The Royal Geographical Society of Queensland Ltd

Geography Now: An Emerging Researchers Showcase 🌏

What are the next generation of geographers researching?

Join RGSQ for Geography Now, our annual emerging researchers showcase, hosted by the Young Geographers.

Hear from postgraduate students and early career professionals as they present their research in a series of fast-paced 15-minute presentations, covering a range of contemporary geographical topics, perspectives, methods and technologies.

The presentations will be followed by a panel-style Q&A, giving the audience an opportunity to explore the research in more depth and put their questions to the speakers.

Tuesday 1 September 2026
7:30–9:00pm (AEST)
Gregory Place, Level 1/28 Fortescue St, Spring Hill
Also available via Zoom

So, come along and support the next generation of geographical researchers!

Registrations are open and we hope to see you there: https://rgsq.org.au/event-6804597

A reminder that 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 N. Liveris building 46 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 (Zoom $10)
RGSQ Members: $5 (Zoom $5)
UQ Staff free
Students free

Register at https://rgsq.org.au/event-6574798

What's On at RGSQ – August 2026

August is packed with opportunities to explore geography from new perspectives.

This month's events include:

Tue 4 August | 7:30 pm
Monthly Lecture
Chronourbanism: Planning, Designing and Monitoring Urban and Regional Development According to Time Rather Than Distance

Thu 6 August | 10:00 am
Mapping Queensland
Map Group Presentation

Fri 7 August | 5:30 pm
Geography Writing Competition Awards Night

Wed 26 August | 8:30 am
Wallum Wildflower Ecology
RGSQ Traveller Event

Fri 28 August | 1:30 pm
Immigration in Australia
Public Forum

All events are open for registration, with members receiving discounted entry to eligible events.

Visit https://rgsq.org.au/ to register.

We look forward to welcoming you to RGSQ this August.

🌏 What if we planned our cities by time instead of distance?

How far can you really get in 20 or 30 minutes? The answer depends on far more than kilometres.

On Tuesday 4 August join the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland for a lecture with Dr Anthony Kimpton, University of Southern Queensland - Australia, as he explores - an emerging approach to urban and regional planning that is reshaping how governments think about accessibility, transport, and liveable communities.

From the "30-minute city" to the "10-minute neighbourhood", time-based planning has become central to policy across Australia. But are these ideas actually delivering on their promise?

Tuesday, 4 August 2026
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Gregory Place, Level 1, 28 Fortescue Street, Spring Hill
Also available live via Zoom

Register at https://rgsq.org.au/event-6755225

🌏 Immigration in Australia – Public Forum

How is immigration shaping Australia's future? On Friday 28 August join us for an afternoon of expert insights and discussion as leading researchers explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities associated with immigration in Australia.

The Royal Geographical Society of Queensland and The University of Queensland School of the Environment are pleased to present a public forum featuring a distinguished panel of speakers examining immigration from demographic, economic, social, and geographic perspectives.

Keynote Address
• Associate Professor Elin Charles-Edwards – Australian Immigration Trends: Composition, Sources and Prospects

Featured Speakers
• Associate Professor Aude Bernard – Migration and Population Ageing: Evaluating Policy Trade-offs
• Associate Professor Thomas Sigler – Four Brisbanes, Three Melbournes: Exploring Clustering in International Migration Populations
• Dr Rennie Lee – Longitudinal Pathways of Student Visa Holders

Afternoon tea included, followed by social drinks at St Lucy's Café from 5:00–7:00pm.

Places are limited. Register at https://rgsq.org.au/event-6574798

🌾 Lecture Recording Now Available – Famine to Feast: History of the Australian Fertilizer Industry 🌾

Australia is an ancient continent with some of the most nutrient-poor soils in the world. Yet our agricultural sector feeds not only Australia's 28 million people but also millions more around the globe, with around three-quarters of our agricultural production exported. This remarkable achievement would not be possible without fertilizers.

In this fascinating presentation, Garry Kuhn, traces the history of the fertilizer industry from the use of manure, bones, guano and nitrate deposits through to the development of superphosphate and the revolutionary Haber-Bosch process, often described as the most important technological advancement of the 20th century.

The lecture also explores Australia's pioneering role in fertilizer manufacturing, from the first commercial superphosphate production at Yarraville in 1878 to the development of ammonia production at Brisbane's Gibson Island plant, and examines the challenges facing the industry today.

With an estimated 50% of global crop yields attributable to commercial fertilizers, this is a compelling story of science, industry, food security, and Australia's agricultural development.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9OXmWorRr0

History of the Australian Fertilizer Industry The Australian landscape is aged in geological terms. It is an anci...

⚡ Why Geography Matters for the Electricity Transition ⚡

As Australia accelerates towards a renewable energy future, one critical question is often overlooked: where should all this infrastructure be built, who benefits, and who bears the costs?

On Tuesday 7 July, join us for an insightful evening with Professor Magnus Söderberg, one of Australia's leading energy economists and Director of Griffith University Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research.

While the energy transition is often discussed as a technological challenge, it is also fundamentally a geographical one. Renewable energy resources, transmission lines, storage facilities and Renewable Energy Zones all have locations—and those locations matter. From landholder impacts and community consultation to network costs, regional equity and energy reliability, geography plays a central role in shaping Australia's energy future.

This timely presentation will explore:
🔹 Renewable Energy Zones and spatial planning
🔹 The geography of electricity networks
🔹 Regional and urban differences in energy costs
🔹 Land access, compensation and community benefits
🔹 Who wins, who pays, and what a fair transition looks like

Whether you're interested in geography, energy policy, economics, planning, sustainability or Australia's renewable future, this is a presentation not to miss.

Register now and be part of the conversation shaping Australia's electricity transition: https://rgsq.org.au/event-6715402

Missed our presentation on Topographic Anomalies – Impact Craters at Mt Moffatt? You can now watch the recording on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/oSjhktB66J0?si=zt7g0z5IygJFs-w_

Neil Simson, a former Town Planner with more than 50 years of orienteering experience, has spent a lifetime studying maps and navigating complex terrain. His keen eye for topographic anomalies has led him to investigate the remarkable ring structures within the Mt Moffatt section of Carnarvon National Park.

Drawing on geomorphological principles, Neil's research began with a desktop analysis of existing mapping resources before moving into field investigations. His work has identified several anomalous landforms and a high-probability impact site where further specimen collection and analysis are now required.

Join Neil as he explores the fascinating possibility that ancient impact events may have shaped parts of Queensland's landscape, and discover how maps can reveal clues hidden in the terrain itself.

Topographic Anomalies - Impact Craters at Mt Moffatt? Neil Simson is a former Town Planner, now retired and has over 50 y...

The recording of our recent Geography Matters webinar, 🦇FLYING-FOXES – AUSTRALIA’S ENDURANCE CHAMPIONS, is now available on our YouTube channel.

Presented by ecologists Jess Gorring and Carissa Gill, the webinar explores the remarkable long-range movements and roost distribution of flying-fox species across eastern Australia, and the vital ecological role these highly mobile mammals play through pollination and seed dispersal.

Drawing on extensive field and management experience, Jess and Carissa discuss the resilience and vulnerability of flying-fox populations as they navigate changing landscapes and emerging environmental pressures. If you missed the live session, or would like to revisit this fascinating discussion, the recording is now available for viewing.

FLYING-FOXES – AUSTRALIA’S ENDURANCE CHAMPIONS Australia may not have vast herds of land‑based herbivores tracking...