Blog
Honeycomb Weathering
Honeycomb Weathering A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of escorting a group of Year 4 girls from St Catherine’s School, Waverley, on a field excursion to Bondi. There were 66 girls and 6 teachers along with Irene, my wife. Mackenzie Hansen, our granddaughter was in...
Disaster preparedness
Disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation: a national conundrum In December last year, the Australian Government released its response to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into natural disaster funding arrangements. The Government agreed that the...
Sept-Iles: Managing a migrating foreland
Sept-Iles: Managing a migrating foreland Late May-early June is the 50th anniversary of several momentous events; the 1967 Aboriginal referendum, the Middle East 6 day war, and the release of the Beatles Sergeant Pepper album. For me it was entering the port town...
Achievements of the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility
Achievements of the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility Last Wednesday, 17th May, I attended what we think will be the last meeting of supporters of NCCARF, the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility. The meeting was held in rooms...
Coastal Shacks
Coastal Shacks I have just read a fascinating new book entitled SHACK LIFE: the survival story of three Royal National Park communities, by Ingeborg Van Teeseling (New South publishing 2017). It is supported by a section written by Geoff Ashley, a heritage consultant,...
Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville
Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville Each ANZAC Day I am reminded of links between military exploits and coastal geography. This year my attention was again drawn to the incredible exploits of the US Marines and their landings in the Pacific during WW2. Early in the war...
The Blue Mud Bay case – Aboriginal property rights in the Northern Territory
The Blue Mud Bay case – Aboriginal property rights in the Northern Territory Each year the Wentworth Group (WG) invites 8 to 10 PhD scholars from around Australia and a bunch of “young professionals” to Sydney to meet with its members and participate in discussions...
Botany Bay Sands
Botany Bay Sands Botany Bay, Sydney, New South Wales Last week I again conducted my annual field trip for the Wentworth Group Master Class. I refer to this excursion as Cape to Cape from Cape Banks to Cape Solander. It encompasses the broad expanse of Botany Bay so...
Wave Energy Resource
Wave Energy Resource The renewable energy debate has been heating up once again. States and Commonwealth governments have been trading initiatives over recent months in how best to secure supply of electricity to various markets. These problems are said to get worse...
Clustering of Storms
Clustering of Storms I read with interest the results of recent work by Ivan Haigh et al. on extreme sea level and storm surge events around the coast of the UK (Scientific Data, 2016, DOI:10.1038/sdata.2016.107). Robert Nichols from University of Southampton, in...
Cape to Cape: A voyage around Botany Bay
Cape to Cape: A voyage around Botany Bay The organisers of the International Coastal Symposium, recently held in Sydney, kindly invited me to run a field excursion around the shores of Botany Bay. I have conducted this tour several times for students, but this is the...
Queensland 2017 Coastal Conference – 4 to 7 September 2017 Airlie Beach, Whitsundays
Queensland 2017 Coastal Conference – 4 to 7 September 2017 Airlie Beach, Whitsundays The Australian Coastal Society, Reef Catchments and the Queensland Coastal Conference Committee look forward to seeing you at the 6th Queensland Coastal Conference to be held at...