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  • Semester 1 Seminar Series: Schedule now available

    The schedule for the School of Geography's Semester 1 Seminar series has just been released. Register for a Zoom seminar now!

    12 Mar 2021 News
  • Climate change is resulting in profound, immediate and worsening health impacts, over 120 researchers say

    Climate change is resulting in profound, immediate and worsening health impacts, and no country is immune, a major new report, co-authored by University of Melbourne researchers, has declared.

    11 Dec 2020 News
  • New website tracing flows with Geography Artist in Residence Museum Incognita

    Artists Katie West and Fayen d'Evie share stories and learnings from their residency on Yorta Yorta and Taungurung country.

    10 Dec 2020 News
  • Our country, Our way

    Wiradjuri man and geographer Associate Professor Michael-Shawn Fletcher explores how Indigenous people and knowledge can save Australia’s environmental unravelling

    27 Nov 2020 News
  • Professor Lesley Head elected President of the Australian Academy of the Humanities

    Professor Head is one of Australia’s leading researchers whose work focusses on human-environment relations, both prehistoric and contemporary.

    26 Nov 2020 News
  • Call for Papers: The Social Life of Skills, Online Workshop, 5 - 7 July, 2021

    Across the global South, governments are investing in skill development and vocational education in order to drive productivity increases and address chronic problems of youth unemployment. This emphasis on skills has been amplified recently, as hopes are being attached to ‘skills-led recoveries’ to the economic downturn associated with Covid-19.

    09 Oct 2020 News
  • Victorian Coastal Monitoring Project nominated for Eureka Prize

    Associate Professor David Kennedy leads a multi-agency group that is using commercial drone technology and volunteer pilots to map coastal erosion in 3D.

    06 Oct 2020 News
  • Paternalism, public housing and COVID-19

    The ‘hard lockdowns’ of some of Melbourne’s public housing buildings are another example of Australia’s long history of paternalism against public housing tenants

    14 Aug 2020 News
  • How Timor-Leste has mobilised against COVID-19

    Timor-Leste is now COVID-19 free, but the ongoing threat of disruption from the pandemic could have longer term impacts on the country

    14 Aug 2020 News
  • The geographies of COVID-19

    Geographers don’t just look at maps of where COVID-19 is occurring, they ask why. Looking at the big picture and the factors driving trends can help us to better understand its impact

    17 Jul 2020 News
  • Going beyond political borders to protect threatened animals

    As a global community, we must work beyond our national borders to protect threatened species and maintain biodiversity.

    01 May 2020 News
  • Don't blame nature for the disasters we've created

    Many Australians blame our variable climate for the recent severe bushfires and crippling drought, but researchers say these ‘natural’ disasters are not natural at all

    21 Feb 2020 Pursuit
  • How you can help scientists monitor our beaches

    Monitoring erosion at our beaches is crucial to formulating strategies to make the coastline more resilient, but it takes a lot of work. Now you can help while enjoying a day at the beach.

    17 Jan 2020 Pursuit
  • Melbourne Water support for Honours Thesis projects in 2020

    Melbourne Water is wanting to provide support for Honours projects in Geography (note that is a year-long research project) for 2020. Supervision would be with Professor Ian Rutherfurd and Dr Kathryn Russell School of Geography.

    17 Dec 2019 News
  • Faculty of Science awarded 8 DECRAs

    The Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) scheme provides focused research support for early career researchers in both teaching and research, and research-only positions. It supports research in areas of critical national importance by enabling outstanding Australian and international early career researchers to conduct their research in Australia.

    15 Nov 2019 News
  • Dr Jane Dyson's film wins multiple awards

    Titled 'Spirit' and filmed in the remote Indian Himalayas, the film picked up multiple awards in New York, Germany and Dehli.

    25 Oct 2019 News
  • The 'freak wave' myth

    New research finds ‘freak waves’ don’t really exist and Australia’s experienced rock fishers are the ones who best understand the danger of the ocean’s waves

    16 Sep 2019 Pursuit
  • Indigenous weaving grasses planting in Goulburn Valley

    On Saturday 27th July, Bruce and Serana Hunt-Hughes, landowners in Violet Town, Victoria, invited local residents and geographers to their property for a weaving grass planting day with Museum Incognita, the 2018–2019 School of Geography Artist in Residence.

    03 Sep 2019 News
  • Climate Changing: Shifting the narrative panel event

    Join the panel to discuss how to shift the narrative for what climate change will be like in Australia and how we can prompt effective action.

    05 Aug 2019 News
  • Geography Seminar Series - Semester 2
    23 Jul 2019 News
  • Science graduates awarded for excellence in PhD thesis

    Two students from the Faculty of Science have won a 2019 Chancellor’s Prize for Excellence in PhD Thesis.

    22 Jul 2019 News
  • AiRG Open Studio with Museum Incognita

    Museum Incognita will be hosting an Open Studio at the Ian Potter Museum of Art from 27 May - 7 June.

    06 May 2019 News
  • Tasmania Fieldtrip: Report from visual artist Heather Hesterman

    As a part of GEOG30025/90027 Biogeography & Ecology of Fire, visual artist Heather Hesterman has reported on her experience on a fieldtrip to Tasmania.

    12 Apr 2019 News
  • Geography seminar series for semester 1 announced

    The School of Geography Seminar Series runs on Tuesdays during semester. Find the full series schedule here.

    06 Mar 2019 News
  • Scientists lay out new plan to save the Darling River

    Professor Lesley Head from the School of Geography and Professor Linda Blackall from the School of BioSciences were on the Australian Academy of Science expert panel that reported that insufficient flows and poor management led to the massive fish kills in the Darling River this summer.

    20 Feb 2019 News
  • Why do some people believe the Earth is flat

    Although scientific evidence says the Earth is a sphere orbiting the Sun, there are some people around who still think our planet is flat... and social media plays a role

    14 Jan 2019 News
  • AiRG 1 Linda Tegg with Open Studio at the Potter Museum of Art

    Join us from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 December for Linda Tegg's Open Studio.

    10 Dec 2018 News
  • Victorian Geographical Student Conference 2018

    Registrations open for the Victorian Geographical Student Conference on November 29 to discuss "Frictions in the contemporary world".

    08 Nov 2018 News
  • Free movement can protect humans from environmental threats

    Greater freedom of movement and investments in human rights and social opportunities can help protect humans from environmental threats like rising sea levels, new research says.

    31 Oct 2018 News
  • Vale Professor Emeritus Victor Prescott

    It is with sadness that we learn of the passing of Professor Emeritus Victor Prescott, a respected colleague who has long been a part of the University of Melbourne community.

    27 Aug 2018 News
  • Dr Jane Dyson featured on BBC Radio 4

    Dr Jane Dyson recently featured on BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service programme, From Our Own Correspondent, about the joys of celebrating a 12-day cultural festival, the Pandav Lila, in the Indian Himalayas.

    26 Mar 2018 News
  • Invitation for Artist in Residency Program Applications - 2018

    Call for Applications for Artist in Residence 2018, School of Geography, University of Melbourne

    23 Mar 2018 News
  • Artist in Residence Seminar Event: Thinking with Hands

    Considering common practices of image making, School of Geography Artist in Residence, Linda Tegg, suggests that it might be worthwhile to look at what our hands are doing. 6-8pm, 26 March 2018.

    01 Mar 2018 News
  • David Kennedy featured in The New Daily about the impact of vehicles on beaches

    Coastal Geomorphologist Professor David Kennedy was featured in The New Daily article about the RACV’s RoyalAuto magazine running an article about driving along Australian beaches.

    20 Sep 2017 News
  • Invitation for PhD applications - 2018

    Applications are invited for PhD Projects in the School of Geography at the University of Melbourne.

    14 Sep 2017 News
  • PhD Scholarships on offer for projects on Cities, Mobilities, Labour and Technologies

    The School of Geography at the University of Melbourne is looking for two outstanding scholars for full time PhD scholarships to work on a project that is exploring how new digital technologies are transforming how people work and move in cities.

    11 Sep 2017 News
  • Artist in Residence work featured on the cover of INSITE

    The work of Artist in Residence Linda Tegg has featured on the cover of the August-October issue of INSITE magazine.

    11 Sep 2017 News
  • 2017 Miegunyah Student Award

    Congratulations to third year geography student Eva Whyte who has been awarded a 2017 Miegunyah Student Award by the Ian Potter Museum of Art.

    05 Sep 2017 News
  • Call for abstracts for the Victorian Geographical Student Conference

    The Victorian Geographical Student Conference (VGSC) is calling for abstract submissions from Victorian PhD students studying all aspects of geography, both human and physical.

    11 Aug 2017 News
  • Paper by Lesley Head published in Nature Plants - The social dimensions of invasive plants
    08 Jun 2017 News
  • Being a part of how the questions are posed – Geography’s artist in resident Linda Tegg
    23 May 2017 News
  • Speaking with: Ilan Wiesel and Ray Forrest about the impact of the super rich on our cities
    28 Sep 2016 News
  • Research supporting Mildura’s ‘hidden farmers’
    27 Sep 2016 News
  • Prof Jon Barnett named new Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences
    27 Sep 2016 News
  • Hope and grief for our environmental future
    09 Sep 2016 News
  • RN scientist in residence talks innovation and climate change
    30 Aug 2016 News

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In the School of Geography we investigate urban, built and natural environments. We strive to understand how they came to be and why they have the characteristics they do.  We integrate the physical and social sciences, and make important contributions to creating more just societies and more sustainable environments.

  • Courses

    Find out about the range of courses available, from undergraduate to PhD.

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  • Geography Pathways

    Use the Geography Pathways tool to help choose subjects aligned with your interests or to identify pathways suited to the subjects you have already taken.

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  • Scholarships, Awards and Prizes

    Explore the Scholarships, Awards and Prizes on offer to support students and research, and recognise outstanding academic achievement.

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  • Current Students

    Get involved with our student societies and find out about our many field trips.

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In the School of Geography we strive to understand how ‘natural’, rural and urban environments came to be and why they have the characteristics they do.

Our research integrates the physical and social sciences, and makes important contributions to creating more just societies and more sustainable environments. Our research strengths contribute well to the University’s Advancing Melbourne strategy’s key areas of focus on Place, Community, Education, Discovery, and Global.

Research clusters

  • Climate Change and Society

  • Culture, Place, Politics

  • Cities and Urban Life

  • Dynamic Earth Surface

  • Environment, Wellbeing and Sustainable Communities

  • Indigenous Geographies

  • Migration, Mobility and Population

  • Past Environments

  • Power, Justice and Global Inequalities

  • Water and Society

  • PhD Projects

    Applications are invited for PhD Projects in the School of Geography at the University of Melbourne.

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  • Current Research Projects & Fellowships

    Research projects currently funded and supported by the Australian Research Council and our partners in government, civil society and industry.

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  • 2020 School Seminar Zooms

    Watch recorded seminars from the School of Geography.

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As geographers we are committed to enriching and communicating knowledge about the diversity of human and environment relations and making important contributions to the creation of just societies and sustainable environments. We do this through our teaching, research and our broader engagement with community, industry, government, national and international organisations and the scholarly community.

Australian community engagement

Engaging with community groups and in public conversations to generate and share knowledge and experiences is central to our geographical practice.

  • CoastSnap community beach monitoring in Inverloch

  • Settlement Experiences of Humanitarian Migrants

  • Adapting to Climate Change

  • Community Engagement for Disaster Risk Reduction (CEDRR)

  • Disability Housing Futures

  • Research leads to support for Mildura’s ‘hidden farmers’

  • Top 5 Under 40 Scientist in Residence, Australian Broadcasting Corporation

  • Geography Artist in Residence Program

International engagement

International engagements generating vibrant teaching, research, organisational and community networks underpin our approach to a globally engaged geographical scholarship.

  • Myanmar Research Network

  • Engaging with Red Cross on water, sanitation and hygiene

  • Lifelines: documenting social change in the Indian Himalayas

  • Towards an integrated approach to mental health in Timor Leste

  • Nusa Tenggara Association Mapping Project

Support Geography

We invite you to be one of our valued philanthropic supporters and be part of the next generation of donors who view research as an investment in the future.

To discuss opportunities to support research, scholarships for students, or early career researchers, please contact Science Advancement – Penny Fairbank, Senior Development Manager: fairbank@unimelb.edu.au or call +61 (0)3 8344 3792.

Donate online

  • Academic staff

    Lecturers and researchers (including Professors) in the School of Geography

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  • Professional staff

    Professional staff in the School of Geography

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  • PhD students

    Students undertaking a Doctor of Philosophy - Science in the School of Geography

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Welcome!

The School of Geography at the University of Melbourne is embarking on an exciting period of growth. This follows its move into the Science Faculty at the start of 2015, and the recognition there of the importance of Geography’s capacity to work in and across both the social and natural sciences.

At Melbourne you can undertake a Geography major as part of a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts. These lead  on to various Masters and PhD programs and a diversity of career opportunities.

Our current areas of world-leading research strength include international development, urbanisation, biogeography and earth surface processes, with an overarching interest in environment and environmental change. We are also embarking on a new specialisation in health geography. An important element of teaching and learning within the School is to acknowledge Indigenous connections to country.

Geography has been taught at the University for more than 50 years (for more on our history, see here). Whether you join our journey as a student, a researcher, a community/industry collaborator, or all three, we look forward to your participation in the next fifty years.

Professor Lesley Head

Head of School

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School of Geography

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      • Biogeography pathway
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    • Cities and Urban Life
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    • Dynamic Earth Surface
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    • Environment, Wellbeing and Sustainable Communities
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    • Indigenous Geographies
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    • Migration, Mobility and Population
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    • Past Environments
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    • Power, Justice and Global Inequalities
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    • Water and Society
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    • Current Research Projects & Fellowships
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    • School of Geography Artist in Residence Program
  • People
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  • News
    • Speaking with: Ilan Wiesel and Ray Forrest about the impact of the super rich on our cities
    • Hope and grief for our environmental future
    • Artist in Residence Seminar Event: Thinking with Hands
    • Tasmania Fieldtrip: Report from visual artist Heather Hesterman
    • AiRG Open Studio with Museum Incognita
    • Geography Seminar Series - Semester 2
    • Climate Changing: Shifting the narrative panel event
    • The 'freak wave' myth
    • Dr Jane Dyson's film wins multiple awards
    • How you can help scientists monitor our beaches
    • Our country, Our way
    • Climate change is resulting in profound, immediate and worsening health impacts, over 120 researchers say
    • Semester 1 Seminar Series: Schedule now available
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      • Geography@Melbourne 50th Anniversary
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    • Recognising Indigenous Connections to Country
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