2024 IAG conference location announced

Adelaide has been announced as the location of the 2024 Institute of Australian Geographer’s Conference. The conference will be held in July 2024, with dates and registration information to be announced soon. 

The news follows the 2023 conference in Perth, attended by more than 230 Australian and international geography experts.

Professor Jennifer Carter, President of the Institute of Australian Geographers (IAG) thanked the University of Adelaide, who will host the event.  

“Conferences are a mammoth task to coordinate, so the IAG and community of geographers appreciate the impressive team that is assembling to organise this major event,” she said.

Chaired by IAG Vice President Professor Melissa Nursey-Bray, the conference committee includes:

• Dr George Tan, Sustainability Officer Libby Hogarth, and higher degree research students 
• The Institute for Sustainability Energy and Resources (ISER): Professor Mike Goodsite
• The Environment Institute: Professor Andy Lowe
• Flinders University: Professor Beverley Clarke
• The Royal Geographical Society of South Australia: Professor Guy Robinson
• The Geography Teachers Association of South Australia

The conference will also be supported by Wirltu Yarlu, within the University of Adelaide. Wirltu Yarlu is responsible for engaging with and recruiting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as well as providing support to students during their time at the university.

Several field trips will be run by researchers before the conference program begins. These trips will offer unique opportunities to explore Adelaide, which is a UNESCO listed city of music and National Park City.

Proposed tours include:

• The Living Kaurna Cultural Centre at Warriparinga and Bush Tucker Tour in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens
• Tjilbruke Dreaming Walk to learn about cultural sites of significance to the Kaurna people
• Local wineries and the Waite Campus to investigate the impacts of climate change and food security
• Library of the Royal Geographical Society SA, home to over 25,000 volumes and one of the most significant collections of rare geographical books and manuscripts in Australia
• The City campus and Roseworthy with sustainability researchers, showcasing institutional sustainability
• Hallett Cove Conservation Park – a train ride to amazing coastal views and cliffs that reflect ancient glaciers that are more than 600 million years old
• Sustainable City and Business Tours – the Eco City Christie Walk Tour or a visit to the Coopers Brewery for insights into sustainable business practices

The conference dinner will be held at the National Wine Centre of Australia, within the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Attendees will also be able to attend the Illuminate Adelaide festival – the annual celebration of art, light, music and technology – which coincides with the conference.

Melissa said, “These tours and experiences will excite our local and international conference attendees, and they also showcase some of the geographical research of the region and our beautiful city Adelaide.”

A conference website will be set up to manage registrations and contain information about the program and field trips.

Download the media release.