Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens -  African plant safari

9.30-10.30 Introductory presentation and BYO morning tea10.30am - 12.30 pm guided walk.

Join us for an “African Plant Safari” at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha, one of the best collections of African plants in Australia. The walk will be initially downhill from the lookout, zigzag through the African zone, proceed via the Tropical Dome and finish in the Arid Zone and Cactus House. The visit will mostly be devoted to plants from southern Africa, together with a few species from Namibia, East & West Africa, the horn of Africa, Egypt and one offshore island, depending on time constraints. The visit will be guided by RGSQ member Charles Naylor, a trained volunteer guide at the Gardens, who has been leading this walk since 2022, based on his experiences while a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe in 1983-85 and a member of the Tree Society of Zimbabwe.

$5.00 members; $15.00 non-membersMax 20 persons

• Meet by 9.30am at the large picnic shelter Lookout located on the ring road within the Gardens (see map attached),
• Wear sunhats and stout walking shoes and bring walking sticks or poles if desired.

Over morning tea there will be:

• an introductory presentation covering a brief history and layout of the Mt Coot-tha Gardens,
• a small display of African wooden and other artefacts,
• an overview of the African collections at Mt Coot-tha – and a little botany!

Parking: The 3-hour visit involves self-drive to the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mt Coot-tha. On weekdays the Gardens are less crowded and participants can drive onto the ring road within the Gardens to park in one of the two areas adjacent to the Lookout, or near the National Freedom Wall (see map attached – the Freedom Wall is a 5-minute walk from the Lookout).

Walk rating: The walk is along sealed paths. Distances up to 2 km, gentle slopes, some stairs, some uneven surfaces and 5-minute standing periods for guide explanations.

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

Dr Anthony Kimpton

School of Science, Engineering and Digital Technology, University of Southern Queensland

Chronourbanist policy frameworks have gained rapid traction across Federal (e.g., the Smart Cities Plan’s “30-minute cities”), State (e.g, TransformingSEQ’s “30-minute cities” and “45-minute regions”), and Local planning policy (e.g., iGO Ipswich Transport Strategy 2025’s “20-minute city” and “10-minute neighbourhoods”). The appeal is understandable since it promises more sustainable transport choices, reduced household car-dependency costs (estimated by the Australian Automobile Association at $458 per week in 2025 or 15.5% of the median household income), and fairer planning outcomes given everyone has a comparable amount of time available each day. Surprisingly, there is little evidence about whether these policies can or are achieving their goals.

A critical geographic tension also persists between time and distance with planners often treating travel time and travel distance as equivalent even though they are not. For example, common aims such as a bus stop within 800m to represent a five-minute walk ignores factors such as network distance, road crossings, hills, or whether/when the bus service is running on the day. Likewise, the directness of a cycling route is dependent on what each cyclist will endure (e.g., road speeds, parking configurations, carriageway width, and dedicated or protected lanes) and distance travelled in 20-minutes by car varies considerably between the inner and outer city due to road speeds and traffic congestion. Lastly, the distance reached in 20-minutes by transit or cars varies according to access to and from the transit service, waits until the next service, transfers between services, route efficiency, stops along the route, and whether the transit has priority paths such as train lines or bus rapid transit. As such, transit frequency aims that are also common practice in state and local governments fail to capture the range of transit considerations that leave public transport less viable than driving.

This presentation explores the gap between the time-based goals of planning policies and the distance-based measures often used to assess them. Drawing on Australian and international research, it examines how multimodal router tools and open data from sources (e.g., OpenStreetMap, OpenTopography, and state governments) can provide more accurate ways of measuring accessibility and transport outcomes. The presentation argues that planners need better evidence to understand whether time-based planning policies are delivering on their promises, and that geography is well placed to lead this work through its focus on spatial analysis, transport networks, and equitable access to places.

Presenter Biography: Dr Anthony Kimpton is a Lecturer in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Southern Queensland's School of Science, Engineering and Digital Technology. His research sits at the intersection of land use and transport policy, spatial analytics, and social equity, with a particular focus on using open and big data to examine how planning and transport systems shape access, opportunity, and sustainable outcomes at the neighbourhood through to regional scale.

Anthony's professional background bridges academia, government, and industry. He has served as a Senior Data Specialist within the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), where he trained and supervised data scientists in the Big Data Pathways section, and has developed transport planning data products and analytical tools with the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN).

He is also a member of the Planning Institute Australia’s (PIA) Queensland Division Committee, and contributed towards their national Digital Planning Core Competencies and PlanTech discussions. He has also contributed towards the Heart Foundation’s Blueprint for an Active Australia, and serves on several external advisory committees concerned with active transport, planning technology, construction, and data governance.

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.

Join us in celebrating the talented authors who entered the Geography Writing Competition. The authors whose stories achieved promotion to the long list will be recognised and the short-listed stories announced at the Awards Night. The top three stories will be read to the audience and their authors awarded prizes. 

Prior to the prize-giving, there will be a short address from the guest speaker, Mr Richard Ogden. Richard has wide experience in public relations and media production, including five years as the media officer for the Murray-Darling Basin Commission.

When: 5.30-7.30pm, Friday 7 August

Where: RGSQ, 1/28 Fortescue Street, Spring Hill 4000 or on Zoom

Cost (including refreshments):

Competition entrants free

RGSQ members free

Others $10

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 August 15 & 16th 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:

15 - 16 August 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.

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, room TBA

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
Migration and Population Ageing: Evaluating Policy Trade-offs

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.