Human Geography (HGeo)

Director – Chris Gibson

Human geographers think spatially about social, cultural, economic and environmental problems. Wollongong human geographers are recognised nationally and internationally for their research in the social and cultural dimensions of environmental issues, including indigenous geographies and relations to land; and advanced research on the socio-economic future of cities and regions.

Research clusters exist around externally-funded projects on creative economies and regional change; the political ecology of nature; sexuality and space; new paradigms for conservation landscapes, and changing environmental philosophies in population turnaround regions.

We are innovative in:

• Providing an active social science research and teaching presence in the Science Faculty.
• Utilising a diversity of methodologies, from experimental cognitive methodologies in cultural geography to the use of geographic information systems for analysis of sociospatial patterning.
• Exploring issues of environment and society from the unique multi-disciplinary background of geography, which bridges the physical and social sciences.

Current projects of HGeo include:

Creative Tropical City: Mapping Darwin’s Creative Industries (Chris Gibson, Chris Brennan-Horley)

This ARC Linkage Project has a threefold aim: first, to determine the nature, extent and change over time of the creative industries in Darwin; second, to interrogate the applicability of national and international creative industry policy frameworks to Darwin; third to identify opportunities for growth and transformation of the creative industries in Darwin. An innovative feature of this research project is PhD research conducted by Chris Brennan-Horley on the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for digitally mapping how creative practitioners in Darwin interact with the city in their everyday lives and innovative professional practice. The result is the production of qualitative knowledge of the creative city – illustrated through socio-spatial narratives of innovation, and accompanying three-dimensional digital maps of ‘creative Darwin’.

The ARC Backyard Project (Lesley Head and Pat Muir)

This project uses cultural geographical research techniques to explore how people shape, use and attach meaning to the backyard spaces of their homes. The research has practical application for questions of water management, native vegetation and ferality/weediness. See the new book ‘Backyard: Nature and Culture in Suburban Australia’ (UOW Press, 2008)

Other projects:

HGeo have a range of other projects analysing socio-ecological entanglements in diverse landscapes, both urban and rural. These include for example:

Cultural adaptation to climate change (Gordon Waitt, Lesley Head, Nicholas Gill, Chris Gibson, Andrew Gorman-Murray).

A series of interconnected projects explore cultural dimensions of climate change, including everyday sustainability practices in the Illawarra; consumption practices and the future sustainability of cultural industries; community resources and resilience on the NSW far south coast; and the cultural meaning of snow in Australia.  

Cultural Asset Mapping for Planning and Development in Regional Australia – ARC Linkage project 2008-2012 (Chris Gibson, Andrew Warren).

This project works with industry partners in federal, state and local government and the arts community to explore the cultural assets rural communities possess for future regional economic growth and community vitality. A PhD student, Andrew Warren, is exploring the participation of young people in creativity as part of this project.

The Production of ‘Local’ Knowledge for Bushfire Management in New Rural Landscapes (Nicholas Gill, Christine Eriksen).

The overall aim of this research is to examine local environmental knowledge regarding fire ecology and fire management in so-called ‘new rural landscapes’. These landscapes are rural areas experiencing population growth as a result of either their proximity to major urban areas or their high amenity value. This research will consider the extent to which, and the ways in which, local environmental knowledge regarding bushfires is being reconstructed as part of this recomposition of rural landscapes.

The ARC festivals project (Chris Gibson, Gordon Waitt, Andrew Gorman-Murray).

This project seeks to understand the cultural, social and economic contributions of community and cultural festivals to non-metropolitan places in Australia. It has produced Australia’s largest ever study of festivals including a database and survey of nearly 3000 festivals, and qualitative research partnerships with individual festivals in Parkes, Daylesford and Bermagui.

Land Use Change in Tree Change Areas (Nicholas Gill and Laurie Chisholm, with Peter Klepeis, Colgate Uni).

Croom Reserve Project with Shellharbour City Council (Nicholas Gill, Gordon Waitt, Lesley Head).

A Cultural Ecology of Australian Wheat (Lesley Head, Jenny Atchison, Alison Gates) ARC Discovery Project.

Bodies and Non-Human Worlds (Gordon Waitt).

Social Interactions with the Illawarra Escarpment (Pat Macquarie, PhD).

Comparative Work on Human-Nature Relations in Australia and Sweden (Lesley Head, with Swedish colleagues).

The projects draw on diverse methodologies, from ethnography to spatial analysis. In different ways they are concerned with environmental perceptions, attitudes and behaviours, and their propensity to be either resilient or subject to change.