Australian Citizens

First edition published 1999 (reprinted 9 times)

Second edition published 2004 (reprinted 5 times)
Third edition published 2008 by
MACMILLAN EDUCATION AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
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Copyright © Brian Parker, Kate Lanceley, Debra Owens, Rebecca Fitzpatrick 2008

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National Library of Australia Cataloguing in Publication entry

Author: Brian Parker ... [et al.].

Title: Geography for Australian citizens 3rd ed.
Publisher: South Yarra, Vic. : Macmillan Education Australia, 2008.
ISBN: 9781420228502 (pbk. + CD-ROM or DVD-ROM)
Notes: Includes index.
Target Audience: For secondary school age.
Subjects: Geography–Australia–Textbooks.
Other Authors/Contributors:  Parker, Brian, 1939-
Dewey Number: 910

Publisher: Lyn Thane

Project editors: Tyrell Heathcote and Hayley Hawkins
Editor: Gill Smith
Illustrators: Vaughan Duck (cartoons), Andrew Craig and Nives Porcellato (technical illustrations), Guy Holt (maps)
Cover and text designer: Dimitrios Frangoulis
Photo research: Anne Braben
Permissions clearance: Sarah Johnson
Typeset in ITC Slimbach Book and Adobe Frutiger by Norma van Rees
Cover image: Photolibrary/Pacific Stock/Vince Cavataio
Indexer: Mary Russell

Printed in Malaysia

Internet addresses
At the time of printing, the Internet addresses appearing in this book were correct. Owing to the dynamic nature of the
Internet, however, we cannot guarantee that all these addresses will remain correct.
Contents
Introduction vii
Skills grid ix
Author acknowledgments x
Part 1 Investigating Australia’s
physical environments
1 Australia’s physical environments 1
The Australian continent 2
Skills: Map reading 3
Australia’s geographical dimensions 3
Skills: Map reading 5
The origins of the continent 10
Australia’s Aboriginal heritage 10
Geographical origins of Australia 13
Australia: a unique country 16
Major landforms and drainage basins 16
Skills: Identifying bearings on a map 17
Skills: Calculating local relief 20
Skills: Constructing a cross-section 20
Skills: Calculating the gradient of a slope 21
Australia’s climate 24
Australia’s weather patterns 26
Skills: Interpreting a series of weather maps 29
Australia’s flora and fauna 33
Flora 33
Fauna 33
Skills: Understanding satellite images 35
Australia’s natural resources 37
Mineral and energy resources 37
2 Natural hazards in Australia 43
Natural hazards and natural disasters
Types of natural hazards in Australia
44
46
Drought in Australia 48
The nature of drought 48
The geographical processes of drought 49
Snapshot: The 2002–07 drought 49
The impact of La Niña in 2007 49
The economic, social and environmental impact
of drought 50
Responsibility and responses of government, groups
and individuals 52
Bushfires in Australia 54
The geographical processes of bushfires 54
The economic, social and environmental impact
of bushfires 55
Snapshot: The Great Divide fires 56
The longest running fire in Victoria’s history 56
Snapshot: Three killed – human error? 57
The WA bushfires 2007 57
Snapshot: Kangaroo Island bushfires 2007 57
Responsibility and responses of government, groups
and individuals
Snapshot: The role of the SES
57
58
Sample study: The Canberra bushfires 59
The impact 60
Responsibility and responses of government, groups
and individuals 61
Tropical cyclones in Australia 63
The geographical processes of tropical cyclones 63
Impacts of tropical cyclones 64
Monitoring tropical cyclones 65
Sample study: Cyclone Larry 66
Characteristics 66
The impact 67
Responsibility and responses of government, groups
and individuals 68
Floods and storms 69
Floods 69
Storms 70
Sample study: NSW east coast storms and
floods 2007 70
The cause 70
The impacts 71
Snapshot: NSW north coast floods 2008 71
Part 2  Changing Australian
communities
3  Changing Australian
communities 73
Changing Australian communities 74
Australia’s demographic characteristics 74
Population growth 74
Age structure 76
Skills: Population pyramids 77
Distribution 78
Gender 79
Ethnic composition 79
Skills: Interpreting graphs and statistics 81
Types of communities 82
Factors that contribute to community 82
Skills: Investigating a community 84
iii
iv
Contents
Australia’s Indigenous communities
Geographic distribution
85
85
Age structure 85
Issues facing Australia’s Indigenous communities 86
Factors causing change in Australian communities 89
Changing nature and patterns of work 89
Cultural integration 91
Demographic change 93
Globalisation of economic activity
Lifestyle expectations
96
97
New technologies 99
Recognition of native title 101
Resource depletion 103
4 Darwin: an Australian
community 105 8 Coastal management 161
Darwin: a changing Australian community 106
Factors contributing to the sense of identity 108
Tropical climate 108
Darwin’s population 110
Sporting life 112
Markets 113
Factors causing change in the community 115
Population growth 115
Tourism 116
Defence facilities 118
The gateway to Asia 119
The Indigenous population 122
A community group responding to change 123
The Environment Centre Northern Territory 123
A government responding to change 125
‘Creating Darwin’s Future’ 125
5 Dubbo: an Australian
community 127
Geographic location 128
The local economy 129
Agriculture: the basis of the local economy 129
Local industry 129
Commercial activity 129
Dubbo as a community 130
Levels of government in Dubbo 132
The influence of government in Dubbo 132
Dubbo: a community profile 132
Dubbo is changing 135
Recent trends 135
Dubbo – past and present: a photo essay 136
How the community is responding to change 138
Organisations working for change 141
The Indigenous community and change 141
Snapshot: Lynette Riley-Mundine 143
Part 3  Issues in Australian
environments
6 Geographical issues 145
Geographical issues 146
Skills: Undertaking fieldwork 148
7 Land and water management 151
Managing Australia’s land and water resources 152
Sample study: Managing the Murray–Darling Basin 153
Australia’s food bowl 153
Securing the water supply 154
Challenges for the basin 155
What is coastal management? 162
Management strategies 162
Coastal management issues 163
Coastal management in Australia 164
Government responsibility 164
Coastal management organisations 164
Snapshot: The Australian coastline 165
Australian coastline issues 166
The management of beaches 169
Sample study: The Cronulla beaches 170
A brief history 170
Coastal management of Cronulla 172
Fieldwork: Cronulla 176
Skills: How to design a web page 177
Sample study: Terrigal Lagoon and Wamberal Beach 178
The lagoon ecosystem 178
How has Terrigal Lagoon changed?
Wamberal beach
179
182
Fieldwork: Terrigal and Wamberal 187
Coastal management and the community 187
What can be done? 187
9 Urban growth and decline 189
Urban growth in Australia 190
Urban population densities 192
Growth and decline 194
Urban decay 194
Urban renewal 194
Sample study: Pyrmont–Ultimo 196
A study in urban renewal 196
Historical background 196
Features of the redevelopment program 197
Snapshot of Pyrmont – Ultimo 202
Sample study: Urban growth in Newcastle 204
Geographical background 205
History and early growth 205
The steelworks 210
The port 210

Decline and regrowth
The future
211
212
Skills: Collecting and recording data in the field 214
10 Spatial inequality 219
What is spatial inequality? 220
Inequality and poverty 220
Promoting sustainable communities 222
A sustainable community web 223
Ecological footprint 223
Measuring poverty and inequality 224
The poverty line 224
Who is experiencing poverty and inequality? 225
Spatial inequality 226
Unequal in life 226
Sample study: Spatial inequality in Glebe 227
Reasons for poverty and inequality 230
Globalisation and spatial inequality 230
Changes in the work environment 230
Geographical location 232
Housing costs and affordability 233
Overcoming inequality 236
Government departments and services 236
Non-government agencies 236
Individual efforts 238
Part 4  Australia in its regional
and global contexts
11 Australia’s place in the world 239
Australia’s place in the world 240
Australia’s regional and global links 241
Australia’s regional and global links 242
12 Aid 245
The nature of aid 246
Australia’s aid links 247
Government aid – AusAID 247
Comparing Australia with other givers 249
Sample study: AusAID in Indonesia 251
AusAID activities in Indonesia 252
Sample study: World Vision Australia 256
Child Rescue program 258
Aid treaties and agreements 259
Good Humanitarian Donorship Initiative 259
Partnership for Reconstruction and Development 260
Advantages and disadvantages of providing aid 261
Advantages 261
Disadvantages 263
Social justice and equity 264
Contents 
13 Defence 265
Australia’s defence structure 266
Australia’s defence policy 266
ADF global operations 268
Australia’s defence ties 270
Australia and the United Nations 272
Snapshot: East Timor 272
Disarmament and arms control 273
Australia and the war against terrorism 274
War in Afghanistan 274
Sample study: The war in Iraq 275
Civil war? 276
Troop withdrawals 277
Skills: Criteria for evaluating a webpage 278
14  Migration 281
The nature of migration 282
Why do people migrate? 282
Australia’s migration patterns 284
Australia’s changing migration policy 287
Assimilation 287
Integration 288
Multiculturalism 288
Australia’s current migration policy 289
Refugees in Australia 291
Australia’s current refugee policy 292
The impacts of migration 294
Benefits of migration 294
Criticisms of migration 294
15  Trade 297
Why do countries trade? 298
Growth of world trade 299
Australia’s trade composition 301
Exports 301
Imports 302
Direction of Australia’s trade 303
Why has trade with the Asia–Pacific region grown? 304
Australia’s trade policy 305
Multilateral agreements: the WTO 305
Regional trade agreements 306
Sample study: APEC – a special trade link 306
APEC’s priority: the Bogor goals 307
2007 APEC meeting 307
Advantages and criticisms of APEC 308
Bilateral free trade agreements 309
The role of government and non-government
organisations 311
Government agencies in NSW 311
Non-government agencies 312
vi
Contents
16 Population 313 17  Human rights and
Current and future population trends 314
Population growth 314
Age structure 315
The implications of an ageing Australia 317
Spatial distribution 319
Sample study: Managing population growth in
southeast Queensland 322
The regional plan 323
Migration and refugees 324
Implications of population trends 326
Ecological sustainability 327
Population movement and urban planning 329
Sample study: Planning Sydney’s future 329
reconciliation 333
The challenge of human rights 334
Challenges for Australia 335
Indigenous Australians 335
People with disabilities 338
The elderly 339
Racial discrimination 339
Detention of asylum seekers 340
Responding to human rights challenges 341
The federal government 341
The challenge of reconciliation 343
Sample study: Canada – reconciling with Indigenous
Canadians 347
Exam practice 349
Publisher acknowledgments 351
Glossary 353
Index 357
Introduction
This is the third edition of the very successful, award-winning Geography textbook
Geography for Australian Citizens. It has been written specifically for the Geography syllabus
implemented in New South Wales schools in Years 7–10 from 2005. It follows on from
Geography for Global Citizens and provides an extensive coverage of the mandatory Stage 5
part of the syllabus in which Australian geography is the focus.
This major revision includes new and interesting sample studies, and is richly illustrated
with maps, photographs, tables and graphs, cartoons and diagrams.
This book is divided into four colour-coded sections, corresponding to the four sections
of the syllabus. The first section, ‘Investigating Australia’s physical environments’, examines
the unique characteristics of Australia’s physical environments and the ways in which people
interact with the physical environment. It includes a chapter on natural hazards in Australia.
In the second section, ‘Changing Australian communities’, students examine the
human characteristics that make Australia unique and are required to study at least one
Australian community. We have again included two contrasting communities: Darwin, a
rapidly changing community with external links to the Asia-Pacific region; and Dubbo, a
rural community in regional New South Wales. Both these community studies have been
substantially updated in this edition.
In the third section, ‘Issues in Australian environments’ there is a brief overview chapter
of geographical issues which includes guidelines for undertaking fieldwork. There is also a
chapter on land and water management issues with a sample study of the Murray-Darling
Basin. While students are required to study at least two specific geographical issues, we have
provided four, to allow choice and variety. The other three issues have also been carefully
chosen for their relevance as well as the level of interest they generate among students.
They are coastal management, urban growth and decline, and spatial inequality. They have
been retained in this edition and substantially updated. These issues also provide plenty
of scope for students to investigate a geographical issue through fieldwork by developing
and implementing a research action plan. Continuity in fieldwork was a consideration in
retaining these three issues.
The fourth section is ‘Australia in its regional and global contexts’, where Australia’s
place in the world and its regional and global links are examined. A new link, Aid has been
added to the other three links: trade, defence and migration, which have all been updated.
The final two chapters in this section analyse future challenges for Australia; in particular,
population and human rights and reconciliation.

Features of this book

Student activities are integrated throughout the book. Reflecting the structure of the
syllabus, they are divided into:
✪ ‘Learning about …’ questions, which test students’ comprehension of the text and related
source material.
✪ ‘Learning to …’ activities in which students learn through involvement in critical thinking
and problem-solving, original research and working cooperatively in group situations.
Student-centred learning, such as group work, is a recommended approach in achieving
the outcomes of the syllabus.
S k i ll s ✪ Skills sections are integrated throughout the book to enable students to acquire the
necessary geographic skills. Skills activities provide opportunities for students to
practise them.

vii
viii
Introduction

✪ Fieldwork activities, an essential part of the study of Geography, are suggested

throughout the book. They enable students to use direct observation methods in their
study of Geography. At Stage 5 level, students are asked to apply fieldwork techniques in
developing and implementing a research action plan.
✪ Internet websites and research activities are incorporated in the ‘Learning to …’
activities to address the ICT (information and communication technologies) perspective
in the syllabus. This also involves creating and designing web pages and multimedia
presentations.
✪ Sample studies provide real world examples that bring Geography to life, such as
Tropical Cyclone Larry in Queensland, Managing the Murray-Darling Basin, Coastal
management of the Cronulla beaches, Urban renewal in Pyrmont – Ultimo, Spatial
inequality in Glebe, Population growth in South East Queensland, Planning Sydney’s
future and Human rights challenges for Indigenous Australians.

SNAPSHOT ✪ Snapshots feature special interest items to illustrate specific aspects of the text.
✪ Definition boxes are located in the margin and provide valuable assistance in developing
literacy. All the defined terms are consolidated in the glossary at the end of the book.
✪ Did you know? boxes provide interesting facts.
✪ Fact files appear throughout the book and give short, sharp facts about a particular
country or place.
✪ Text type models are featured throughout the text.
✪ Exam practice. A practice exam is included at the back of this book to help familiarise
students with the style of the School Certificate examination. The test consists of 20
multiple-choice questions, followed by short-answer and then long-answer questions. The
stimulus material for the questions is contained throughout the book. This special feature
has been retained although there are plenty of test items included in the special Teacher
Resource Book.
✪ Free web updates and support are available for teachers and students via a special link
on the Macmillan website. To view, go to <www.macmillan.com.au> and click on the
links ‘Secondary Education’ and ‘Text Updates and Support’.

Geography for Australian Citizens Teacher Resource Book

The third edition provides teachers with the tools, resources and support to teach Geography
with confidence using Geography for Australian Citizens 3 ed. It is a teacher book and CD
package.
Each chapter in this textbook is supported with:
✪ a detailed teaching program
✪ student worksheets for all Learning to.., Learning about… and Skills activities, with
suggested answers
✪ tests with answers and marking criteria
✪ teaching strategies and advice
✪ supplementary teaching resources, additional sample studies, newspaper articles
✪ useful internet sites to extend student research and investigations
✪ CD with PDF files of the student text.

Brian Parker
Kate Lanceley
Debra Owens
Rebecca Fitzpatrick
August 2008
Stage 5 geographical tools and skills
Tool Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17
Maps
• use various types ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
of maps and flow
charts
• locate features using ✔
degrees and minutes
of latitude and
longitude
• calculate the area of ✔ ✔
a feature
• calculate the density ✔
of a feature
• measure bearings on ✔
a map
• calculate local relief ✔
• identify the aspect of ✔ ✔
a slope
• construct a cross- ✔ ✔
section
• calculate the ✔
gradient of a slope
• construct a transect ✔
• construct a land-use ✔ ✔ ✔
map
• describe and explain ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
relationships on
maps
• read and interpret ✔
synoptic charts
• distinguish between ✔ ✔ ✔
large-scale and
small-scale maps

Fieldwork
• develop a research ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
action plan
• use fieldwork ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
techniques to
collect primary and
secondary data

Graphs and statistics

• construct and ✔ ✔ ✔
interpret population
pyramids
• construct and ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
interpret divided bar
and column graphs,
and composite line
graphs
Skills grid

• recognise and ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
account for change
using statistical data

Photographs
• interpret satellite ✔ ✔
images
• collect and use ✔ ✔
digital images
ix
Author acknowledgments
The authors would like to sincerely thank our Macmillan publisher Lyn Thane for her
innovative, determined and thorough approach to the project. Our gratitude also goes to
project editors Hayley Hawkins and Tyrell Heathcote for their efficiency and dedication. Most
importantly, thank you to our families for many months of patience and support during the
production of this book.