Deidre Dragovich and Alaric Maude (Commendation)

Professional Service Commendation Deirdre Dragovich and Alaric Maude Conferred Hobart, January 1997

Professional Service Commendations of the Institute of Australian Geographers are made in recognition of distinguished professional service in applied geography. Two awards are being made today. Both Deirdre Dragovich and Alaric Maude have been strong supporters of and active contributors to professional geography and to geographical education in Australia both at the state level in New South Wales in Deirdre’s case and in South Australia in Alaric’s case. Both have been officers of their state geographical societies and both have participated fully in the activities of the Institute of Australian Geographers, Deirdre most recently as editor of the Institute’s Newsletter.

It is however specifically for their contribution to university-level geographical education that these awards are being made. In 1990, the Council of the IAG wanted to establish a set of teaching modules, or short texts, for geography students at first and second year university level. Deirdre and Alaric were invited to co-edit a possible series. The formal proposal was put to two publishers late in 1990 and was accepted without modification by Oxford University Press. The first title in the Meridian series, which covers a range of topics that represent contemporary Australian geographical teaching and research on environmental, economic and social issues, was published in early 1994, and the seventh towards the end of 1996.

For their initiative and persistence in establishing the successful book series Meridian: Australian Geographical Perspectives and continuing to co-edit the series the Council is honoured to award the lAG’s Professional Service Commendation to Deidre Dragovich and to Alaric Maude.