KFC is not a hospital … but it is according to Google Maps!

I’m pretty much a fan of Google maps … but sometimes I’m not sure where they get their data from.

For instance, my old primary school (still today happily operating as Pascoe Vale North Primary School, 26 years later!) is marked on Google maps as “Victorian Rehabilitation Hospital - Northern Melbourne”.

Now, if you looked at the map, just down the road is Dorset Private Hospital, in Derby Street. But this is marked on the Google map already, so they haven’t just misplaced that data.

And, if we head over to the main Puckle Street shopping area of Moonee Ponds, in our home neighbourhood, the local KFC outlet is listed as “Royal Melbourne Hospital”.

You can tell by the satellite shot of the size of the cars that this would have to be a very very small hospital! Hardly room for the foyer area of a normal hospital, let alone any ambulance bays.

But there’s more!

On the Google Map immediately below, Aspen Street is showing as a street that goes all the way through (to Everage Street, named after Dame Edna Everage).

But again, this isn’t a through road — it terminates at the end of the KFC carpark (as shown on the second map below).

Hmmm, rather strange! A non-existent street and non-existent hospital!

In the local street directory (the Melway), they’re correctly marked:

Now, that’s not to say even the Melway is perfect — I’ve let them know of a couple of areas where the maps are wrong (and they correct them!) — and they even reward eagle-eyed spotters with a discount on the next edition of their map. (Currently, they show the Citylink tolling point incorrectly near the Albion Street overpass).

So … map users beware — what you see on the map isn’t always what is there!