May - June 2023

Australian Geographic

The journal of the Australian Geographic Society

Australian Geographic2 min read
Saluting The Farmer’s Mate
I’M NOT A dog owner and my friends would probably say I’m not a dog lover either, but I do enjoy the sight of a working dog. When every other hound I seem to meet these days is a variation of designer “oodle” (and often part of a matching set), I’m s
Australian Geographic1 min read
Don’t Let Them Croak!
The beautiful green and golden bell frog is listed globally and nationally as vulnerable, and endangered in New South Wales. Once common throughout NSW and Victoria, this stunning amphibian has been heavily impacted by coastal development. It’s estim
Australian Geographic2 min read
Where Chaos Rules
WHEN NINA WHITE was first contacted by AG’s picture editor, Nicky Catley, about shooting the Stinson Walk (page 74), she didn’t think twice about saying yes. “Was I fit enough for a 35–40km off-trail hike carrying a pack full of gear? Probably not,”
Australian Geographic1 min read
Australian Geographic
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chrissie Goldrick CREATIVE DIRECTOR Aleksandra Beare SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT EDITOR Karen McGhee GROUP PICTURE EDITOR Nicky Catley CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Maggie Cooper STAFF WRITER Esme Mathis COPY EDITOR Jo Hartmann SENIOR DESIGNER Mel Tiy
Australian Geographic5 min read
AG Your say
I’m a Chinese student on the Gold Coast. I haven’t got a good education or earned a degree yet, and my chance of earning a good living at home is minimal. But here in Australia, with better wages, I have more spare time to think about life, explore n
Australian Geographic1 min read
Australian GEOGRAPHIC
Sign up to the Australian Geographic email newsletter on our homepage and we’ll deliver fresh content to your inbox every week! In February, Sunshine Coast snake catcher Dan Busstra captured this dedicated mother coastal carpet python protecting her
Australian Geographic1 min read
Geobuzz
IN LATE 2022, I travelled to Antarctica aboard Le Commandant Charcot. As we navigated through the rough waters of the Southern Ocean, we caught sight of a towering mass of ice on the horizon. Drawing closer, we could see it was a tabular iceberg, one
Australian Geographic6 min read
Geobits
The breeding ground of the Australian giant cuttlefish off the South Australian coast has been added to the National Heritage List. Every year between May and August, hundreds of thousands of this species congregate in a stretch of water known as the
Australian Geographic3 min readInternational Relations
Founding Of The UN
Herbert Vere ‘Doc’ Evatt, external affairs minister in the Curtin and Chifley governments, insisted smaller nations have greater influence in the newly formed UN, making the organisation more egalitarian. THE DEVELOPMENT OF the United Nations began w
Australian Geographic2 min read
Blade Trees
DOTTED AROUND the Riverina and outback New South Wales are several intriguing old river red gums with hand shears embedded in their trunks. The rusting shears are stuck so deep in the trees that it’s clear they’ve been there for a long time. But just
Australian Geographic1 min read
Talking Australia
In 2021 ecologist and native bee expert James Dorey discovered the rare cloaked bee, which was believed to have been extinct for 100 years. In this episode he discusses his insect photography, how he came across this long-lost species and ways we can
Australian Geographic2 min read
Home For Wildlife Art Receives A Boost
NOT FAR FROM the rugged grandeur of the Grampians, and just beyond the busy adventure hub of Halls Gap in Victoria, lies a peaceful 16ha fenced enclosure. Most of the time it’s a safe haven for birds and mammals that seek shelter amid its burgeoning
Australian Geographic2 min read
In The Dark
ON REDDIT, I CAME across the following statement: “Every year on 8 July at about 11.15 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), approximately 99.164 per cent of the world’s population is between dawn and dusk. ”Amazingly, it turns out to be only 6 per cent
Australian Geographic5 min read
Barbara Shaw
A continuation in the series of interviews between First Nations advocate Thomas Mayo (An invitation to listen, AG 170) and the Indigenous community leaders he met when he toured Australia in 2019 with the Uluru Statement from the Heart. AFTER INTERV
Australian Geographic1 min read
Oz Words
WHEN AUSSIES are full of either food (“I couldn’t eat another bite, love”) or grog (“I think I’ve got me wobbly boots on”), they have a number of ways of saying just how full they are: “as full as a goog” (where “goog” means egg – an item that is alw
Australian Geographic2 min read
Amazing Asteroids
ONCE IN A WHILE, a scientific result emerges that flies in the face of what we intuitively expect. It’s one of the things that makes science appealing – you never quite know what will turn up. Some recent work led by scientists at Curtin University n
Australian Geographic1 min read
Looking Up
This is a great time of year to observe the southern Milky Way in the early evening. All you need to do is stand under clear, moonless skies in the countryside and enjoy the view of the Southern Cross nearly overhead, unique to the Southern Hemispher
Australian Geographic4 min read
Your Society
May • June 2023 DO YOU KNOW of a conservation or adventure hero you’d like to see honoured by the Australian Geographic Society at this year’s Gala Awards? It’s nomination time, and also time to save the date. The list on the right has the seven cate
Australian Geographic1 min read
Your Subscription Is Essential To The Australian Geographic Society
EVERY SUBSCRIBER to this journal automatically becomes a member of the not-for-profit AG Society. Your subscription helps us fund Australia’s scientists, conservationists, adventurers and explorers. To subscribe, call 1300 555 176 Who are the Austral
Australian Geographic6 min read
The Trees That Wept Cider
TWO WEEKS INTO SUMMER, one doesn’t expect to see snow falling in thick drifts, but in the central highlands of lutruwita/Tasmania, snow, sleet and bone-chilling gales should never be ruled out. It was this inhospitable weather that greeted us when we
Australian Geographic1 min read
RECEIVE TWO GIFTS AND SAVE 20% When You Subscribe Or Renew Today
The Australian Geographic Bamboo Phone Stand will enable you to watch movies, read recipes or browse social media hands free! This simple, two-piece bamboo holder features a hole to thread a charger though so you never run out of battery. AND The Aus
Australian Geographic10 min read
A Camel Odyssey Complete
I HAD THOUGHT traversing the vast, remote, waterless deserts of Australia would be the hardest part of my journey across the country with camels, but now I was facing a completely different challenge: traffic. This was the worst of the busy roads I h
Australian Geographic4 min read
Just Add Water
STEP OUT OF your vehicle about 30km off the Sturt Highway near Balranald, near the Victorian border in south-western New South Wales, and it’s like someone has opened a window and let in a flurry of birds. Colour, movement and water surround both sid
Australian Geographic2 min read
Wetlands Where Land And Water Meet
Wetlands are among the world’s most productive ecosystems. They produce food for aquatic habitats, much of which begin as the leaves and stems of plants growing in and around them. When alive, these are food and shelter for many animals, but they’re
Australian Geographic4 min read
Australia’s Ramsar Sites
THE RAMSAR CONVENTION recognises wetlands of international significance. This inter-governmental treaty came into existence in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, seeking to conserve wetlands and end their destruction. Member countries were encouraged to nominate
Australian Geographic11 min read
Stinson Crash Remembered
IT WAS 3AM and raining steadily as I laced up my battered hiking boots on a morning last May in Lamington National Park, a vast south-east Queensland wilderness about 110km by road south of Brisbane. I was at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat – formerly
Australian Geographic10 min read
Kelpie Country
IN AN ALMOST-HIDDEN dale in the secluded Glenelg River valley, in south-western Victoria, lies a cluster of buildings that seems, at first sight, to resemble a small 19th-century village. Set amid hilly pastureland, where sheep and cattle graze, in a
Australian Geographic10 min read
From Outback To Ocean
GAZING ACROSS A cracked mud plain stretching all the way to the horizon while occasionally peering into a spotting scope to try to spy wildlife at a faraway waterhole, you could be forgiven for thinking you’re on the African savannah. So it’s little
Australian Geographic1 min read
Why Travel With Us?
Travelling with Australian Geographic inspires people to care about the planet by providing meaningful opportunities to explore it. Our travel experiences are rich in nature and adventure, and our travel partners specialise in hard-to-reach places an
Australian Geographic2 min read
Murray River Luxury Houseboat Safari
JOIN TONY SHARLEY of Murray River Trails on a river journey to discover the culture, incredible wildlife and ecology of the mighty Murray. You’ll be welcomed to Country by Erawirung Elder Eric Cook, who will take you on a cultural walk along an ancie
Australian Geographic1 min read
Australian Geographic expedition to Aussie Ark
JOIN US FOR an unmissable, once-in-a-lifetime experience at Aussie Ark! Get up-close and personal with some of Australia’s most endangered wildlife. You’ll get to see Tassie devils as you assist with feeding and monitoring individuals. In addition to
Australian Geographic2 min read
Citizen Science On The Great Barrier Reef
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Australian Geographic, embark on an immersive scientific expedition aboard Coral Discoverer, exploring the outer reefs and unique marine ecosystems of the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef. Travel with a community of conservation-m
Australian Geographic2 min read
Arkaba Wild Bush Luxury Safari And Flight* Adventure Expedition
JOIN AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL on the experience of a lifetime. Just 10 guests at a time share this remote 24,000ha private wildlife conservancy dedicated to the conservation of Australia’s unique wildlife. Mobs of kangaroos, emus and other abunda
Australian Geographic2 min read
Through The Islands And Atolls Of Micronesia
JOIN US ON an extraordinary island adventure as we journey through the rarely explored islands of Micronesia. Aboard Coral Adventurer, sail from Manila through the Philippines, Palau and around the remote islands of the Federated States of Micronesia
Australian Geographic2 min read
Wild Islands Of South Australia
SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S GULF waters boast 5000km of deserted shoreline and more than 300 islands. There’s a huge diversity of natural wilderness to explore, including spectacular bays and beaches, remote islands and stunning sea cliffs. Best of all, most o
Australian Geographic1 min read
21-day AAT Kings Wonders of the West Coast & Kimberley (WPBD)
THREE WEEKS OF natural drama awaits you on this unrivalled road trip, covering two states, dozens of gorges, a wonderland of waterfalls and countless encounters with wildlife. Fancy swimming with whale sharks, spotting crocs and meeting dolphins? And
Australian Geographic1 min read
The Original Kimberley Cruise with Coral Expeditions
PERFECTED OVER THREE DECADES, our 10-night Kimberley cruise takes you on an unforgettable journey between Darwin and Broome. Retrace the history of Phillip Parker King, who first charted this spectacular coastline 200 years ago. Board a Zodiac and to
Australian Geographic1 min read
Join Us Next Issue conquering The Abels
australiangeographic.com.au or call 1300 555 176 • Is it really possible to travel sustainably? • The Murray–Darling Basin Plan – is it working? • Weird and wonderful creatures from the deep ocean. WHILE WAITING FOR YOUR NEXT ISSUE, ENJOY OUR WEEKLY
Australian Geographic2 min read
AusQuiz
1 Brachychiton acerifolius is more commonly known by what name? 2 In southwestern Australia, Cephalotus follicularis is found near which coastal city? 3 What is the name of this geological formation, found in Mount Kaputar NP? 4 What is the common an
Australian Geographic1 min read
Theodore, QLD
THEODORE LIES ON the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range, and boasts a tropical character with a palm-lined boulevard and pretty timber houses. The town began as a small inland settlement called Castle Creek, which was formed in 1923 when the Qu
Australian Geographic2 min read
Places Of Interest
Theodore is one of those towns where visitors should just wander. The streets are gloriously wide and well planned and there are many interesting historic buildings to discover, from churches to a number of classic “Queenslanders” (houses elevated so
Australian Geographic1 min read
Theodore Timeline
• Before European settlement, the Wulli Wulli people occupied the Theodore area. • German explorer Ludwig Leichhardt passed through the area in the 1840s. • The first European settler was Joseph Thompson, who took up a number of pastoral leases here
Australian Geographic3 min read
Fishermans Bend
ON THE LOWER reaches of Victoria’s Yarra River is the Fishermans Bend industrial precinct. Since the mid-19th century, this site – just a stone’s throw from Melbourne’s CBD – has been strategically important for shipping, defence and industry. It ini
Australian Geographic3 min read
Weld Angel
THE PHOTO OF the Weld Angel brought the fight to protect Tasmania’s Southern Forests to the world. It appeared in a number of international television broadcasts and the pages of major newspapers and magazines such as Le Figaro and Vanity Fair Italia

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