Join our group to experience the beauty of Queensland’s Wallum heathlands in its prime blooming period. This is a perfect outing for photography enthusiasts and all those interested in knowing more about the botanical riches of South East Queensland.

This tour is designed to highlight the geography and ecology of the Wallum Heathlands north of Brisbane. We will examine the effects of the Pleistocene longshore sand transport system that has been referred to as the East Coast Sand River. The deposition of this sand led to extraordinary ecological communities dominated by wallum heathlands growing on acidic sandy soils. The waterways we will visit are typically rich in tannins with underlying Podosol soils, locally known as coffee rock.

The wallum heathland is not only endemically diverse and rich but also are adorned by attractive flowers, that culminate in an exhibition of late winter flourishing. We will discuss the animals who have evolved to live in these environments including the acid wallum frogs and the rare, eastern ground parrot. Discussions will focus on the effects fire, infertility, drought and waterlogging on this environment. 

The excursions into the wallum communities include short walks at Beerwah Scientific Reserve and the Kathleen Macarthur Reserve at Currimundi. This expedition is organised by Ray Andrews, a local of the Sunshine Coast, award-winning naturalist and wildflower aficionado.

Lunch will be at your own expense at a café en-route.

When: Wednesday 26 August 2026. Departs Enoggera Bus Station at 8.30am.

Maximum 23 travellers. Please join waitlist if the maximum travellers have been reached.

Cost: $70 members, $80 non-members

Approx Timings:

0830 Pickup at Enoggera Train Station, Bus Parking area off Bus Lane on southern side of Station. Parking is off Glen Alva Terrace or nearby streets.

1000 drop off at Beerwah Scientific Reserve, Roys Rd Beerwah

1200 drop off at Beerwah for lunch, Simpson Street, Beerwah

1300 leave Beerwah

1330 drop off at Kathleen McArthur Reserve, Coongarra Esplanade, Currimundi

1500 leave Currimundi

1630 arrive Enoggera Train Station

Contact: Ray Andrews ph. 0409784410

Enquiries contact the RGSQ office +61 7 3368 2066 or email info@rgsq.org.au

The Royal Geographical Society of Queensland and the University of Queensland School of the Environment have organised a public forum with an excellent panel of speakers to present some critical perspectives on Immigration in Australia. We hope you can join us for this important event.

Friday 28 August, 2026
1:45-5pm; please arrive by 1.30pm
followed by St Lucy’s café for social drinks 5-7pm

VENUE: The University of Queensland, St. Lucia,                                                 Andrew Liveris building room 342 

CHAIRS: Dr Iraphne Childs, RGSQ; Assoc. Prof. Thomas Sigler, UQ-SENV

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Associate Prof. Elin Charles-Edwards UQ SENV
Australian Immigration Trends: Composition, Sources and Prospects

SPEAKERS:
Assoc. Prof. Aude Bernard UQ-SENV
Becoming permanently temporary: a population-level analysis of visa trajectories in Australia 2006-2023

Assoc. Prof. Thomas Sigler UQ-SENV
Four Brisbanes, Three Melbournes: Exploring Clustering in International Migration Populations

Dr. Rennie Lee UQ-ISSR
Longitudinal Pathways of Student Visa Holders

ATTENDANCE COST (includes afternoon tea)
General public $20, $10 Zoom
RGSQ $5, $5 zoom
UQ Staff free
Students free

MORE INFORMATION
w www.rgsq.org.au
e info@rgsq.org.au
p (07) 3368 2066

Photographs and videos may be taken during RGSQ events for use in promotional materials including, but not limited to, the RGSQ website, social media channels, newsletters and other publications. By attending an RGSQ event, you consent to the use of your likeness for these purposes, unless you inform the event organizer or photographer otherwise.

Keen to hear what the next generation of geographers are investigating?

In an annual RGSQ tradition, the Young Geographers group are pleased to host this year’s forum Geography Now. Showcasing postgraduate students and early career professionals, this engaging evening of fast-paced presentations will spotlight the latest perspectives, methods and technologies currently used across contemporary geographical research.

Each presenter will have 15-minute to shine a light on their area of research, followed by an interactive Q&A session with the whole speaker line up, for the audience to delve deeper into their curiosities. Register your spot now and stay tuned for more details.

Whether you are an established professional, a university student, or simply passionate about the spatial and environmental sciences, come along! We appreciate your support for the next generation of geographers!

When: Tuesday 1 September | 7:30 - 9:00pm (AEST)

Where: In-person at Gregory Place (Level 1/28 Fortescue St, Spring Hill) and online via Zoom

Cost: Free for non-members, small fee for non-members. RGSQ membership is entirely free for full-time students and discounted for under 35yrs to support early career professionals.

Please note: If you registered to attend the lecture via Zoom, the lecture link will be emailed to all registrants closer to the event date. This lecture may be recorded. If you have any questions, please email us at info@rgsq.org.au.

Seeking volunteers for possible world-first rainforest restoration competition!

Love Australia’s beautiful rainforests like those on the nearby Springbrook Plateau? Want to get “hands on” with helping restore some of these precious rainforests back to a healthy condition? Have some spare weekends and an interest in sharing in this important project with other SEQ environment and community groups?

Starting this September 5 & 6th 2026, teams of volunteers will initiate a new phase in the Springbrook ‘Grass to Gondwana’ Rainforest Restoration Project – working with their hands to weed and revegetate plots of former pasture grass in a key area of Springbrook National Park. Over the next 18 – 24 months, working an intensive weekend shift on site at 3 monthly intervals, different community groups will compete for the honour of best rainforest restorers, taking an area of grassy paddock all the way to the first stages of a regenerating rainforest. RGSQ assistance with arrangements such as accommodation at Springbrook, food and carpooling are currently being discussed to coordinate logistics and reduce personal cost for volunteers. There may also be some opportunities for evening knowledge sharing sessions with volunteers from other groups.

We’re looking for approximately 6 volunteers for each weekend session, with a regular team of 10 – 12 individuals. Volunteers of all skill-levels are welcome, for any number of weekends, provided you’re willing and able to get hands-on with weeding and planting in a paddock landscape.

The first three weekend restoration sessions are currently scheduled for:

5 - 6 September 2026

21 - 22 November 2026

20 - 21 February 2027

Interested but want more information before submitting an EOI? Feel free to contact RGSQ’s Springbrook Rainforest Restoration team lead Giselle via the RGSQ office email address: info@rgsq.org.au. The team lead will reach out to interested volunteers for more details.

The Glass House Mountains are a cluster of hills, the highest being Mt Beerwah at 556 m, rising abruptly on the flat coastal plains of Southern Queensland located at around 153degE, 27degS.

In May 1770, as Cook surveyed the East Coast of Australia, he wrote in his journal that "These hills lay but a little way inland and not far from each other, they are very remarkable on account of their singular form of elivation (sic), which very much resemble glafs houfes which occasioned my giving them that name."

The Queensland Government promotes the commonly held belief, that Cook named the Glass House Mountains after the Glass Cone Furnaces common in his home in Yorkshire, which may be an historical assumption made with no definitive source? Join us to discuss the possibilities and learn a little more about the life and navigational skills of the remarkable Captain James Cook.

Graham Rees has spent most of his career at The University of Qld, firstly graduating with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering then working at the Prentice Centre. Since retiring he has been involved in various ways with RGSQ, and takes a keen interest in Map Group. 

Please note: If you have registered to attend the lecture via Zoom, the lecture link will be emailed to all registrants closer to the lecture date.  If you have any questions, please email us at info@rgsq.org.au

Photographs and videos may be taken during RGSQ events for use in promotional materials including, but not limited to, the RGSQ website, social media channels, newsletters and other publications. By attending an RGSQ event, you consent to the use of your likeness for these purposes, unless you inform the event organizer or photographer otherwise.