Address Search
Address search finds survey marks near a street address. This page explains how Benchmrk geocodes your input, how nearest-point results are determined, and how symbol filters affect what you see.
How geocoding works
When you enter an address in the Address search tab, the query is sent to the Benchmrk backend. The server geocodes the address into geographic coordinates using an external geocoding service, then searches for survey marks near those coordinates.
The geocoding pipeline
- You type an address (e.g.
1 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW). - The server sends the address to the geocoding service and receives a latitude/longitude pair.
- The server queries the survey mark data source for marks within a radius of that location.
- Results are sorted by distance from the geocoded point and returned to the frontend.
The geocoding service resolves addresses to a single point. If your address is ambiguous (e.g. "Main Street" without a suburb), the geocoder picks the most likely match, which may not be the location you intended.
Nearest point results
Address search returns marks sorted by proximity to the geocoded location. The closest marks appear first.
What affects results
- Geocoding accuracy — A precise address (with street number, suburb, and state) produces a more accurate geocoded point, which means more relevant nearby marks.
- Mark density — In urban areas with many survey marks, you'll get more results. In remote areas, the nearest marks may be several kilometres away.
- Active jurisdiction — Results are scoped to the selected jurisdiction. If you search for a Sydney address but have VIC selected, you won't get NSW marks.
Symbol filter interaction
Like mark search, address search results are filtered by the Layer Manager's active symbology.
If certain mark types are hidden in the Layer Manager, those marks won't appear in address search results — even if they're the closest marks to your geocoded location. Enable all mark types in the Layer Manager if you want a complete picture.
Practical example
You search for 100 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC with only "Permanent Survey Marks" visible in the Layer Manager. The results show only PSMs near that address. Trigonometric stations and benchmarks in the same area are excluded because their types are hidden.
Troubleshooting address searches
| Problem | Likely cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| No results returned | Wrong jurisdiction selected | Switch to the correct state/territory |
| Unexpected location | Ambiguous address | Add suburb, state, or postcode to your query |
| Missing nearby marks | Layer Manager filters active | Enable all mark types in the Layer Manager |
| "Address not found" | Geocoding service can't resolve | Try a nearby landmark or use Coordinate Search instead |
If address search isn't giving you what you need, try Coordinate Search with exact lat/lng values for precise location-based results.