Can daylight be saved? Should daylight be saved? Australian and International Perspectives

RGSQ Lecture Series

Dr Thomas Sigler, Deputy Head of the School of the Environment and Associate Professor of Geography at The University of Queensland

Please also register here for the General Meeting to vote on the change of auditor just to attend the General Meeting

Love it or hate it, daylight saving is a recurring, and surprisingly divisive, topic in Queensland. In this presentation, Dr Thomas Sigler will share insights from nearly a decade of research on daylight saving in Queensland. The presentation will address the historical context of time zones and daylight saving, followed by a detailed overview of current research and approaches to daylight saving from the perspective of different political, social, and occupational groups. The presentation aims to catalyse alternative perspectives to the current ‘standard’ time zone regime, with the objective of fostering healthy debate within the RGSQ community. Afterall, the simple question of ‘what time is it?’ is fundamentally geographic, as it entirely depends on where you are.

Dr Thomas Sigler is Deputy Head of the School of the Environment and Associate Professor of Geography at The University of Queensland. He teaches broadly across urban and economic geography at UQ, and is a Scientific Committee member at RGSQ. His research focusses on diverse topics on urban and economic geography, with recent projects focusing on the financialisaton of critical mineral supply chains, global city networks, Airbnb and short-term rentals, and various studies relating to housing and population. He has recently completed a project on daylight saving in collaboration with Wilson Tucker MLC, which focusses on better understanding Australian perspectives on daylight saving. Though he has advocated for daylight saving in Queensland, he personally supports other alternatives to the current time zone regime.

Please note that a general meeting (expected to be very short) of the Society will be held immediately prior to the lecture commencing to vote on a proposal to change auditors. Click here for more information.