Just fifty years ago this year I was one of four Melbourne
TeachersÕ College students who drove on mostly dirt roads to Alice Springs in a
1939 Oldsmobile, towing an old trailer. At Ayers Rock, we camped overnight, and
there was no one else there! This must have given me a taste for geomorphology,
confirmed when I studied with Cliff Ollier and Jim Bowler at the University of
Melbourne in the early 1960s.
After thirty-five years of teaching and researching in
geomorphology at Melbourne, I took early retirement in December 1996.
Ten years have now passed. Apart from the occasional lecture
and conference presentation, IÕve been able to concentrate on the geomorphology
of volcanoes, including the risk of future eruption in the Newer Volcanic
Province of Victoria and adjacent southeastern South Australia. IÕve also
continued to work on geological heritage (especially of volcanoes).
In 2005 I attended two major conferences overseas, and saw
volcanoes in Tenerife, the Azores, and the Auvergne of southern France.
2006 was a quieter year. It included a small operation for
me, and a larger one for Zoe Ð a full knee replacement.
I began the year with a Xmas present balloon flight over
Melbourne late in February (see 2006 photos), and during the year made several field trips
to the Western Plains volcanoes, including the National TrustÕs 50th
Anniversary Landscape Tour.
A highlight of the year was the AESC 2006 meeting in
Melbourne in July. That involved two field trips, including ÒHistory, heritage
and urban geology of the inner city of Melbourne and its northern suburbsÓ on
Sunday 2nd July, possibly MelbourneÕs wettest day for the year. A
full day of Heritage and History papers followed on the Monday. One topic was
the proposed nomination of part of the Western Plains and adjacent Mt Gambier
area as AustraliaÕs first Geopark.
This will go to UNESCO in December 2006. I played a part in the
selection and nomination (and wrote the Foreword). Geoparks and geotourism
(especially of volcanic regions) is a growing area of interest for me.
Regular media enquiries were received about volcanoes, both
local and overseas; even Al-Jazeera was on the phone from Sydney, as well as
the ABC on 621 and 774, RRR, and
reporters from the Sydney Morning Herald, the Herald Sun, and the Warrnambool
Examiner, all seeking comments.
In defence of volcanic heritage I wrote several letters and
emails, discussing problems at Tower Hill, Mt Shadwell, Mt Cottrell, Gnotuk and
Bullenmerri, and on the Byaduk lava flows, and I discussed waste disposal in
the heritage Raak area, near Mildura, with interested people.
After the sad death of colleague Neil Archbold, I took on
NeilÕs position as the Chair of the GSAÕs Earth Sciences History Group, now in
Melbourne, and this year we have had conference papers, newsletters,
discussions and big plans for further activities. Perhaps as a result, I was
nominated for membership of INHIGEO (International Commission on the History of
Earth Sciences.
Meanwhile the H.gd.P (History of the geology department
Project) continues, with Doug McCann working on Professor Gregory, and I adding
to the archives. Together we visited the families of two former professors,
Professor Summers, and Professor E. S. Hills, and learnt more about them and
the old Department of Geology.
Victorian volcanoes, including their heritage but also the
possibility of future eruption, is now my main research interest, and with
Roger Hughes of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Melbourne we are trying
to find a statistical answer to ÒWhen is the next eruption due?Ó This year the
State Emergency Service asked me to come along and tell them about volcanic
risk for Victoria. That was promising!
Volcanoes and heritage also had me carrying out Expert
Reviews for the IUCN, on behalf of the IAG, of two World Heritage nominations -
Teide National Park, Tenerife, Spain, and Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes,
Republic of Korea.
And a final heritage matter Ð in September Zoe and I drove
to Lake Mungo, in the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area, for the 25th
anniversary of its declaration as World Heritage. I gave a paper on ÒWorld
Heritage and the Australian influence: people and places from the 1970s until
nowÓ. We also revisited some now historic discovery sites (see 2006 photos).