The School of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Tasmania welcomes geographers to the website for the conference that marks 50 years of the IAG and an exciting return of our discipline to prominence in public affairs.

The conference marks 50 years of the Institute. It will offer a varied program showcasing original research that illustrates why it is such an important field of study. Many papers are oriented to exploring the cutting edges of theory; others are focused on the interface between intellectual and policy domains; a number are highly applied and at the borders with new spatial technologies.

Delegates come from all over Australia, the UK (including Scotland and Wales), USA, Turkey, New Zealand, New Caledonia, France and Germany; from centres of excellence, the CSIRO, state and Commonwealth agencies, and include a number of highly promising postgraduate and early career research colleagues.

Highlights of the conference include:

·      a panel discussion among some of the ‘elders’ of the Institute about its formation and organisational history, and about the wider contributions of geography;

·      a novel exhibition of select works from the University of Tasmania’s art collection, based on ideas of space, place, landscape, region, environment and people; this exhibition will run for three weeks;

·      the creation of a specially commissioned CD Rom of experimental acoustic geographies from the Room 40 production house of Lawrence English, an internationally renown Australian artist, which will also feature at the exhibition and be in all delegate satchels;

·      pre-conference meetings with international guests involving the cultural and urban geography study groups;

·      two excursions – Hobart to Mount Wellington, and a day in central Tasmania exploring resource heritage issues;

·      a convivial conference dinner featuring Tasmanian produce; and

·      the presentation of the Griffith Taylor Medal and distinguished fellow awards.

The people organising the conference include Jamie Kirkpatrick, Paulene Harrowby, Maj-Britt di Folco, Elaine Stratford and Stewart Williams.

Conference dates are Sunday 29th June - Thursday 3rd July 2008 (note first day for special meetings and last day for excursion). Click here to view the conference program.

Abstracts now available.

The conference will be held in the Geography and Environmental Studies Building, Earl Street, Sandy Bay, Hobart, Tasmania. Click here to view a map of the conference location.

Getting from the airport to the University of Tasmania is around $50 by taxi and $22 return by shuttle bus.

Many colleges, hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts and apartments of wildly differing cost and standards are within walking distance (bring your raincoat or umbrella in the unlikely event of bad weather). Click here for accommodation suggestions.