School of Geography - Theses

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    Land-use and water management: the Upper Ovens River system
    Crooks, Mary L. ( 1972)
    No abstract available
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    The impact of the Victorian Government's decentralisation policies on the growth of manufacturing industry in Shepparton
    Clarke, Louise M. ( 1974)
    Both the Australian and Victorian Governments have adopted decentralisation policies aimed at diverting economic and population growth from the metropolitan centres. This dissertation examines the development of Shepparton, a growing provincial city, in the light of these policies. In carrying out this aim most attention has been paid to the programme of the Division of Industrial Development which is part of the Victorian Department of State Development and Decentralisation and responsible for implementing the State's decentralisation policies. Although they have nominated five centres; Ballarat, Bendigo, Wodonga, Portland and the Latrobe Valley; for accelerated development the Victorian Government is committed to a policy to maintain and develop all viable service centres in country Victoria. In accordance with this policy, industry - and in particular, manufacturing industry - is encouraged to establish anywhere outside the metropolitan area although, officially, incentives and concessions are only available to firms locating beyond an 80 kilometre radius of Melbourne or within an 8 kilometre radius of the post-offices of Bacchus Marsh, Broadford, Gisborne, Kilmore, Kyneton or Woodend. The Federal Government, on the other hand, favours a policy of selective decentralisation and, unlike the Victorian Government, is not committed to a policy of balanced development. A limited number of 'growth centres' such as Albury-Wodonga have been chosen for accelerated development and only firms establishing in, or people moving to, these centres receive encouragement or assistance. Firms establishing in centres such as Shepparton, which has not been chosen as a growth centre, are not eligible to receive direct assistance from the Federal Government. In view of the nature of these varying policies the aim of this dissertation has been limited to an attempt to evaluate the influence which the Victorian Government's decentralisation policies have had on the growth of manufacturing industry in Shepparton. A secondary objective was to establish whether the Victorian Government would have greater success in diverting growth from Melbourne by concentrating their efforts exclusively on the development of the five centres chosen for accelerated growth rather than continue their present policy to develop numerous small to medium-sized centres. However, because of the complexity of the problem there was not sufficient time to investigate it in detail, nor would there have been room to include the results of the research in the dissertation. In compiling the dissertation the most useful material has been gained from primary sources. Information on the historical development of the Victorian Government's decentralisation policies was obtained largely from parliamentary debates and parliamentary papers as there are few secondary sources which provide such information in the required detail. The activities of the Division of Industrial Development are well publicised and personal interviews with various members of the Division provided the required information on their decentralisation programme, particularly in relation to Shepparton. Information was also gained from interviews with members of the Shepparton City Council, the staff of the Council offices and representatives of various firms established in Shepparton. One of the most difficult problems encountered was the confidential nature of much of the material required. This included, in particular, the unwillingness of a number of firms to divulge details of assistance which they have received. Fortunately the Division of Industrial Development now make public much of the information of this kind which has previously been unavailable. Another problem was the difficulty in assessing the importance of assistance which industries received in influencing their location or operations. Information of this kind was generally only available through personal interviews and because the question of decentralisation is such a controversial one a number of people were largely concerned with expressing their opinions which were inclined to colour their judgement of the degree of assistance which their firm had received. In developing the aim outlined above the dissertation has been divided into five sections. Chapter 1 provides background information designed to assist in the understanding of the remaining sections. In Chapter 2 the historical development of the Victorian Government's decentralisation policies has been traced in order to determine whether there have been any important changes in recent years. Chapters 3 and 4 involve an account of the growth of manufacturing industry in Shepparton in an attempt to assess the amount of assistance which has been received from the Government. The conclusions
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    Some aspects of consumer movement
    Chrigwin, Robyn Clair ( 1971)
    No abstract available
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    Coburg: a case study in intra-urban migration
    Cavill, Marina ( 1973)
    A case study of intra-urban migration concerned with the reasons for residential shifts, the types of people involved, and the patterns created, can be singled out as an important field of study for scholars interested in research into man and his urban environment. The spatial components of such an enquiry make it an appropriate area for geographical investigation. A large body of research, both theoretical and empirical, exists on migration, which is ordinarily defined as "the relatively permanent movement of persons over a significant distance" (International Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences, p.286). This study will be concerned with that portion of migration which takes place between urban areas and urban residences, which will mainly involve movement within the Melbourne Metropolitan Area.
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    Land use change in the Upper Wonnangatta Valley
    Cabena, Peter Brian ( 1975)
    This thesis deals with land use change in the Upper Wonnangatta Valley, a part of the Eastern Highlands of Victoria.
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    Keilor: the evolution of a present day rural-urban fringe municipality
    Semmens, L. A. ( 1974)
    The aim of this study is to examine the evolution and difficulties of administration and the provision of services in fringe areas experiencing rapid urban expansion. For this purpose the City of Keilor was selected as a case study. The uniqueness of Keilor is found in the dominance physiography exerts over land-use and urban expansion. Although Keilor is situated on the Basalt Plain, which traditionally has hindered urban development in Melbourne's western suburbs, it also has the diversity of the rich alluvial flats created by the Maribyrnong River. The evolution of Keilor as a suburb began in the 1920's. However it was not until the 1950's and 1960's that the predominantly rural character was threatened by urban expansion. It was during these two decades that Keilor began to exhibit the characteristics of a rural-urban fringe. This character still prevails today.
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    The impact of artificial structures on the shoreline of Port Phillip Bay, Point Lonsdale: a case study
    McArthur, Jean A. ( 1977)
    The aim of this study has been to outline the impact of artificial structures on the shorelines of Port Phillip Bay and to demonstrate the need for more intensive study of eroding coastlines before artificial structures are added to them. The beach is a fragile and delicately balanced system, and a thorough understanding of the processes operating is necessary before any interference is carried out. The Point Lonsdale study has shown that each sector of a coastline must be considered independently and not presumed to be dynamically similar to other parts of Port Phillip Bay. The thesis begins with a general review of the problem, moves to a more specific study of Port Phillip Bay, and finishes with a detailed section on Point Lonsdale. For the purpose of this thesis, the term "shoreline" is taken as synonymous with "coastline", and is defined as the area seawards of the top of cliffs or dunes.