Level 3 Mortlock Wing State Library of South Australia North Terrace Adelaide SA 5000

Lectures

The RGSSA hosts a series of stimulating lectures on a broad range of geographical topics, both current and historical.

Experience. Geography. Together.^TM

Lecture Program

Monthly Lectures are generally held on the third Thursday of the month at 5.30 pm, preceded by drinks and nibbles from 5:00 pm in the Hetzel Theatre, Institute Building on the corner of North Terrace and Kintore Avenue. Members are requested to make a $5 donation to help offset the lecture costs. The cost for non-members is $10. Meetings may be followed by an optional light dinner at a local venue.

Lunchtime meetings are held during the cooler months of the year. Members are requested to make a gold coin donation while the cost for non-members is $5.

Videos of some previous lectures are available on YouTube.

The Royal Geographical Society of South Australia Lecture Program is supported by the State Library of South Australia.

Upcoming Lectures

21 May 2026 | 5:30 pm

Monthly Lecture

Healthy Country: Fire, Country, and the Unmaking of Australian Wilderness

Professor Fletcher will challenge assumptions about concepts such as Terra Nullius, 'pristine nature' and 'wilderness' which overlook and undermine Aboriginal influence on landscapes as negligible or destructive. Instead, Michael seeks to 'not only reintroduce cultural fire, but transform the intellectual foundations of environmental science itself.

18 June 2026 | 5:30 pm

Monthly Lecture

Caves, sinkholes and volcanoes - UNESCO Kanawinka Geopark

Caves, sinkholes and volcanoes: the beauty and problems of the UNESCO Kanawinka Geopark.

Image courtesy: Kanawinka Geopark: Coast and Caves - Visit Portland

17 July 2026 | 5:00 pm

Monthly Lecture

Plotting the Oceans: Stories of powerful maps and their makers

Step into the world of exploration, science, and discovery as Professor Hamylton brings to life the remarkable stories behind some of history’s most influential maps and map makers.

17 September 2026 | 5:30 pm

Monthly Lecture

Maps to Apps - the digital revolution in map making

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have transformed the way we create and distribute maps, offering dramatic new opportunities never previously envisaged. This lecture will review the benefits and limitations of traditional printed maps and demonstrate the basic operation of Geographic Information Systems.