RGSQ News

Congratulations to the four young Australian geography students who represented Australia at the XV International Geography Olympiad (iGeo) held in Quebec City, Canada, from July 31 to August 6. The Olympiad was organised under the auspices of the International Geographical Union (IGU) with the support of Université Laval, North America’s second oldest university.

The four-member Australian team were selected through their outstanding performance in last year’s Australian Geography Competition (AGC) and Geography’s Big Week Out (from left to right): Phoebe Blaxill from St Mary's Anglican Girls' School, WA – bronze medal; Harry Hall from Trinity College (Gawler), SA; Hannah Wright from Walford Anglican School for Girls, SA – bronze medal, and Sophie Ohlin from Sydney Girls High School, NSW. The Australian team was accompanied by two team leaders: Kath Berg, Australian Geography Competition Committee and Liam Sloan, Geography Teachers Association of South Australia.

Forty-three countries took part in this highly prestigious one-week international competition with the Romanian team declared the overall winners at this year’s event.

To test the best young geographers in the world, the iGeo programme involves three academic challenges over the course of a week: a written response test, a multimedia test and a fieldwork exercise requiring observation, cartographic representation and geographical analysis. The programme also included poster presentations by teams, a cultural session showcasing Canadian cultures, and visits to Old Quebec (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and Forêt Montmorency.

The value of the iGeo experience cannot be underestimated; participating students appreciate not only the opportunity to travel abroad and challenge themselves, but also the experience of meeting and making friends with passionate geography students from all over the world.

"The iGeo was a fantastic opportunity not only to learn about geography, hearing from bright minds in the field and undergoing insightful fieldwork, but also to make friends from all around the globe. Being around such a wide variety of international cultures, personalities and languages is a rare event, and because of it the experience was invaluable." said Harry Hall, participating student.

Kath Berg, Australian Team Leader commented that “The iGeo is a prestigious international contest. It inspires active interest in geographical studies among students and contributes to greater intercultural understanding through the friendships developed between students from different countries.”

The Australian team has once again scored commendable results. This highlights the strength of Australia's Year 11 and 12 geography curricula in teaching students to think, analyse and interpret information. The role of geography in schools is continuously supported by the Australian Geography Competition.

The pre-selection for the four-student team that will represent Australia at the 2019 iGeo in Hong Kong, China, is under way. Sixteen high-achieving Year 11 students from the 2018 Australian Geography Competition will soon be selected to take part in Geography’s Big Week Out, a six-day training/selection event, to be held on Kangaroo Island, South Australia in early October this year.

The participation of the Australian team at the International Geography Olympiad is made possible with the support of the Australian Government Department of Education and Training, Australian Geography Competition and with sponsorship of the AGC from Monash University (School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment and School of Social Sciences), Macquarie University (Department of Geography and Planning and Department of Environmental Sciences), and The University of Queensland (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences).

The annual Australian Geography Competition is a joint initiative of the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland (www.rgsq.org.au) and the Australian Geography Teachers’ Association (http://www.agta.asn.au/).

Photo courtesy of Liam Sloan, Australian team leader at 2018 iGeo in Quebec City, Canada.

Modern Spatial Mapping Techniques

This Gathering’s Presentation was on modern spatial mapping techniques and quite different to previous Presentations held during 2018.

The Presenter was Sylvia Michael, trained in Geology and Mathematics, who became a geospatial specialist.  She then set up the company Geoimage Pty Ltd in 1988, which continues to operate as a geospatial services provider, specialising in the sales and processing of satellite imagery and in the delivery of geospatial solutions for a wide range of industries, including the resources and mining industries, agricultural industries, and a wide range of government agencies utilising geo-imaging technologies in their work.

Over the past 30 years, Sylvia has seen satellite imagery mature from the Landsat 1 images, first used in the early 1970s, through to the current Landsat 8 imagery which has been utilised since 2015. Considerably greater detail and clarity of images have emerged over this period, via the greater use of sensors and far better cameras mounted upon modern day satellites. There are also far more satellites orbiting the earth than 30 years ago.

These improvements in technology have led to far more sophisticated analytical outcomes, which provide a lot more information in understanding the earth’s various surfaces and sub-surfaces, depending on the intended use of such surfaces (e.g. for agriculture), or sub-services (e.g. for the exploration and extraction of various minerals).

Photo: Bob Abnett congratulating Silvia Michael following her presentation. Courtesy of Ian Francis.

Sylvia went onto to explain some of the technologies used today, such as:

• The electromagnetic spectrum (i.e. the various colours that make up this spectrum and how they are used);
• Spectral graphs (i.e. how the colour range is used to highlight and detail attributes of various surfaces and sub-surfaces);
• Stereoscopic images (i.e. how software associated with modern satellite imagery can provide contours of land surfaces);
• Short wave infrared (i.e. used in exploration to indicate the weathering of the earth’s surfaces to reveal potential sub-surface minerals).

Sylvia then explained how the large multiple archives of images accumulated over the last 30 years or more, are being gathered together and placed on “the cloud”, to meet the needs of an increasing number of users who want to access such imagery in their industries and their work.

The Presentation showed how the modern world has changed so dramatically from the recent past. 

In that past world, which many members of the Map Group worked, it included the then world of hard copy mapping covering a wide range of 2 dimensional maps of topography, geology, soils, vegetation, etc. Today, so much of that mapping information has been replaced by digital imagery, which is far more flexible and manageable in its digital format and which now covers many places on this earth, almost at the “click of a button”!

18 Map Group Members and 2 guests attended the event.
by Bob Abnett,  Map Group Coordinator

Too wet? Too cold? Too hot? How does the weather affect the trips we make?

Professor Jonathan Corcoran, Director of the Applied Centre for Population Research and Professor of Human Geography at the University of Queensland’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, has been researching the relationship between the weather and daily travel behaviour in our cities.

We know that the weather conditions can change the way we go about our daily routines. A wet morning might mean we take the car rather than walking, cycling or taking public transport and this can lead to planned journeys being rescheduled, rerouted or cancelled. The consequences of these individual travel choices are important when we consider their impact in aggregate across an entire city. These shifts in daily travel choices have the potential to increase travel delays and road congestion, add to pollution and result in a general decrease in the overall travel experience.

Despite the importance of weather on daily travel choices, our understanding of these weather-travel behaviour relationships is still in its infancy. There is a compelling need to collect more evidence using emerging digital sources of data. Data automatically collected via transit smart cards (such as the GoCard in Brisbane) offer a new and promising source of information that can be used to better understand the weather-travel behaviour relationship and provide the necessary evidence for cities to develop planning and urban transport responses.

Reference: https://theconversation.com/too-wet-too-cold-too-hot-this-is-how-weather-affects-the-trips-we-make-93724

by Professor Jonathan Corcoran

Annual General Meeting - September 11, 2018

Notice is hereby given to members of the Society that the 2018 Annual General Meeting of The Royal Geographical Society of Queensland Inc will be held:

at Lavalla Centre, 58 Fernberg Road, Paddington, 4064.

on Tuesday, the 11^th of September 2018, commencing at 7:30 pm, see map on page 8 for directions to the venue.

The business to be transacted at the meeting is:

(i)         to receive the Council’s Report and the Statement of Income and Expenditure, Assets and Liabilities of the Society for the financial year to 30th June 2018.

(ii)        to receive the Auditor’s Report in respect of the financial year to the 30th June 2018.

(iii)       to appoint the Auditor in respect of the financial year to 30th June 2019.

(iv)       to elect members of the Council.

Explanatory Notes

Business items (i) – (iii)

Material supporting these items (Council’s Report and the Financial Reports, including the Auditor’s Report) will be available for those attending the meeting, and will be added to the Society’s website following the meeting.

Business item (iv) Election of Members of the Council

Under the Rules of the Society, all Councillors retire from office each year, and a new Council is elected by members. The Society Rules provide for a Council of thirteen (13) members. Any member may nominate (and be seconded) for election as a Councillor, and nominations can be lodged at any time up to the commencement of the meeting. For a copy of a Nomination Form, please contact us at info@rgsq.org.au. The functions of a Councillor are set out in a document ‘Role Description – Councillors’, which can be obtained from the Executive Officer, or any current Councillor.

The following current members have nominated for election to the Council for 2019 (and positions where indicated):

Bob Abnett, Paul Broad, Jennifer Carter, Iraphne Childs (President), Duncan Cook, Ian Francis, Peter Griggs (Vice President), Margaret McIvor (Secretary), Leo Scanlan, Chris Spriggs (Treasurer), John Tasker.

AGM Format

• 7:30 pm - Annual General Meeting;
• Presentation on new RGSQ premises (delivered by Bob   Abnett, Chair of Gregory House Standing Committee);
• Tea, coffee and light supper.

UPDATE ON NEW PREMISES: very good news! Over the past few weeks we have been going through a period of “due diligence” seeking confirmation that the property we have been considering in Spring Hill passes all the necessary inspections. This has included a building and pest inspection, town planning inspection, inspection by the Society’s Honorary Architect, Brisbane City Council and other searches (undertaken by our Solicitors) and analysis of body corporate financials (undertaken by our Treasurer and also our Solicitors). I am very pleased to report that all these investigations have been satisfactory and no issues of concern have been noted. RGSQ Council, therefore, expects to be going ahead with the purchase of this property and arranging the settlement date. We look forward to presenting a visual “show and tell” about the new premises including details of the location and internal space, parking options, public transport access and with opportunities for questions from members at the AGM on September 11.

GEOGRAPHY PRIZES AND MEDALS: on Saturday, 4^th August, I had the pleasure of presenting prizes for the Australian Geography Competition (AGC) to this year’s Queensland State winners, years 7-12. The awards were presented at the annual Geography Teachers Association of Queensland conference held at the University of Queensland. In talking to attending geography teachers (including some of my former Education degree students!) it was very pleasing to hear that they are keen to continue the association of the GTAQ with RGSQ.  

Congratulations to the Australian team which has won two bronze medals at the XV International Geography Olympiad (iGeo) held in Quebec City, Canada, from July 31 to August 6, organised under the auspices of the International Geographical Union (IGU).

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: will be held on Tuesday 11^th September at the Lavalla Centre, 58 Fernberg Road, Paddington. The AGM is an important event in the Society’s annual calendar. It provides an opportunity for members to hear a review of the Society’s activities and achievements over the past year and the anticipated projects and plans for the year ahead. I encourage members to come along to the AGM and to participate in the deliberations. If any member wishes to nominate for Council for the 2018-2019 year, nomination forms are available through the RGSQ Office. We would appreciate it if nomination forms could be received at the RGSQ Office by Thursday, September 6^th.    

Dr Iraphne Childs, President

The 2018 iGeo is being held in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada from July 31 to August 6, 2018.

Australian Team Students (announced in the March 2018 Bulletin):

Sophie Ohlin, NSW, from Sydney Girls High,
Harry Hall, SA, from Trinity College (Gawler),
Hannah Wright, SA, from Walford Anglican School for Girls, and
Phoebe Blaxill, WA, from St Mary's Anglican Girls' School, Karrinyup.

Australian Team Leaders are:

Kath Berg, Australian Geography Competition Committee and RGSQ member, and
Liam Sloan, Geography Teachers Association of South Australia, and 2017 and 2018 Geography’s Big Week Out Coordinator

The Australian Team will be departing for the 15th iGeo on the weekend of Saturday 28 July.

We will update members on the Australian Team endeavours at the 15th iGeo in the September Bulletin.

Australia’s participation at the 15th iGeo is supported by funding from the Australian Department of Education and Training, and Australian Geography Competition sponsorship from Monash University (School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment (Physical Geography), and School of Social Sciences (Human Geography), Macquarie University (Department of Geography and Planning and Department of Environmental Sciences), and The University of Queensland (School of Earth and Environmental Science).

by Phoebe Blaxill, one of the four students on the Australian team at the 2018 International Geography Olympiad in Quebec City, Canada

What do you like about geography?
What I like most about geography is discovering the ways humans interact in complex ways with the natural environment. I have always been a person who is interested in science but also humanities subjects. For me, geography is the ideal subject because it interlinks physical sciences with human sciences such as politics and economics. These interconnections enable us to explore ways to improve our world through sustainable development opportunities. I love this practical aspect that geography brings.

Why do you want to represent your country at iGeo?
I am so excited to be representing Australia at iGeo because I am looking forward to sharing my Australian geography experiences with other people from all around the world as well as learning about so many other countries. The world has so many unique and interesting places and I can’t wait to learn about different cultures and environments and meet young people who have a similar passion for learning.

First published on Canadian Geographic

1985: Thomson Bronze Medal for advancement of geographical education, particularly in outdoor education and orienteering.

2015 – 2016: RGSQ Councillor

2015 – 2018: Coordinator of the RGSQ Library Group

It is with sadness that we inform you of the death of fellow member, Rob Simson, on Sunday 15 July. A member of the RGSQ since 1970, Rob was a geographer and teacher ahead of his time and contributed a great deal to geography education in Queensland and Australia.

The Society offer our condolences to the Simson family. Rob’s son, Neil, is an RGSQ member and Honorary Planner.

The following words about Rob have been penned by Ian Stehbens, Rob’s friend and colleague, and RGSQ member.

“Students have written that Rob challenged them softly with questions, and then gave them the experience to gain the knowledge to answer those questions. Young people felt very proud to have been involved in activities and learning experiences alongside Rob. Rob intentionally brought young people together in environments that meant they built friendships that continued into their adult lives. And those experiences were treasured as "life-changing", "greatest moments of their lives", "giving insights that changed [the] way of thinking and even [their] life choices", "fabulous experience". 

Geography was taught by Rob to be lived in the world, to appreciate landscapes, to love outdoor recreation, to challenge young people to reach a fuller potential. He led students across the button grass bogs of the Overland Track in Tasmania before it was tamed, he took young people into Robinson Gorge and over Consuelo Tableland before the area was mapped and we relied on oil search aerial photos to navigate our way through the unknown.

Rob was convenor of the Syllabus Committee at a time when major new paradigms in education were emerging. And we were at the vanguard of the new era: Settlement Patterns and Processes, People & Environment, Australian Geographical Inquiries were new curricula in senior geography. Fieldwork was championed by Rob, and many Weekend Field Camps were held to which teachers accompanied by a group of their students attended and together learnt and developed fieldwork and reporting in geography.

Innovation was important to Rob, for he had assessed the limiting that old pedagogy had on people, and he could see a new world emerging if young people were inspired, challenged, and peer supported. One of his significant contributions was to give leadership to the Queensland Geography Competition, which brought reward for many fine students, and opened up new discoveries. One of those discoveries that stands out for me is Undarra Lava Tubes, which we encountered through the work of a year 10 distance education student, who lived on the grazing property that embraces those tubes. Today, Undarra is a tourism draw card.”

The RGSQ would appreciate any information or stories about Rob for our records. Please email the Office at info@rgsq.org.au

The Society would like to offer condolences to Kevin Teys on the death of his wife Valma Teys on the 4th of July.

Barriers to developing commercial opportunities for Canarium Indicum (galip nut) in small Pacific island states

Dr. Jennifer Carter, Associate Professor in Geography, University of the Sunshine Coast, has been working on barriers to developing commercial activity around the galip nut to provide options for collecting and distributing the nuts to processing plants. 

Canarium indicum (known as galip in Papua New Guinea) is a nut that grows ubiquitously in the Pacific region and is a staple foodstuff. Commercial development in small island states can be limited by the lack of micro-enterprise clusters and regional arrangements across supply chain networks. Dr. Carter’s participatory action research involved stakeholders reflecting on objectives and options during several workshops and training days. Outcomes by local women participating in the research included value-adding to the galip nuts by drying, roasting, salting and flavouring then packaging in plastic packets with local labels and a galip biscuit recipe using nut by-product after oil extraction.

An emerging small-scale nut-cracker manufacturer is hoping to provide equipment at an affordable price. There is now a greater interest in PNG for the galip factory and packaged product and a positive outlook for the establishment of a galip industry. Challenges remain around the costs and reliability of electricity and fuel supplies, and the procurement and retainment of both suitable skilled and unskilled staff. A key aspiration is the desirability of employing young community people in this emerging industry.

Reference: Carter, J and Smith, E.  (2016) Spatialising the Melanesian Canarium industry: understanding economic upgrading in an emerging industry among three Pacific small island states.  Geoforum 75: 40-51.