Experience. Geography. Together.TM
2 April 2026 | 10:42 am
GeoNight is an initiative proposed for the first time by the CNFG (French National Geographical Committee) at a National scale in 2017. From 2018 onwards, the initiative has expanded internationally, first in Europe, thanks to EUGEO, and then even beyond, thanks to the IGU.
Join the RGSSA by participating in this geography-themed quiz - Where in the World?
4 January 2026 | 10:42 am
At the Society's Annual Dinner, three of our valued members were recognised for their outstanding and tireless support of the Society - Leigh Radford OAM was awarded the Centenary Silver Medal - presented by Vice-President Professor Guy Robinson - while Gail Ward and Rosemary Hocking both received Premier's Awards for Volunteer Service. Read more about these invaluable members' efforts by following the links to the awards pages.
4 January 2026 | 10:42 am
The South Australian Geographical Journal (SAGJ) special issue Geography Futures Past published in 2025. These two thought-provoking, peer-reviewed pieces explore exciting directions in geographical research and invite readers to reflect on geography as a critical source of insight into how humans understand, negotiate and live within their (often hazardous) environments. Connect with the all 2025 articles here https://sagj.scholasticahq.com/
21 November 2025 | 10:42 am
Everyone is invited to a night of pop culture, music and all things geography! There will be snacks, games and prizes to win.
Book your free ticket here for a 6 pm start in Function Room 2, Union House at the University of Adelaide.
6 October 2025 | 10:42 am
Our Director, Emeritus Professor Iain Hay, has prepared an inspirational and informative presentation about the ongoing importance of Geography.
17 September 2025 | 10:42 am
To help inform the public debate on housing, the RGSSA hosted a public symposium seeking to answer the question "Can higher density housing reduce Adelaide's housing costs?” The symposium brought together an impressive group of professionals representing government, the private sector and academia. The presentations from the day, together with a summary, are now available online.
11 April 2025 | 10:42 am
The Society will be celebrating History Month during May with an exhibition titled: Triumph and Tragedy: Early Decisions that Shaped South Australia https://festival.history.sa.gov.au/events/triumph-and-tragedy-early-decisions-that-shaped-south-australia/
In addition to normal library opening hours, the library will be open from 1-4 pm on Sundays during May.
For full details of everything that is happening see https://festival.history.sa.gov.au/
20 March 2025 | 10:42 am
GeoNight is an initiative proposed for the first time by the CNFG (French National Geographical Committee) at a National scale in 2017. From 2018 onwards, the initiative has expanded internationally, first in Europe, thanks to EUGEO, and then even beyond, thanks to the IGU. The RGSSA's entry is an introduction to some of the many geographical treasures in our collection. Our entry is available for viewing until GeoNight on 4 April 2025.
Explore the very many other contributions to GeoNight from around the world!.
14 November 2024 | 10:42 am
Geography Victoria (GV) is Australia’s newest voluntary, community-based geographical society. Victoria has not had a Geographical Society since 1920. And Australia has not had a new state-based geographical society since the Geographical Society of NSW was established in 1927. So the launch of Geography Victoria was genuinely a once in a century event!
READ MORE
22 July 2024 | 10:42 am
The Australian Academy of Science's National Committee for Geographical Sciences (NCGS - pictured above) held a very productive face-to-face meeting in Adelaide, its first since before COVID.
NCGS fosters geography in Australia, links the Academy of Science to Australian geographers and relevant scientific societies, and links Australian geographers to their overseas counterparts, primarily through the International Geographical Union.
READ MORE
19 July 2024 | 10:42 am
In July we bid farewell to the RGSSA’s inaugural Library Research Fellow, Professor Don Albert (Sam Houston State University) and his wife Julie Albert. Don presented a talk on the project he has been working on while in Adelaide over the past month at our monthly lecture series. He examined the two major and quite different accounts of the movements of HMS Bounty after the mutiny prepared by Henry E. Maude and Brian N. Hooker. It was remarkable that Henry Maude’s son and distinguished RGSSA member Dr Alaric Maude was in the audience. We wish Don and Julie safe travels as they return to Texas on Saturday!
16 July 2024 | 10:42 am
The RGSSA is delighted to welcome its inaugural Library Research Fellow, Dr Donald Albert - Professor of Geography at the Department of Environmental and Geosciences at Sam Houston State University, Texas. Dr Albert and his wife Julie arrived in Adelaide on 24 June and will be working in the RGSSA until the end of July. Don spoke at the IAG conference and on 18 July will deliver an RGSSA evening lecture on work he is doing in Adelaide on HMS Bounty. Don and Julie depart Adelaide to return to Texas soon after his lecture.
29 April 2024 | 10:42 am
This international recognition from the International Geographical Union (IGU) for “service to the discipline at the international, national and local scales” is a tremendous honour and arguably one of the most esteemed in international Geography. The award will be presented to Iain in Dublin, Ireland on Friday 30th August.
Iain served on the Executive of the IGU from 2014 to 2024, and was First Vice President from 2020 to 2022. Iain is particularly thrilled to be described by IGU as “an accomplished influencer and knowledge provocateur whose impacts on Geography over more than three decades have been innovative, cumulative and far-reaching internationally.”
26 March 2024 | 10:42 am
Shining a Light on Australasian Geography
The Royal Geographical Society of South Australia (RGSSA) and leading international publisher Anthem Press are excited to announce a ground breaking new partnership that will rewrite the map (figuratively speaking) of geographical scholarship. This collaboration yields the "Antipodean Perspectives on Geography" book series, a platform dedicated to amplifying the voices and insights of geographers from Australia and New Zealand.
17 March 2024 | 10:42 am
The RGSSA's Vice President, Guy M. Robinson, is publishing a book which adeptly navigates the principal elements, key events and significant changes of the transformation of China’s countryside. Over the last four decades, China has witnessed dramatic economic growth, transforming into an economic powerhouse with considerable consequences for its rural regions. More information and an ability to order a copy at a discounted price is available here.
13 March 2024 | 10:42 am
GeoNight is an initiative proposed for the first time by the CNFG (French National Geographical Committee) at a National scale in 2017. From 2018 onwards, the initiative has expanded internationally, first in Europe, thanks to EUGEO, and then even beyond, thanks to the IGU. The RGSSA'a entry is an introduction to some of the many geographical treasures in our collection. Available for viewing now until GeoNight on 12 April 2024.
15 November 2023 | 10:42 am
In conjunction with the Geography Teachers Association of SA (GTASA), the RGSSA has announced that entries for the 2024 SA Geographers' Fieldwork Awards for Years 7 to 12 are open until February 2025. More details are available on the Society's awards pages.
The GTASA has produced an Entry Checklist and guide to Fieldwork resources to assist interested students. Enter Now
11 September 2023 | 10:42 am
The presentations from the seminar held on 25 August on the planning issues of the Mount Lofty Ranges are now available online.
7 August 2023 | 10:42 am
The Royal Geographical Society of Queensland has awarded their J.P. Thomson Medal for 2024 to Professor Iain Hay for "outstanding geographical scholarship and long-standing leadership of the geography profession." It is another wonderful honour bestowed on Iain in recognition of 35+ years of work. There’s more details of the Medal itself at https://rgsq.org.au/prizes
19 May 2023 | 10:42 am
Wonder how South Australia came into being and how Colonel Light’s survey shaped the new colony?
What happened?
Visit the Royal Geographical Society any Tuesday to Friday 10am to 1pm from May 2023 to explore this exhibition.
27 April 2023 | 10:42 am
The Treasures project is an online display of some of the Society’s most wonderful books, maps, and artefacts. The first nine entries for the collection have been placed online and can be seen at https://rgssa.org.au/heritage/treasures. We have many more Treasures to add with the help of our very knowledgeable members!
26 February 2023 | 10:42 am
At the invitation of the French National Geographical Committee, the RGSSA submitted a presentation for GeoNight 2023 which highlights geography and geographers, giving the greater public a chance to familiarise themselves with geographical concepts and studies, and to make geographical research more accessible.
The RGSSA has provided presentations in 2021 and 2022. For 2023 a presentation prepared by Andrew Lothian on the subject, The Paradox of Beautiful Landscapes, was prepared and submitted. This may be viewed at: https://rgssa.org.au/documents/RGSSA-Beautiful-Landscapes.pdf
26 February 2023 | 10:42 am
The Captains have decided that, because of the floods, it will be too risky to take the boat up to Berri for the proposed 3 May trip. It is now booked to go up in September when there will again be the opportunity for us to do the cruise. Bookings will open in August. Members who expressed interest for the May date will be given first preference.
24 January 2023 | 10:42 am
The RGSSA is one of several bodies that is raising concerns about the proposed new geography curriculum which has errors, omissions, inconsistencies and confusing statements. Links are provided for the new Australian curricula for years 1-6, years 7-10 and a detailed critique By Dr Alaric Maude AM..
19 January 2023 | 10:42 am
Thanks to a generous grant from the History Fund and the efforts of one of our new Councillors, Roger Irvine, the Society has recently acquired a wide bodied printer and scanner which will allow the map digitisation project to proceed smoothly.
22 December 2022 | 10:42 am
Australian Geography Teachers' Association has recently released a new helpful website entitled 'GowithGeo' that sets out information on the ways geographers think; skills geography students develop; and career pathways for geographers.
14 December 2022 | 10:42 am
A short message from Leigh Radford OAM, reflecting on the year and wishing everyone a very happy 2023.
15 August 2022 | 10:42 am
The Engagement and Communications Committee is looking for committee members.
3 August 2022 | 10:42 am
If priceless antiquities are your passion, there could be a job waiting for you at the Mortlock Wing of the Adelaide Library. The Royal Geographical Society is looking for volunteers as it conserves a staggering collection that is uniquely South Australian.
3 August 2022 | 10:42 am
It is pleasing to note that former RGSSA Councillor (2009-2012) Emeritus Professor Hilary Patience Winchester (now at Fannie Bay NT 0820) received an AM on the Queen's Birthday 2022 Honours List: " For significant service to tertiary education, and to governance, committee and advisory roles.
3 August 2022 | 10:42 am
The Society’s annual John Lewis Awards ceremony, recognising scholarly achievement in Geography in 2021, was held on the evening of 26 May 2022 at the Mortlock Library.
3 August 2022 | 10:42 am
The estate of the late Dennis David Shearing, member from 1995, has left the Society $18,000. The money will be applied to Society activities identified through the Society’s Strategic Implementation Committee for Council endorsement.
3 August 2022 | 10:42 am
Recently the Society has been pleased to receive a bequest from the estate of Gratton and Junelee Wheaton. It’s a tied bequest and is to put towards our project to install bespoke bookcases in the RGSSA library. Gratton and Junelee had significant involvement with the Society and this will be recognised with an appropriate plaque on one of the bookcases.
© The Royal Geographical Society of South Australia