Geography

See also
Geography, Faculty of Science
Human Sciences Program, Faculty of Arts
Population Studies Program, Faculty of Arts
School of Resource Management and
Environmental Science, Faculty of Science
in this Handbook

Robert J Wasson, B.A. (Hons.) Syd., PhD Macquarie
Professor and Head of Department

Geography is an associate department of the Faculty of Arts and offers the BA and BA Honours degrees. All undergraduate Geography units are available to Arts students (subject to prerequisites) and can be used to form an Arts Faculty departmental major.

Geography provides practical and employable skills in the spatial measurement, survey and analysis of a range of social issues, particularly those which require a breadth of knowledge of their causes and processes. It can be a practical and down to earth component of Arts degrees in combination with such disciplines as history, archaeology or prehistory, or alternatively it can provide a broader perspective to specialised majors, for example in anthropology, sociology, linguistics or political science. For students with an interest in environmental management in its broad sense, the department offers units ranging from the scientific study of the physical environment to the political and economic choices in environmental policies.

For the BA degree, a departmental major in geography consists of a prescribed sequence of no less than 44 credit points. This sequence consists of either GEOG1006 with SREM1002 followed by four 2000 or 3000 level units; or 2000 and 3000 level units to the value of 48 credit points provided that the 1000 level units have also been completed. The units SREM1002 and SREM3011 are counted as Geography units for the purpose of a Geography major. The major may, with the permission of the Head of Department, include units to the value of not more than 16 credit points from the following units in Human Ecology: ECOS2002, 2004, 3001, 3002, 3014; Population Studies: POPS2001, 2002, 3001; or Resource and Environmental Management SREM 2005, 3003, 3004.

BA students may incorporate Geography units in the following multi-disciplinary Programs in the Faculty of Arts: Human Sciences, Population Studies, Development Studies, Agroecology and Environmental Resources (see entries in the section on Programs). The Department administers the Human Sciences Program and jointly administers the Population Studies Program. A major in Human Sciences or Population Studies is a valuable complement to a major in Geography.

Students seeking advice on appropriate cource structures are invited to consult staff in the Department.

Summary of units offered for the Geography Major

List 1 Departmental Units

List 2 Cognate units that may be included in the Geography major.

For details of ECOS, POPS and SREM units see:

ECOS — Human Sciences Program, Faculty of Arts
POPS — Population Studies Program, Faculty of Arts
SREM — School of Resource Management and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science

Details of Geography Units offered in 1999

Society, Environment and Resources    GEOG1006

(6cp)

Second semester
Three hours of lectures and 2 days of field classes

Prerequisite: None

Coordinator: Dr Baker

Syllabus: People interact with the biological and physical environment to modify habitats for themselves and draw upon natural resources, thereby creating most of the landscapes of the Earth’s surface. Students are introduced to the concepts and tools of integrated analysis using the frameworks of geographical analysis and human ecology. Topics to be explored include human population growth and migration, globalisation, the new economic order, and the distribution of economic activities and the role of equity in resource allocation and depletion. Case studies will be presented in soil and water management, vegetation management, and climate change. Examples will be drawn from Australia and Asia.

Preliminary reading

• Applin, E., Australians and their Environment, Oxford University Press; 1998
• Simmons, I.G., Changing the Face of the Earth: Culture, Environment, History, 2nd edn, Blackwell, 1996

Proposed assessment: Essay, computer laboratory report and examination.

Incompatible with GEOG1005, SREM1003, and SREM1001

Landscape Processes    GEOG2001

(8cp)

First semester
Three hours of lectures and a three-hour laboratory class weekly. Up to five days field classes, equivalent to 40 tutorial hours.

Lecturers: Dr Lees, Dr Mackey, Dr Lindenmayer

Prerequisite: 24 credit points at 1000 level, to include GEOG1006

Syllabus: The unit considers the physical processes actively operating at or near the Earth’s surface. These include geomorphological and ecological processes. Specific processes and the interactions between them are discussed in topics such as weathering and soil formation, hill slope and erosional processes and the interrelations between landscape, vegetation, and wildlife. An introduction to computer modelling of small catchment processes using GIS and remote sensing forms the focus of the workshop component of the course. This unit will be of value to students with an interest in natural resource management at a landscape scale.

Preliminary reading

• Selby, M J, Hillslope Materials and Processes, Oxford University Press.

Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students.

Geography, Information and Intelligence    GEOG2009

(8cp)

First semester

Lecturer: Mr Johnson

Prerequisite: 24 credit points at 1000 level, to include GEOG1006

Syllabus: The unit examines ways of creating and communicating information from data using exploratory analysis and the creation and interpretation of graphic representations. The properties of intelligence essential for such analysis and graphic interpretation, and visualisation in particular, are explored. Understanding integrated, comprehensive analyses of spatial and temporal data commonly encountered in geography and environmental science is developed. The modelling of change over time and in space is a fundamental issue of the course. Interactive information technology systems support learning along with the analysis and graphic representation of data. The skills developed are of great value in other courses and the wider community. The unit is a prerequisite for entry to honours in geography.

Preliminary reading

• Hay, I, Communicating in Geography and the Environmental Sciences, Oxford University Press
• The annotated listing of Internet sites on the Geography 2009 Netsite.

Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students.

Atmosphere, Weather and Climate    GEOG2011

(8cp)

Second semester
Three hours of lectures and a two-hour practical/ tutorial/workshop weekly and up to five days fieldwork.

Lecturers: Dr Lindesay

Prerequisite: 24 credit points at 1000 level, to include GEOG1006

Syllabus: This unit is concerned with developing understanding of the atmospheric components of the Earth system, and the interactions among all parts of the system that influence weather and climate on global, regional and local scales in the system; the structure, composition and physics of the atmosphere; atmospheric circulation on macro and meso scales; an introduction to boundary layer climates and air pollution meteorology; weather processes and systems; the climates of the Earth, particularly the southern hemisphere and Australasia ocean-atmosphere interactions; the nature, causes and impacts of climatic variability and change; and current issues in climatology (including the El Niño Southern Oscillation, the enhanced greenhouse effect and ozone depletion). A primary focus of the course is on the relationship between humans and the atmosphere, particularly in the context of climatic change. Practical work is directed towards understanding atmospheric data collection, processing and interpretation.

Preliminary reading

• Barry, R G & Chorley, R J, Atmosphere, Weather and Climate, Routledge, 1992
• Linacre, E & Geertz, B, Climates and Weather Explained, Routledge, 1997.

Also consult Department for further information.

Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students.

People and Place    GEOG2013

(8cp)

First semester

Lecturer: Mr Johnson

Prerequisite: 24 first-year points. Incompatible with GEOG2004

Syllabus: The unit focuses on human activity. The course reviews ideas and theories from a diverse range of sources to develop an understanding of the allocation of space through patterns and processes. Reading the landscape is an integral part of the study. The complex interconnections of the global economy are examined to explore urban/rural systems, with attention centred on Australia in its world setting. Debate is generated about the nature and implications of contemporary trends in society. A central concern is the disparities people experience in different places and time. The course addresses problems at different scales of view, supported by the analysis of data. Study of the formulation and effect of policy and management systems integrates work in the course. Exploring the creation of information from quantitative and qualitative sources supports the study of ideas and issues.

Preliminary reading

• Forster, C, Australian Cities: Continuity and Change, Oxford University Press
• Fagan, R H and Webber, M,. Global Restructuring: The Australian Experience, Oxford University Press

Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students.

Population and Resources    GEOG2014

Second semester

Prerequisite: GEOG1005 or SREM1003 or GEOG1006 or any later year unit of a Population Studies major

Incompatible with GEOG2005

Lecturer: Dr van Diermen

Syllabus: The concern in this unit is to account for the distribution of the human population and its relation to the resources of the Earth. Particular attention is given to the geographical aspects of the demography of populations and contemporary trends. The development of nations in their particular environments provides perspectives on the relationship between population and resources. Attention is centred on the Australian-Asian hemisphere. The limitations of resources, the role of technology, affluence and social policy are central topics. The methodology for understanding population dynamics supports the discussion of issues and problems. The course also studies policy and how it seeks to keep pace with rapid socio-economic change.

Associated program: Population Studies

Preliminary reading

• Sarre, P and Blunden, V, An Overcrowded World? Population, Resources and Environment. The Open University, Oxford, 1995.

Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students

Rivers and Catchments    GEOG3001

(8cp)

Second semester
Three hours of lectures and three hours of practicals weekly. Up to seven days in the field.

Lecturer: Professor Wasson

Prerequisite: GEOG2001 or GEOL2007

Syllabus: Rivers and catchments cover most of the land surface of the Earth, and are natural entities for natural resource management. The unit is based on a geomorphic understanding of rivers and catchments. Topics include: major theories of geomorphology; spatial organisation of rivers and hillslopes; responses to tectonic, climatic and land use change; global patterns of sediment transport; catchments as cascading systems; and a geomorphic basis for catchment management. Examples are drawn from Australia, South East Asia, and the Indian Subcontinent. The unit is useful for physical geographers, geologists, catchment managers, archaeologists, and forest managers.

Preliminary reading

• Summerfield, M A, Global Geomorphology, Longman

Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students.

Geographic Information Systems    GEOG3009

(8cp)

First semester
Three hours of lectures and three hours of practicals weekly. Up to six days in the field, equivalent to 48 tutorial hours.

Lecturer: Dr Lees

Prerequisite: The completion of units to the value of 24 credit points at 2000 level, including GEOG2001 or GEOG2009 or GEOG2011.

Syllabus: Advances in space and computer technologies have made it possible to amass large collections of data about the surface of the Earth and its environments. These data come from a multiplicity of sources; multiple remote sensing systems, digitised terrain or bathymetric information, cadastral data, and so on. Analysis of these complex geographic data bases requires multivariate quantitative methods. The unit examines various aspects of the analysis of geographic data, emphasising the role of remotely sensed data in geographic information systems. Some of the special problems encountered in analysing multiple data types are introduced.

The unit proceeds to a practical application of the principles introduced by carrying out a land-use planning exercise of a specific area. This involves a ground investigation in addition to the analysis of GIS databases.

Preliminary reading

• Richards, J.A., Remote Sensing-Digital Analysis, Springer
• Burrough, P.A., Principles of Geographical Information Systems for Land Resources Assessment, Oxford

Associated program: Geoecology.

Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students.

Environmental Policy and Planning    GEOG3010

(8cp)

Second semester
Three hours of lectures, one hour of tutorials and a 2-hour workshop and a six-day field class.

Lecturer: Dr Baker

Prerequisite: The completion of at least 96 credit points towards a degree, including two later-year units in Geography and/or Human Ecology or written approval of the lecturer.

Syllabus: The unit considers environmental policy and planning theory and practice at scales from the local to the global. Field classes and workshops provide students with opportunities to analyse specific environmental planning and policy issues in theoretical frameworks and over different time scales. Case studies explored include Landcare, Total Catchment Management, the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement and the role of indigenous people in environmental policy and planning.

Preliminary reading

• Barr, N. & Cary, J., Greening a Brown Land: The Australian search for sustainable land use, Macmillan, 1992
• Blaikie, P. & Brookfield. H., Land degradation and society, Methuen, 1987
• Doyle, T. & Kellow, A., Environmental politics and policy making in Australia, Macmillan, 1995
• Walker, K.J., The political economy of environmental policy: an Australian introduction, New South Wales University Press, 1994

Proposed assessment: Essay, learning portfolio and exam.

Climatology    GEOG3013

(8cp)

Second semester
Three hours of lectures and one 3-hour practical/ seminar weekly

Lecturer: Dr Lindesay

Prerequisite: GEOG2009 at Credit level or better, or GEOG2011

Syllabus: The atmosphere and climate are a critical part of the earth system, and climatic variability and change are central to the issue of future global environmental change. This unit is directed towards developing deeper understanding of climatic variability and change, and their importance to the management of the global system. The unit focuses on three related topics that highlight the functioning of the climate system, and the interactions between humans and the atmosphere, at a range of temporal and spatial scales.

Beginning at the mesoscale, the first topic investigates human-atmosphere interactions in urban environ- ments, including characteristics and impacts of urban climate modifications, air pollution potential and related issues, and the role of complex terrain in modifying the climate near the ground. The second topic explores the larger-scale interactions between the oceans and atmosphere that are a critical link in the functioning of the climate system, from regional to global scales. Ocean atmosphere dynamics and interaction processes and their role in inter-annual and low frequency climate variability are explored in the context of current research on the El Niño Southern Oscillation and its impacts. The third topic deals with the ways in which conceptual and dynamical models are used to develop our understanding of the climate system and climate change at all scales. The focus is on understanding the uses and limitations of such models, and on interpreting their output in ways that are useful for policy formulation, decision making and management.

Practical work is focused on the manipulation and interpretation of climatological data in the context of climatic variability and change, including observational data and model-generated future climate scenarios.

Preliminary reading

• Henderson-Sellers, A and McGuffie, K, A Climate Modelling Primer, Wiley, London, 1987
• Oke, T.R., Boundary Layer Climates, Routledge, London, 1987
• Sturman, A and Tapper, N, The Weather and Climate of Australia and New Zealand, Oxford, Melbourne, 1996

Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students.

Special Topics in Geography    GEOG3014

(8cp)

Either semester, subject to the availability of a suitable supervisor.
Students are expected to devote at least eight hours a week to a research topic.

Coordinator: Dr Baker

Prerequisite: The completion of at least 32 credit points at 2000/3000 level. Admission to this unit is at the discretion of the Head of Department and normally will be open to prospective honours students who have obtained a Credit or better in relevant areas of study. Taught individually or in small groups by members of academic staff.

Syllabus: Special programs of study designed to enable students to gain skills in self directed research in geography or resource and environmental management.

Proposed assessment: By arrangement, but likely to include an extended essay or research report and the presentation of a seminar.

South-East Asia and Northern Australia Field School     GEOG3015

(8cp)

4 weeks in-country
Offered every second year (February 2000 next offered)
Four weeks in-country field school

Lecturer: Dr van Diermen

Prerequisite: Entry with the written agreement of the lecturer.

Syllabus: This unit explores the development of Northern Australia and South East Asia through an intensive 4-week field school. Students are exposed first hand to the economic, social and environmental conditions in Northern Australia and several Southeast Asian countries. Areas and countries visited will include Darwin, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. By intensive teaching in the field, visits to projects and institutions and contact with local cultures, students will develop an understanding of development in the region. In addition to the in-country lectures students are expected during the four weeks to research a topic chosen in consultation with their lecturer.

Note: Because the subject is offered only every second year it can be taken either as a second year or third year subject. The cost of the field work will be charged directly to students.

Preliminary reading

• Taylor, C et al, South-East Asia on a Shoestring, Melbourne, Lonely Planet, 1997
• Vervoorn, A, Re-Orient: Change in Asian Societies, Singapore, Oxford, 1998

Proposed assessment: to be agreed in consultation with the students.

South-East Asia and Tropical Australia    GEOG3016

(8cp)

First semester
Two hours of lectures, one hour of tutorials and/or practicals each week.

Lecturer: Dr van Diermen

Prerequisite: GEOG2014 Population and Resources or GEOG2013 People and Place.

Syllabus: This unit explores the geography of Northern Australia and South East Asia. This is a region of widely varying physical conditions, with areas of very high population and others that are almost uninhabited. It is also a region of recent remarkable economic growth, with attendant problems of economic inequity, migration, pollution, ethnic tensions, institutional corruption and political instability. All of these, and other issues will be explored within the context of the relationship between cultural, economic, political and environmental factors and processes. The underlying aim of the unit is to explore how far we can explain patterns of human activity in this region, using both spatial and temporal analyses. This unit will provide an advanced level synthesis of both human and physical geography, and will be useful for geographers, consultants, business people, policy makers, and anyone interested in the region.

Preliminary reading

• Rimmer, P J, Pacific Rim Development: Integration and Globalisation in the Asia-Pacific Economy, Canberra, Allen and Unwin, 1997
• Rodan, G, et al, The Political Economy of South-East Asia, Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 1997

Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students.

Readings in Environmental History    GEOG3017

(8cp)

First semester
Weekly seminar, of one hour, during which oral presentation of a critical review and/or major essay will be presented. Students are expected to devote at least eight hours a week to seminars and written work.

Lecturer: Dr Dovers

Prerequisite: Entry requires the written approval of the lecturer.

Syllabus: Environmental History explores the changing relationship between people and their environment through time, taking account of shifts in value systems, knowledge and economic context. This unit will familiarise students with the literature, methods, content and likely future development of this emerging transdisciplinary field. The unit is structured around student readings, reviews and essays, and weekly seminars. Likely seminar topics are: environmental history of Terra Australis; indigenous history; community history, and environmental history; biohistorical perspectives, environmental history and the humanities; environmental history for catchment management; long-term environmental history in East Asia; and reconstructuring forests.

Preliminary reading

• Dovers, S, (ed.), Australian Environmental History, OUP, Melbourne,1994

Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students.

Palaeo-Environmental Reconstruction    GEPR3001

(8cp)

Second semester
*Subject to availability of staff
One lecture and one two-hour class throughout semester and attendance at selected seminars. Up to 26 hours additional project work by arrangement. One field day.

Prerequisite: At least 96 credit points in a degree including two later-year units in Biology, Resource and Environmental Management or Archaeology or written approval of the lecturer.

Syllabus: The unit reviews techniques commonly used provide a reconstruction of the past ecology, climate, and surface processes of a region with an emphasis on the potential resources and constraints that may have affected human populations. Biological techniques to be studies include analyses of pollen, charcoal, wood, seeds, isotopic biochemistry and biogenic silica and a range of geomorphological and chronological methods will also be considered. The contribution of these techniques to particular prehistoric problems such as the role of human activity in environmental change is assessed.

Associated programs: Environmental and Human Histories, Geoecology.

Proposed assessment: To be agreed in consultation with students.

The degree with Honours

Honours Coordinators: K M Johnson, D C Dumaresq

Intending Geography honours students should first read the general statement ‘The degree with honours’ in the Handbook’s introductory section of the Faculty in which they are enrolled.

Geography Honours School

Students who pass first-year Geography and SREM units to the value of 12 credit points at distinction level or above will be recommended to Faculty for admission to the Honours School.

In certain circumstances later admission to the Honours School may be permitted with the approval of the Head of Department.

The full course in the Honours School must be approved by the Head of Department.

All students in the Honours School are expected to attend seminars given by staff, graduate students and visitors in the Department of Geography.

Admission to Geography IV (Honours) in the Faculty of Arts

Completion of BA degree requirements and:

• 76 credit points (10 units) in geography;
• Performance in at least two of the later-year geography units at Distinction level or better, and in the remainder at Credit level or better;

Admission is subject to the availability of an appropriate supervisor.

Admission requires the approval of the Faculty of Arts acting on the recommendation of the Head of the Department.

On the recommendation of the Head of Department and with the approval of Faculty (normally exercised by a Sub-Dean), up to two or more of the following units may be substituted for units in geography: Population Studies units POPS2001, POPS2002, POPS3001, the Human Ecology units: ECOS2002, ECOS2004, ECOS3001, ECOS3002, ECOS3014, and SREM3011, which are regarded as Geography units for the purposes of qualification to Honours.

Geography IV

The honours program for each student is arranged to include a combination of reading, formal course work and research for a thesis. Students contemplating honours in Geography should contact the honours coordinator early in their course. BA Honours is a full-time degree which normally begins in the first week of February.

Mid year and part-time enrolment may be permitted.

Course Outline

The fourth-year honours class meets in the first week of February. Prior consultation with members of staff should take place to determine a potential thesis topic and supervisor(s). A thesis proposal is presented in March.

In first semester, course work consists of a seminar in the philosophy and practice of scientific research and a unit oriented to the thesis topic; the latter may be a 3000-level geography unit or a reading/essay unit as appropriate. Coursework must be completed by the end of the first semester. The second semester is devoted to the thesis.

Honours students present a thesis progress report at the beginning of the second semester. The honours thesis has a limit of 15,000 words and is due at the end of the first week of November. The assessment weighting of honours components is course work 30%, thesis 70%. Expenses incurred in field work and presentation of the thesis are borne by the student.

Combined Honours

1. Combined Honours in geography and archaeology

The interaction of human activities and environmental processes are basic themes of both geography and archaeology. The combined honours program provides a grounding in the theory and techniques of each discipline which bear on these themes, such as environmental and subsistence reconstruction, economic and demographic distributions, and regional studies.

Requirements for the combined honours degree are —

• completion of BA degree requirements which will normally include 7 units, at least one at distinction level or better and the remainder at credit level or better, from each discipline;
• completion of the unit Environmental Reconstruction (GEPR3001);
• fourth-year Geography/Archaeology.

Normally a student will have completed two first-year points in Geography and SREM and Introduction to Archaeology (PREH1111) and Introduction to World Prehistory (PREH1112) as part of a first-year program which could also usefully include botany, zoology, human biology or anthropology.

Various course combinations are available at second and third-year level which students may wish to follow in the development of interests and the pursuit of departmental and/or program majors. These are —

(a) Quaternary and Holocene environments and resources. Environmental reconstruction and processes, hunter-gatherer ecology, and the origin and development of agricultural systems.

(b) Social, economic and demographic distributions. Geographical studies of local or regional societies and economies may be combined with the analyses of prehistoric patterns of hunter-gatherer, agricultural and urban settlement patterns, societies and economies. Some anthropology units may be considered useful.

Apply to the Departmental Administrators for detailed information on course structure.

Fourth Year

The fourth-year combined honours program begins in February with the Archaeology Practical Workshop. Students must also take one archaeology Honours seminar (either Archaeology and the State or Epistemology of Prehistory) and one advanced geography seminar. These units must be completed by the end of first semester.

The honours dissertation (12,000–15,000 words), jointly assessed by both departments, is due in the first week of November. The assessment weighting of the fourth-year components is course work 50%; dissertation 50%.

2. Other combined honours

Combined honours courses in geography and another discipline may be available with the Faculty of Arts approval, acting on the recommendation of the heads of the two departments concerned. Students interested in combining honours in geography with honours in another discipline should consult the Head of Department in the beginning of their third year. The units taken and the assessment weightings in a combined honours course will be determined in each case by the heads of departments concerned.