design aligns with the AHO's brand identity, supporting consistency across digital communication channels while providing a distinctive online presence.
Accessibility and compliance requirements were considered throughout the design process, helping ensure users can access information and publications regardless of their needs or circumstances.
Testimonial
The Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO) partnered with Morpht to deliver its new website in a condensed project schedule. Building on more than 18 months of user research, stakeholder engagement and planning undertaken by the AHO, Morpht worked closely with our team to transform those insights into a modern, user-focused website. Their expertise, professionalism and collaborative approach ensured the project was delivered successfully while meeting the Australian Government Digital Experience Standard and supporting the rollout of the AHO's refreshed brand identity.
Morpht were able to quickly understand our requirements and translate extensive research into a practical, high-quality digital solution fit for our users. The result is a responsive, accessible and future-ready website that better serves the maritime community.
Australian Hydrographic Office
Why Drupal was chosen
The AHO engaged Morpht to build a modern, accessible platform on GovCMS that could keep pace with substantial traffic and download volumes, while meeting the Australian Government Digital Experience Standard and WCAG 2.0 compliance.
Technical Specifications
Drupal version:
Key modules/theme/distribution used:
