William Henry Wells was a land surveyor who published several maps of the local area of Sydney during the mid-nineteenth century.He was also responsible for 'A Complete Gazetteer of the Australian Colonies' which contained 'Full Information concerning every Important Spot where Gold has recently been discovered'. Wells was among the principle surveyors in Australia, being 'furnished with the whole of the Government Proclamations, Orders and Notices from the Foundation of the Colony in 1788'.

His map of Cumberland County in New South Wales, in which stands most of Sydney, extends from the Macdonald River to the north of the city, down to Appin further south. From the eastern coastline, characterised by Botany Bay and Broken Bay, the map extends westwards to the towns of Castlereagh, Strathdon and Mulgoa in the suburbs of Richmond and Evan. The map serves as a cadastral survey of the entire city, with estates and land delineated and labelled according to the owner. Some names appear frequently while other plots are identified as "Church Land","Orphan School Land" or "Reserve". Along with the "Race Course", there are also industrial features such as "the Suppl. of Water to the Town of Sydney". Along the coast numerous bays are identified, the most significant being "Botany Bay discovered by Capt. Cook 1770".

Well's map of Cumberland was first published in 1840. An exceptionally long advertisement in 'The Australian Sportsman's Calendar' of 1857 notes that 'Mr. Wells has now revised and republished his copper-plate map of Cumberland; he has inserted all farms up to the present period, and included the whole of Curryjong and Camden Districts. As well as showing the Police Districts, the North and South Ridings, and the. parishes, he has defined the boundaries of the Ancient Districts of Cumberland. The. price on the best paper is Ten Shillings'. The present map is an example of this later, expanded edition.