School of Geography - Theses
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ItemThe coalfields of eastern Australia: an examination of the rise, contemporary character and areal impact of bituminous coal mining( 1965)Traditionally the coal mining industry has resisted innovation. Changes in working methods, in conditions of employment and in productivity have often been achieved only as a result of considerable industrial, discord and community discomfort. In Australia reluctance to change has been all too obvious. Yet, since 194-6, few other industries have been quite so profoundly or so completely modified,so that coal mining in 1965 bears little resemblance to the industry of the immediate post-war years except that it is beset by problems resulting from continuing and intensifying fuel competition. The ramifications of these changes have been widespread. In New South Males a booming economy, highly specialised demands and ruthless price competition from the petroleum industry have brought about a drastic decline in the use of general purpose coal but a marked increase in the demand for specialised qualities e.g. for coke making or the generation of electricity. In consequence the prosperity of particular fields, or mines working specific seams within fields has been much affected. Many old, small, or unprofitable pits have been closed} mechanisation of working methods has become general; new mines have been established to meet particular demands; productivity and quality control have been vastly improved and the average size of collieries has tended to increase. In Queensland less specialised demands and the existence of an omnipotent Coal Board have staved off the worst of these changes until much more recently but there,too, the transformation is under way. The first collieries have how been equipped with mining machinery of a type long common in Mew South Wales, larger mines are in the process of establishment, productivity is beginning to rise and to show some marked differentiation according to mine size and the Coal Board is considering the desirability of closing mines unable to meet and maintain satisfactory price and quality standards. In Victoria, however, change is of a retrograde kind for only two of the handful of pits have any importance and these, as State owned enterprises, have made consistent trading losses for many years, an indication of their difficult working conditions and restricted deposits. With limited lives there is little possibility of change other than by demise. In the coalfield communities the social implications of these changes have been equally as significant. The retrenchment of more then 10,000 mine workers in the space of a decade from the New South Males mines alone has caused a major reorientation of some of the more highly specialised settlements and in others out-mignation or occupational diversification through long distance commuting. Others have begun on the slow decline that leads ultimately to loss of function and complete abandonment. With this has gone a change in settlement form - a revival of local commerce in those fortunate enough to retain their residents, further physical deterioration in some of the already under-maintained settlements, a change in population structure as pensioners move in and the school leavers move out, as families move in on the demise of pensioners, as migrants move in to replace the native born. In some localities these changes have contributed further to the distinctiveness of the coal town, in ethers they have tended to blurr a former distinctiveness. At a different level a blurring of the farmer distinctiveness is also taking place in the major urban areas that have risen with and because of the coal industry. Large scale industrial and residential development in the post-war years has now began to obliterate the last traces of more than a century of coal mining in and around the cities of Newcastle, Wollongong and Ipswich. Pit head gear, mineral railways, subsidence areas relics of all kinds and their distinctive contribution to urban morphology are being submerged in amorphous and omnivorous suburbia.
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ItemThe historical geography of Australian coastal shipping( 1974)This thesis has been made possible by the help and encouragement of many, particularly during my later school years when shipping first became a serious interest, and I should like to thank generally both friends and waterfront personnel who took me on board various vessels or around the Sydney and Melbourne Waterfront complexes. Particular thanks for help during the preparation of this work go to Dr. T, M. Perry for his patient supervision and advice, and thanks to Staff of the Latrobe Library, Melbourne, of the public reference libraries at Adelaide, Launceston and Brisbane, and of university libraries at Melbourne, Monash and Queensland, for access to bound volumes of newspapers and periodicals, to several shipping companies for information about their services and history, and in particular to the Adelaide Steamship Company, the Australian National Line, and the State Shipping Service of Western Australia and their ships' crews for arranging visits to their ships. I should also like to acknowledge access to the Green and Dufty collection of ship photographs for reference.
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ItemRepresentation in the Australian House of Representatives 1890-1901( 1975)This is a study of certain territorial aspects of representation in the first Australian House of Representatives. It consists of two parts. The first part considers the way in which representation was to be divided amongst the States and Territories of the Commonwealth. The second part considers the way in which one State (Victoria) was first divided into constituencies. It is possible to examine the allocation of representation to areas and the selection of electoral boundaries at a variety of scales; from that of the members of an international organisation to that of the ridings of a shire. At the smaller scales, existing boundaries are, in most cases, adopted as electoral boundaries. At the larger scales new electoral boundaries are, in most cases, delimited. Nevertheless, the allocation of representation to areas and the selection of electoral boundaries are always interconnected. Each part of this study consists of two sections. The first section describes what took place, what alternatives were suggested and what arguments were used on both sides (Chapter Two and Chapter Four). The second section is, in each case, an attempt to evaluate what took place. The mechanism for allocating representation to the States and Territories is evaluated in two ways; first by investigating its internal consistency and implications and secondly by comparing the Australian provisions with those of other federations (Chapter Three). The first Victorian electoral distribution is evaluated by comparing it with two alternative distributions prepared at about the same time, both of which were eventually rejected (Chapter Five). The three distributions are compared by applying a range of techniques which together provide a method of evaluating any electoral distribution, or at least any where political parties may readily be identified. This study is limited to the period 1890 to 1901. Its implications are not. The mechanism for allocating representation to the States and Territories was to apply to future apportionments as well as to that of 1900. The questions that were raised by the first federal electoral distribution in Victoria have been echoed time and again in Australia; previously, subsequently and elsewhere.
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ItemA study of some of the relationships between geography and policy in the Australian dairy industry( 1973)No abstract available
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ItemStudy of a quantitative method of delineating physical-geographic regions in interdisciplinary integrated survey: the grid-point method( 1975)Interdisciplinary surveys involve mapping physicalgeographic regions according to readily observable criteria for the purpose of assisting in making a variety of decisions about land use. Difficulties are associated with traditional surveys, which rely on aerial photographic interpretation and purposive sampling, due to the lack of a standardized, quantitative methodology. The grid-point method is proposed as a rigorous, quantitative approach and was applied in the Grampians north-east section (507 sq.km.), the upper Barwon River catchment (977 sq.km.), and on French Island (172 sq.kin.). Variables used reflect obvious distributions of landform, soil, and native vegetation, and quasi-random sampling patterns with circular sampling units and densities between 1 sampling unit per .89 and 2.42 sq.km. were employed. Landform data were gathered from contour maps, and soil samples and vegetation data were gathered in the field; Boil data were obtained by laboratory analyses. Data were subjected to principal components analysis, and standardized data were scored on the first three scaled and first three orthoreormalized vectors. Sampling units were classified on the basis of the scores and then regionalized by SYM�-V proximal mapping. These regionalizations provided a sound basis for physical-geographic description. Inherent features of the grid-point method overcame difficulties associated with traditional surveys. Statistical analyses indicated that sampling densities as low as 1 sampling unit per 4 sq.km. are sufficient to generate interpretable regionalizations of the Grampians north-east section. Comparisons of regionalizations with the land systems map of this area produced by traditional methods reveals that the grid-point method is capable of generating regions similar in level of generalization to the land systems. With respect to selected variables,the regionalizations are in the majority of cases of higher quality than the land systems map. The cost of survey at 1 sampling unit per .97 sq.km. of this area is within the limits of most survey organizations and estimates for surveys at densities of 1 sampling unit per 1.14, 1.51, 2.07, 3.49, 4.15, and 9.74 sq.km. reveal that although there is a significant reduction in cost with decrease in sample size, an economy of scale factor operates. Because the grid-point method is orientated to field data gathering, it is least expensively applied in study areas characterized by undulating plains as well as flat plains and hills, which are for the most part cleared with a dry surface. Estimates for five study areas previously surveyed by the Soil Conservation Authority indicate that the cost of application of the grid-point method at sampling densities of 1 sampling unit per 1 ?q.km. and lower is not excessive. Efficiency of the grid-point method may be enhanced by purposivesystematic sampling near roads and vehicle tracks and purposive stratification of the study area prior to application. The grid-point method should be applied in interdisciplinary surveys carried out in south-eastern Australia. Applications should take the form of reco??aissan?e surveys involving relatively low density sampling. The resulting regionalizations, although probably somewhat coarse, should provide a sound framework for general pbysical-geographic description.
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ItemModern Aboriginal land management: a Victorian perspective( 1999)The aim of this research was to find out what land management activities are being undertaken by Aboriginal communities in Victoria and what barriers these communities face in doing so. Six Victorian Aboriginal communities were contacted and representatives were interviewed about the land management activities undertaken by their communities. Those involved were Ballarat, Framlingham, Healesville, Mildura, Orbost and Swan Hill. Information gathered from these interviews revealed a number of patterns in Victorian Aboriginal land management. First, there is a wide range of land management activities undertaken across the State that have been little documented. In this thesis they are described under these headings: conservation and land management activities; cultural heritage management; environmental and cultural tourism and education; and native title. This research has shown that communities that have title to land or are near areas of national park are likely to be more involved in land management than those surrounded by private property. Secondly, it was found that many of the works undertaken also involve an element of cultural heritage management. Finally the research revealed that Aboriginal land management activities in Victoria are likely to involve modem techniques of land management rather than what might be thought of as 'traditional' methods. This thesis also identifies the barriers that communities face in becoming involved in land management. The main causes are financial, lack of access to land and the lack of employment opportunities in the area land management. Most of these barriers are the result of political decisions and institutional arrangements. This thesis has only scratched the surface of this large issue and should be seen as a starting point. It raises many more questions that need to be asked if Aboriginal communities in Victoria are to realise their goals of managing and caring for the land.
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ItemDevelopment of a five star Landcare rating system for grazing properties in south west Victoria( 1999)A five star rating system has been developed to reward landholders for managing the physical features of their farm including land, water and vegetation in an environmentally sustainable manner. The Landcare movement largely relies on the goodwill of current land managers to undertake measures to ensure sustainable catchment management for future generations. The five star Landcare rating system has been devised to recognise the efforts of farmers in South West Victoria in working towards sustainable agricultural systems. The system can be adopted by graziers as a benchmarking system for continuous improvement, by local government in rate rebate schemes or used as a product marketing tool. The development of indicators as a measure of catchment health is a relatively new science and most systems developed to date are not practical for regular assessment at a farm level. The five star Landcare rating system uses easily measured and proven indicators that can be used by farmers at a farm scale. The system recognises the requirement for continued research to develop benchmarks for individual resource management units. Over time, measurement of indicators under the system can cumulate into long term measures of environmental outcomes.
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ItemQuality of life as a business objective( 1999)The main purpose of this study was to design and implement an instrument to measure the success of a company if its objective was to improve the quality of life of the people involved in it. The fundamental premise of the research is that companies, being one of the most important institutions of our time, could be more beneficial to humans if it's main objective was to improve their quality of life instead of the creation of profit and wealth. Throughout the thesis I have given theoretical and empirical evidence to support this idea. To analyse the full implications of such a change would require years of research. Because of this, the present study only seeks to answer the following question: How can the success of a company be assessed if its main objective was to improve the quality of life of the people involved in it? Based on the existing literature on quality of life measures, a questionnaire of 82 items and a report of the company's policies was produced to describe what is the influence of an organisation on its members' quality of life. This instrument was applied to a small Melbourne based company. It proved to be an effective tool to provide the company with the required information. The work done in this thesis has implications at two different levels. First, and perhaps most important, it has questioned the generalised idea that the main objective of a company's activities is to make money. Secondly, a first step has been taken towards the achievement of this change in objectives. There is now a specific instrument to measure the success of a company if its objective was to improve the quality of life of its members.
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ItemGender, power and leadership: a comparison of male and female managers in Melbourne( 1998)This study is an exploratory research project that investigated the relationship between gender, power and leadership style. A modified version of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Rosener, 1990) was used to measure transformational and transactional leadership. A 31 item scale developed by Rosener (1990) was used to measure the five bases of power. The respondents were 18 male and 13 female managers from Melbourne. The median age of the respondents was 30 - 39 years. The majority of the respondents (84%) had tertiary qualifications ranging from a TAFE diploma up to a doctorate. The average number of staff reporting directly to each manager was 10. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) was used for data analyses and no significant sex differences were found in both leadership style and use of power, p>0.05 for all the factors.
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ItemAsian migration and changing employment and occupation in Melbourne( 1997)This thesis examines the employment and occupation of South Asian migrants in Melbourne. To this end, census and cross sectional data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Bureau of Immigration and Population Research (0FR) as well as the survey data collected for this study, are used. In this study special attention is paid to South Asian migrants in terms of their demographic and economic characteristics, occupational adjustment, job quality and process of self-employment. The analysis of South Asian migrants is made according to birthplace, gender and policy category under which they enter into Australia. In examining the South Asian migrants, the study reviews the relevant literature and existing theories and models about their economic success and occupational adjustment overseas and in Australia. In this regard the main factors that influence migrants' occupational adjustment and economic success in the host country have been identified at and applied to the study of South Asian migrants in Melbourne. The study also reviews the Victorian economy in this context. The study describes demographic and economic characteristics, general flow and skill composition of South Asian migrants in Australia. According to the BIPR and survey data, most of the migrants from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka are professional and came under the skill migration category. The data also show that South Asian migrants are distinctively different from other non-English speaking background migrants or other Asian migrants in respect of education, professional and occupational backgrounds and skills. The study examines transition and occupational adjustment, quality of jobs and experience of unemployment held by South Asian migrants in the local labour market. The data reveal that the majority of the qualified migrants from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka have adjusted well in their own profession through a sequence of jobs. A considerable number have regained either the same or higher status jobs compared to their pre-migration position. Although a considerable number of South Asian migrants have adjusted into occupations similar to their pre-migration occupations, the data show that they in fact status lost. The data also provide evidence that a significant number of migrants have shifted from professional and managerial to non-professional blue collar jobs in the process of their occupational adjustment in Melbourne. The findings reveal that the economic success and occupational adjustment of the migrants in the labour market vary according to birthplace and gender. Although the statistical test indicated that there is no significant difference between the present occupation status and policy category of the migrants, the chi square test indicates that there is some difference between birthplace groups in terms of the distribution of migrants' present occupation and industry. The chi-square test confirmed the significant difference between gender in terms of the distribution of migrants' present occupation. The evidence also shows that a significant number have not been able to enter the labour market since their arrival in Australia and were not able to utilise their professional, technical and academic skills.The study also examines the experiences of self-employed South Asian migrants. Again, the evidence suggests that the majority of these migrants are able to utilise their skills and potentials in their business. However, the case studies indicate that the career advancement of some migrants has been blocked due to this self-employment. The study also analyses the influence of structural change, particularly changes in employment and labour force characteristics, upon the participation of Asian migrants in different industries and occupations. The evidence reveals that South Asian migrants have been affected in terms of their participation according to industry and occupation due to the structural changes occurred in the 10 years to 1996. In conclusion, the study of South Asian migrants discussed relevant theories and models in the light of ABS and survey data. The examination of these data provides evidence that the human capital of migrants plays a significant role in their economic success and occupational adjustment particularly in terms of income and /or employment. In this regard they are able to utilise their skills and potentials in the local labour market. However, the theory of migrants has not paid attention to occupational status which this study identifies as an important indicator for economic success and occupational adjustment of South Asian migrants. The theory of migrants mainly focused on the overall labour market outcomes of the migrants in relation to employment, income differences, participation and unemployment rates.