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An inquiry approach to learning can have a positive impact on students' attitudes to science and their science literacy skills; two attributes that have been in steady decline internationally. The professional development of teachers in inquiry science is one way to ensure that teachers are equipped with effective strategies to teach science, particularly in non-metropolitan schools where development opportunities may be limited, and students' attitudes to science are typically less positive than in metropolitan schools. Consequently, this study measured the attitudes to science and science self-efficacy of 133 school students aged 10-15 years from six non-metropolitan schools in Queensland, Australia, and explored the association with teachers' professional development in inquiry science. A survey instrument demonstrating good psychometric properties was derived to measure three components of students' multidimensional attitudes to science: acceptance of an inquiry approach to science, enjoyment of science lessons and career-interest in science. Findings showed that students' attitudes to science and science self-efficacy differed significantly among schools. Teachers' implementation of inquiry pedagogy in these schools was also varied. Students' acceptance of inquiry science, enjoyment of science, career-interest in science and self-efficacy were positively correlated and evident in classrooms that employed a collaborative inquiry approach to teaching science.

Teacher biography, as a reflective practice, was implemented in the context of Physical Education in a primary teacher education course at a regional Australian university. Second year students were asked to provide descriptions of a critical incident they experienced at the primary or secondary level in a Physical Education or sporting context (N=214). Their responses comprised the data for this study and the Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) Model was used to determine the levels of complexity of the responses to 'alternatives for action' associated with these incidents. More responses were multistructural (48%), than relational (24%), and unistructural (23%), with extended abstract (3%) and the least, were prestructural (2%). The responses varied for gender and mode of enrolment (on or off campus). The findings that one third of students developed higher order (relational or extended abstract) responses challenge teacher educators to consider strategies to extend critical reflections.

Skin cancer prevention efforts in Australia have increasingly incorporated a focus on protection during incidental sun exposure. This complements the long-present messages promoting protection in high-risk settings and avoidance of acute intense bouts of sun exposure. Data from two waves of a cross-sectional direct observational survey was used to assess the prevalence and correlates of N = 12,083 adolescents' and adults' sun protection behavior (arm and leg cover, hat, sunglasses, and shade cover). Individuals were observed in public outdoor settings in Melbourne, Australia during peak ultraviolet (UV) times (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) on summer weekends. Settings included pools and beaches, parks and gardens, and for the first time in 2018, outdoor streets and cafés which may capture more incidental forms of sun exposure and represent another public setting where Australians commonly spend time outdoors. Females and older adults were consistently better protected than males and adolescents. Physical activity was strongly associated with low shade cover across settings. Weather was more strongly associated with sun protection at outdoor streets/cafes and parks/gardens than at pools/beaches but use of observed sun protection (particularly arm cover and covering hat) was low across settings. Continued public education about UV risk and its relation to weather and the seasons is needed to promote the routine use of multiple forms of sun protection during outdoor activities in peak UV times, especially among males and adolescents. Findings also highlight the importance of considering activity demands of public spaces in shade planning to optimize sun protection during outdoor activities in public spaces.

This paper describes a new learning experience, which was introduced following an examination of the literature regarding preservice primary school teachers' (PPST) notions of their past experience in Physical Education (PE) (Elliott 2013). PPSTs were given the opportunity to recognise, reflect, interrogate and reframe a critical incident from their schooling in PE or Sport. This exercise was designed to enlighten students about their own schooling and the potential impact this event may have on pre-conceived ideas and opinions about teaching PE. Students (N = 214) enrolled in off and on campus mode, of a preservice teacher education program in a university located in regional NSW, were asked to provide information about, and to analyse, an incident, either positive or negative that occurred in PE or Sport during their primary or secondary school years. In addition, students were encouraged to reframe the incident and to seek out alternative actions that could have influenced the outcome. The aim was to encourage reflection about how preconceived notions pertaining to PE might be dealt within their present position as a preservice teacher. The PPSTs scripts were analysed using the Leximancer text mining software (Smith, 2000). Findings from the analysis provided themes and concepts, which suggest a similarity for both, off and on campus, males and females. However, there are some subtle differences between the cohorts that may be due to an age or experience.

The title question and two subsequent questions are considered in the context of rational creativity. A-rational creativity is not considered. Q. Can creativity be taught? A. It depends on what is meant by 'creativity' and 'taught' in what context. Q1. Is teaching either creativity or critical thinking inimical to the practice of the other? A1. Not necessarily, each is required for the success of the other and both are required for successful living. Q2. Are Australian schools and universities a good place to learn critical thinking and creativity? A2. Yes, when teachers teach with sensitivity to the actual needs of students; No, if accountability standards are applied narrowly through testing and ranking to inhibit the practice and reward of critical thinking and creativity in the classroom; and Perhaps Yes, if new creativity tests are devised to help teachers create classrooms that encourage and reward creativity across the curriculum.

In recent years, the Australian government has encouraged open access to administrative data, providing new opportunities for examining life course pathways and evaluating social policies. This paper demonstrates the importance of establishing partnerships in the use of administrative data for social research. In collaboration with the data custodian, we used administrative welfare data to investigate a policy-relevant topic: the association between income support receipt and relationship separation. Our results provided greater statistical power for detecting associations for minority groups than is possible with panel survey data, highlighting the benefits of administrative data for understanding the outcomes of population groups that are not well represented in surveys. The collaboration between university researchers and data custodians was critical to enable appropriate sharing of data for research and for accurate interpretation of the data and outcomes for relevance to policy.

"Education of Children with Disabilities: Voices from Around the World" combines research on children with disabilities and women/girls with disabilities. These projects provided opportunities to interview disability professionals, policy-makers and persons with disabilities from around the world with the purpose of learning about needs, issues and services, in diverse countries. A unique international analysis, this research compares various cultural responses on the education of children with disabilities emphasizing the girl child. Discussion includes findings based on 177 interviews of disability professionals from over 57 countries including the stated reasons and consequences of lost educational opportunities. Techniques locating participants included internet searches, literature reviews, and personal referrals. Interviewees were selected based on their experiences with childhood disabilities and/or women and girls with disabilities. Many interviewees were persons with disabilities who shared their personal experiences. Through a qualitative analysis of the interviews some of the most prevalent themes that emerged were the importance of education and the disproportionate negative effect of disability on females. To measure the strength of these themes, an electronic survey was created using a Likert scale to measure the strength of agreement of each participant with the issues identified. Survey ratings added quantitative confirmation to the rich qualitative interviews. The education themes identified include school exclusion and barriers to education with a particular focus on the girl child, education quality and inclusive education.

Historically, Aboriginal health research in Australia has been non-participatory, misrepresentative, and has produced few measurable improvements to community health. The Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health (SEARCH) was established to co-create and co-translate research. Over the past decade, SEARCH has built a sustainable partnership across policy, research, clinical and Aboriginal community sectors which has resulted in improvements in Aboriginal health through enhanced services, policies and programmes. Aims and objectives: This study describes the critical success factors behind SEARCH, focusing on how SEARCH was established, and continues to build trusting co-creative relationships. It also explores some continuing challenges and considers how the partnership might be strengthened. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 stakeholders, purposively selected to obtain maximum diversity of roles and perspectives. Interview questions explored concepts that informed the development of SEARCH such as trust, transparency, leadership, governance, reciprocity and empowerment. Data was analysed thematically and written up using the qualitative description approach. Findings and discussion: Nine critical success factors were identified: shared power; strong credible leadership; shared vision, shared goals; willingness to take risks; connecting across cultures; empowering the community; valuing local Aboriginal knowledge; ongoing investment and collaboration; and adaptability. While each of these factors has areas for ongoing improvement, this case example demonstrates that co-creation and co-translation of research in Aboriginal health is achievable and, indeed, necessary to improve health outcomes.

This paper explores the enormous variation in views, championing behaviours and impacts of liaison people: staff nominated to facilitate, tailor and promote SPIRIT (a research utilisation intervention trial in six Australian health policy agencies). Liaison people made cost/benefit analyses: they weighed the value of participation against its risks and demands in the context of organisational goals, knowledge utilisation norms, epistemology and leadership support. There was a degree of self-fulfilment (organisations got what they put in), but SPIRIT could not always be tailored to address local knowledge needs. We present nine propositions for identifying and supporting liaison people in similar interventions.

This article investigates the place of trust in learning relations in the classroom, not only between teacher and student, but also between student and student. To do this, it will first examine a pedagogy called community of inquiry, espoused by John Dewey and used in most Philosophy for Children courses in Australia. It will then consider what different forms of trust are involved in other power relations in the classroom, particularly the rational structuralism of R.S Peters, or the experiential philosophy of Maria Montessori. It concludes that a community of inquiry shifts the ethical learning relation in significantly different ways because for educational growth, it values ethical trust more highly than a strategic trust in logical principle, duty, Truth, or cost/benefit analysis.

This paper reports the findings of research which focused on fourth year pre-service teachers' perceptions of the issue of their transition from pre-service university student to in-service teaching, specifically in rural and remote settings. The results of a survey which focused on students' perceived levels of readiness and comfort when considering teaching in a rural or remote school as a first posting are presented. Background data were collected revealing that the majority of the pre-service teachers (n=39) identified their hometown as rural and/or as a small city within a 400 km radius from the regional University. Analysis of data indicated 32 of the participants wanted to teach in a rural school, two wanted to move closer to the coast and five were unsure. Leximancer text-mining software was employed to examine the responses to five questions including: how they would describe themselves as a teacher; what differences existed between rural and urban teaching; what their ideas were regarding what constituted good rural teaching; and what may be the difficulties in rural teaching. The last section of the results provides a profile of the number of preservice teachers (PSTs) intending to teach in rural settings. The findings confirmed previous research that suggested that many teachers in rural settings originate from small rural and remote communities. The concepts and themes emerging from the analysis of the open ended survey data are presented as the major findings. Implications of the research include recommendations that pre-service teacher education programs could be more responsive to student needs, resulting in greater preparation for teachers entering the teaching profession in rural and remote settings.

The development of definitions is an integral part of the research process but is often poorly described. This paper details the iterative development of five definitions: Policy, Health policy-maker, Health policy agency, Policy documents, and Research findings. We describe the challenges of developing definitions in a large multidisciplinary team and the important methodological repercussions. We identify four factors that were most helpful in this process: (1) An emphasis on fit-for-purpose functionality, (2) Consultation with in-context experts, (3) Our willingness to amend terms as well as definitions, and to revisit some methods and goals as a consequence, and (4) Agreement that we would satisfice: accept 'good enough' solutions rather than struggle for optimality and consensus.

Challenges and benefits arose when a rural school and a neighbouring university formed a partnership with the aim of improving the school's Health and Physical Education (HPE) program. The HPE programs were enhanced through two joint research projects. The first research project had two facets, including an evidence-based curriculum for Physical Education in the school, and a remediation program for children identified through the coordination testing process. The second research project was designed to investigate students' Health Education knowledge and explore any behavioural changes in and around nutritional choices. Both the projects were conducted as mutually productive partnerships within the school, resulting in beneficial changes for the school, the university and for the multiple participants. For the school, the Physical Education curriculum and pedagogies were modified and for students identified as requiring remediation, a multi-partnered intervention program was implemented. Students, teachers, parents and pre-service teacher education students benefited from the movement intervention program. The health education curriculum was enhanced when the school developed a social marketing approach to facilitate health-related decisions for pupils, teachers and ancillary staff. The university changed their pre-service teacher education curriculum, teaching methods, and achieved stronger research based outcomes by partnering with the school across both projects.

Background: Pre-service teacher education (PSTE) programmes for generalist primary school teachers have limited time allocated to Physical Education, Health and Personal Development. In practice, teachers in schools are required to assess motor skills despite the fact that their training provides minimal preparation. This necessitates creative approaches by tertiary educators in Australia to prepare teachers to effectively teach the fundamental motor skills (FMS), which also includes the need for assessment. Purpose: To evaluate PSTE students' experiences of assessing peers across a range of FMS in a practical group environment. The performance of each FMS was assessed in real time and simultaneously video recorded for later re-assessment. The PSTE students were provided with student-centred pedagogical experiences designed to expose the effect of assessing movement in "real" time and comparing this to the same performances with "video" time. Participants and setting: Across a 2-week module of an 11-week semester, second year Bachelor of Education (Primary) students (N?=?44) were provided with both a lecture and an aligned workshop to progress students' skills of FMS movement analysis. Students were allocated to groups comprising four individuals, who were required to perform a series of FMS performance and assessment tasks at each of the seven testing stations. Data collection: At each station, each individual performed three trials for the run, strike, catch, throw, dodge, vertical jump and stationary kick, and results recorded using assessment sheets from the Get Skilled: Get Active (2000) resource. Peers were assessed in real time and in addition each performance was simultaneously video recorded for later assessment. Of the seven skills, the run and the overarm throw were selected for reporting in this paper. Data analysis: The data from 44 pre-service teachers' codings, i.e. 1320 for the run and 1584 for the overarm throw were analysed for trends in levels of agreement and disagreement for each skill component. Levels of significant differences were explored using a z-test. Self-evaluative comments on the value of the learning experience were subjected to the Leximancer text analytic software for commonly occurring concepts and themes. Findings: The components of the run demonstrating the highest level of disagreement between real and video analysis were component 3: arms bend at elbows and move in opposition to legs and component 4: contacting ground with front part of foot. For the overarm throw, both components 3: throwing arm nearly straightened behind the body, and component 5, marked sequential hip to shoulder rotation during the throw, had the highest level of disagreement. The components noted here as having the highest level of disagreement were also significant at the p?

Paul Hirst claimed that Richard Peters "revolutionised philosophy of education". This does not accord with my experience in the Antipodean periphery. My experience of the work of Wittgenstein, Austin and Kovesi before reading Peters and Dewey, Kuhn and Toulmin subsequently meant that Peters was a major but not revolutionary figure in my understanding of philosophy of education.

Background: Associations among cognitive development and intrapersonal and environmental characteristics were investigated for 89 longitudinal study participants with Down syndrome to understand developmental patterns associated with cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Materials and Methods: Subtest scores of the Stanford-Binet IV collected between ages 4-30 years were analysed in multilevel models of age-related change. Predictor variables were systematically entered into the models to identify associations with development for each subtest. Results: Temperament, maternal education, medical conditions and school experiences were associated with cognitive differences. Additional associations with rate of development were detected for negative mood, persistence, maternal education level and elementary school experience for several subtests. Conclusions: Early cognitive advantage and consistent opportunities to learn academic content appear to facilitate cognitive development, although this latter was confounded with ability and maternal education in this study. Data presented endorse research into interventions that enhance verbal and problem solving environments through-out early and middle childhood and target reductions in negative affect in relation to supporting cognitive development for individuals with Down syndrome. (Contains 6 tables.)

Conduct problems in childhood are associated with the way in which children engage in daily activities. Research, to date, on conduct problems in relation to time use has primarily focused on school aged children and their participation in discrete activities such as watching TV and sport. The purpose of the present study is to determine if children at risk of developing conduct problems have different activity patterns compared to those not at risk. Specifically aspects of time use which concern involvement in activities that provide physical exertion, structure, rest and social engagement were examined. Data for this investigation were drawn from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (Wave 1) and focused on 4936 children aged 4-5 years. Findings indicate that children at risk of developing conduct problems spend significantly more time in: physical activities such as "riding a bike", and "in the company of adults only" than children not at risk of developing conduct problems but less time "with peers under adult supervision". Gender differences were also found in the same activities with boys participating in more "bike riding" and activities "without peers under adult supervision" than girls. Young children generally participated in more physical activities and spend more time "with peers while supervised by adults" on weekend days, and more time in "structured activities" and "in the company of adults only" on weekdays. These findings are discussed in respect of the potentially risky nature of physical activity choice and the contribution of adult supervision in the context of peer group participation for children at risk of developing conduct problems. (Contains 3 tables.)

Does time spent in a cohabiting relationship prior to marriage lead to more egalitarian housework arrangements after marriage? Previous research has shown that housework patterns within cohabiting relationships are more egalitarian than in marital relationships. But do these patterns remain when couples marry? The findings from previous studies are mixed. This article uses three waves of data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey to examine changes in men's and women's time spent on housework as they transition into marriage. The results show that men's housework hours remain stable regardless of life course pathway, and for women there is only minimal evidence that different pathways into marriage lead to different housework outcomes. The article concludes that the gender division of labor is developed well before the formation of a union and that the pathway to marriage has a relatively small effect on housework patterns after marriage. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

In this article, the author shares his experiences as one of few Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (PESA) members and describes how he came to know about PESA. The author recounts an event during his period as president of PESA in 1986 and his efforts to promote and establish some form of international membership of various philosophy of education societies through PESA conferences. At various times over the past 39 years, as a teacher educator and editor of the "Australian Journal of Teacher Education" for the past 20 years, the author proposes ten ideas for PESA that he has hoped to be accomplished.

In this article, the author shares her experiences on how she came to know about Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (PESA). The author opines that PESA could develop more positive interaction with both the Federation of Australasian Philosophy for Children Associations (FAPCA) and the Australian Philosophy Association (APA). She asserts that the four decades of PESA are marked by minor epistemic stages at specific conferences: (1) 1970 Sydney--Analytic beginnings; (2) 1975 Melbourne--Confrontation and division--insertion of social relevance; (3) 1989 Christchurch--Development of a community of inquiry; and (4) 2005 Hong Kong--The internationalisation of PESA. The author describes the 4 stages that marked the four decades of PESA and suggests that increasing membership to a wider community is not enough unless it engages all members in the open community of inquiry which marked the third convivial stage of its growth.

History has long been taught in Australian schools with a view to encouraging patriotic citizenship. What has been taught and what is meant by patriotic Australian citizenship has changed markedly over the years. Current national initiatives to stimulate and direct the teaching of "what we all know" to be Australian history may not meet the requirements of acceptable educational practice. The Commonwealth government may be better advised to pursue initiatives that encourage understanding of and commitment to the common weal.

We examine the effects of transitions in marital and parenthood status on 1,091 men's and women's housework hours using two waves of data from an Australian panel survey titled Negotiating the Life Course. We examine transitions between cohabitation and marriage, and from cohabitation or marriage to separation, as well as transitions to first and higher-order births. We find extraordinary stability in men's housework time across most transitions but considerable change for women in relation to transitions in parenthood. Our results suggest that the transition to parenthood is a critical moment in the development of an unequal gap in time spent on routine household labor.

A paradox seems to exist where a child, of compulsory schooling age, is excluded from a school. The practice of exclusion has evolved over the almost two centuries of compulsory schooling. Abolition of corporal punishment in Western Australia and elsewhere has tended to focus attention on exclusion and the grounds justifying such action by school authorities. The current rise in the number of exclusions and the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are part of a shift in the understanding of the issues surrounding the exclusion of a child from compulsory schooling in Western Australia.

This paper explores library evaluation in Australia and proposes a return to research fundamentals in which evaluators are asked to consider the centrality of philosophical issues and the role of different research methods. A critique of current evaluation examples demonstrates a system-centred, quantitative, input/output focus which fails to engage with users' experiences or to address service objectives, and provides insufficient information upon which to make decisions about service improvements. This reliance on traditional evaluation is juxtaposed with the emphasis library and information studies places on alternative methodologies. The paper asks why a perspective that has become mainstream in academic research remains peripheral to practice-based evaluation.

A manifestation of globalisation as an economic imperative has occurred at the national level in Australia. This manifestation is in the form of political policies, administrative practices and funding distribution ostensibly aimed at creating a more competitive national economy. Philosophy of Education, as a practice and product of some employees in the higher education industry in Australia, is being influenced by this manifestation of globalisation. Reflection on ways in which established concepts are being reshaped to suit the agenda of globalising political policies may assist those engaged in philosophising about education to enhance their practice in ways they desire. This paper argues that such reflection should lead many academics in Australian universities to the conclusion that they should not undertake research and that research should not be part of the job specification for most academics employed in Australian universities. (Contains 2 notes.)

• A flexible wildfire risk management framework is presented. • Optimal solutions are elusive because trade-offs are ubiquitous. • Solutions are sensitive to the addition of new values, like smoke health costs. • Unmitigated climate change threatens the effectiveness of prescribed burning. • We need flexible, risk-based approaches to fire management. Fire management aims to change fire regimes. However, the challenge is to provide the optimal balance between the mitigation of risks to life and property, while ensuring a healthy environment and the protection of other key values in any given landscape. Incorporating cost-effectiveness and climate change impacts magnifies this task. We present an objective framework for quantitative comparison of the risk mitigation potential of alternative fuel treatment scenarios in south-eastern Australia. There is no single optimal strategy for all values in a given region, nor for any individual value in all regions. Trade-offs are required and cost-effectiveness is highly sensitive to the addition of management values. Climate change is likely to decrease prescribed burning effectiveness and increase total costs, therefore a rethink of best practice is required. Our study highlights the need for flexibility in the development and implementation of fire management strategies, which is something that risk-based approaches can provide. We discuss prospects of extending our framework to values for which we currently lack robust quantitative information and issues of compatibility with Aboriginal cultural burning and by implication other approaches that do not stem from within the prevailing fire management paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore how the early workforce experiences of new midwives influence their career plans. Each year, thousands of new midwives graduate from entry-to-practice midwifery courses, gain professional registration, and enter the workforce. Despite this, the world continues to face a shortage of midwives. The first five years of clinical practice, commonly referred to as the early career period, can be highly stressful for new midwives, contributing to early attrition from the profession. Supporting the transition from midwifery student to registered midwife is vital if we are to grow the workforce. Whilst the early career experiences of new midwives have been more broadly explored; little is currently understood about how these can influence their career plans. Following Whittemore and Knafl's (2005) five-stage process, an integrative review was conducted. Reporting followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. Nineteen studies met the criteria for inclusion. Thematic analysis was undertaken to organise and present the findings. Thematic analysis, guided by the review question led to the identification of three overarching themes: 'the need for support', 'sustaining health and wellbeing', and 'being able to provide safe and effective midwifery care'. Very little research to date has specifically explored how the early career experiences of new midwives influence their career plans, particularly within the Australian context. Further research is required to better understand how the early workforce experiences of new midwives can either strengthen their commitment to the profession or contribute to the decision to leave midwifery prematurely. This knowledge would provide a basis for the development of appropriate strategies to minimise early attrition from the midwifery profession and promote career longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents the analysis of the circumstances surrounding fatalities due to flooding in Australia between 1900 and 2015. This longitudinal investigation is important to understand changing trends in social vulnerability and to inform efficient and strategic risk reduction strategies. The basis of this analysis was PerilAUS , Risk Frontiers’ database of historical natural hazard impacts in Australia. This data was augmented and verified using coronial inquest records which provide detailed data concerning the social, demographic and environmental circumstances of each fatality. A statistical analysis of the data was undertaken, examining demographics (age, gender), location (state), seasonality, circumstances surrounding the fatality, environmental factors (e.g. the event intensity) and social factors (e.g. the decisions or actions which led to death). Overall there have been 1859 fatalities identified, with distinct trends in relation to gender, age, activity and reason behind the activity. Flood deaths have been declining. The majority of the fatalities are male (79.3%): however, since the 1960s the proportion of female to male fatalities has increased. Children and young adults (<29 years) make up the greatest proportion of the fatalities (53.8% of cases where age is known). The highest proportions of fatalities occurred while victims attempted to cross a flood-impacted bridge or road. The recommendations for emergency management policy and practice are discussed, outlining the need for a new approach that accounts for a continuum of measures including regulation and incentive, education and structural intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their relative importance in terms of human mortality, extreme heat events have not attracted the same level of study compared with other natural hazards in regards to vulnerability and implications for emergency management and policy change. Definitional confusion and inconsistencies in defining heat related deaths over time have made it difficult to determine an absolute death toll. Notwithstanding these issues, this study employs PerilAUS - Risk Frontiers' database of natural hazard event impacts - in combination with official sources in an attempt to provide a lower-bound estimate of heat-associated deaths in Australia since European settlement. From 1844 to 2010, extreme heat events have been responsible for at least 5332 fatalities in Australia and, since 1900, 4555: more than the combined total of deaths from all other natural hazards. Over 30% of those deaths occurred in just nine events. Both deaths and death rates (per unit of population) fluctuate widely but show an overall decrease with time. The male to female death-rate ratio has fluctuated and approaches but does not reach equality in more recent times. In line with other studies, seniors have been the most vulnerable age group overall, with infants also over-represented. Policy implications in view of a warming climate and an ageing population are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Unique dataset on fatalities/house loss during bushfires over the last 110 years. [•] Understanding circumstances of death related to bushfire. [•] Fire weather, proximity to forest and decision making are considered. [•] The fatalities are dominated by iconic bushfires under severe weather conditions. [•] Setting context to discuss appropriate defensive action. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Photosystem II (PSII) herbicides are used in large quantities on agricultural lands adjoining the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Routine monitoring at 14 sites in inshore waters of the GBR using passive sampling techniques detected diuron (32–94% of sampling periods) at maximum concentrations of 1.7–430ngL−1 in the relatively pristine Cape York Region to the Mackay Whitsunday Region, respectively. A PSII herbicide equivalent (PSII-HEq) index developed as an indicator for reporting was dominated by diuron (average contribution 89%) and typically increased during the wet season. The maximum PSII-HEq indicates the potential for photosynthetic inhibition of diatoms, seagrass and coral-symbionts. PSII herbicides were significantly positively correlated with remotely sensed coloured dissolved organic matter, a proxy for freshwater extent. Combining these methods provides for the first time the potential to cost-effectively monitor improvements in water quality entering the GBR with respect to exposure to PSII herbicides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article examines the motives of Danish-born author Marie Bjelke Petersen in writing romance novels. It is said that Petersen's intention in writing romance novels was to exploit the popularity of the genre in order to disseminate her personal beliefs and values. It is noted that one function of her novels was to promote the natural beauty of Tasmania and Australia. Her Tasmanian novels include "The Captive Singer," "The Rainbow Lute" and "Dusk." The qualities of her heroines, particularly their cross-dressing and love of wilderness are discussed.

Abstract: In many jurisdictions, including parts of the US, authorities often dictate mandatory evacuations of communities threatened by bushfire (wildfire). Prior to the 2009 ‘Black Saturday’ fires in Victoria, Australian fire authorities in all States advised residents to decide whether they would prepare to stay and defend homes or leave early. The clear intent of that policy was to avoid late evacuations and the risks to life that this could entail. This study re-examines evidence underpinning this policy using analyses of a database of bushfire fatalities. The database contains information on 552 civilian (non-fire fighter) fatalities obtained from print media archives at Risk Frontiers and forensic, witness and police statements contained within coronial inquest reports for all bushfire fatalities between 1901 and 2008. This data, compiled before the Black Saturday fires, clearly show the dangers of being caught outside during a bushfire and the gendered division of the circumstances of these deaths. While men have been most often killed outside while attempting to protect assets, most female and child fatalities occurred while sheltering in the house or attempting to flee. The database provides a benchmark against which the Black Saturday experience can be examined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Increased sediment and nutrient losses resulting from unsustainable grazing management in the Burdekin River catchment are major threats to water quality in the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon. To test the effects of grazing management on soil and nutrient loss, five 1ha mini-catchments were established in 1999 under different grazing strategies on a sedimentary landscape near Charters Towers. Reference samples were also collected from watercourses in the Burdekin catchment during major flow events. Soil and nutrient loss were relatively low across all grazing strategies due to a combination of good cover, low slope and low rainfall intensities. Total soil loss varied from 3 to 20kgha−1 per event while losses of N and P ranged from 10 to 1900gha−1 and from 1 to 71gha−1 per event respectively. Water quality of runoff was considered moderate across all strategies with relatively low levels of total suspended sediment (range: 8–1409mgl−1), total N (range: 101–4000μgl−1) and total P (range: 14–609μgl−1). However, treatment differences are likely to emerge with time as the impacts of the different grazing strategies on land condition become more apparent. Samples collected opportunistically from rivers and creeks during flow events displayed significantly higher levels of total suspended sediment (range: 10–6010mgl−1), total N (range: 650–6350μgl−1) and total P (range: 50–1500μgl−1) than those collected at the grazing trial. These differences can largely be attributed to variation in slope, geology and cover between the grazing trial and different catchments. In particular, watercourses draining hillier, grano-diorite landscapes with low cover had markedly higher sediment and nutrient loads compared to those draining flatter, sedimentary landscapes. These preliminary data suggest that on relatively flat, sedimentary landscapes, extensive cattle grazing is compatible with achieving water quality targets, provided high levels of ground cover are maintained. In contrast, sediment and nutrient loss under grazing on more erodable land types is cause for serious concern. Long-term empirical research and monitoring will be essential to quantify the impacts of changed land management on water quality in the spatially and temporally variable Burdekin River catchment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Inshore coral reefs adjacent to the wet tropics in North Queensland, Australia, are regularly exposed to flood plumes from coastal river systems. Changes in the nature of these plumes have been linked to the declining health of coral reefs in the region. The effect of flood plumes on the health of inshore corals was investigated by quantifying aspects of the demography of populations of corymbose and digitate Acropora at three groups of Island reefs along a gradient of exposure and decreasing water quality (High Island >Frankland’s >Fitzroy). The size-structures of colonies, the rates of sexual recruitment, and the growth and survival of juveniles, all varied among the Island reefs. Juvenile and adult sized colonies were far more abundant at the Fitzroy Island reefs, than at the High or Frankland Island reefs that were more exposed to flood plumes. Additionally, there were up to eight times as many sexual recruits at the Fitzroy Island reefs, compared with the High Island reefs. However, the rates of growth and survival of the juvenile sized corals at the Fitzroy Island reefs were lower than at the more exposed reefs. The comparatively low abundance of adult corals at the exposed reefs is most likely due to their histories of disturbance from crown-of-thorns and coral bleaching, but the lack of subsequent recovery due to their low levels of larval recruitment. If a stock-recruitment relationship is typical for these groups of reefs, then the low rates of recruitment may be linked to the low density of adult colonies. Alternately, direct or indirect effects of chronic exposure to poor water quality may have resulted in less suitable substrata for larval settlement. We discuss these results and provide examples of how information about population structure and dynamics can be used in simple matrix models to quantify the current and future health of populations of corals under various scenarios. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Tissue samples of liver and blubber were salvaged from fifty-three dugong (Dugong dugon) carcasses stranded along the Queensland coast between 1996 and 2000. Liver tissue was analysed for a range of heavy metals and blubber samples were analysed for organochlorine compounds. Metal concentrations were similar in male and female animals and were generally highest in mature animals. Liver concentrations of arsenic, chromium, iron, lead, manganese, mercury and nickel in a number of individual animals were elevated in comparison to concentrations previously reported in Australian dugong. Dieldrin, DDT (and its breakdown products) and/or heptachlor epoxide were detected in 59% of dugong blubber samples. In general, concentrations of organochlorines were similar to those reported in dugong 20 years earlier, and were low in comparison to concentrations recorded from marine mammal tissue collected elsewhere in the world. With the exception of lead, the extent of carcass decomposition, the presence of disease or evidence of animal starvation prior to death did not significantly affect dugong tissue concentrations of metals or organochlorines. The results of the study suggest that bioaccumulation of metals and organochlorine compounds (other than dioxins) does not represent a significant risk to Great Barrier Reef dugong populations, particularly in the context of other pressures associated with coastal development and other anthropogenic activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a multi-criteria based tool for assessing the relative impact of diffuse-source pollution to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) from the river basins draining into the GBR lagoon. The assessment integrates biophysical and ecological data of water quality and pollutant concentrations with socio-economic information pertaining to non-point source pollution and (potential) pollutant impact. The tool generates scores for each river basin against four criteria, thus profiling the basins and enabling prioritization of management alternatives between and within basins. The results support policy development for pollution control through community participation, scientific data integration and expert knowledge contributed by people from across the catchment. The results specifically provided support for the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan, released in October 2003. The aim of the plan is to provide a framework for reducing discharge of sediment, nutrient and other diffuse-source loads and (potential) impact of that discharge and for prioritising management actions both between and within river basins. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines the presence of pesticides and herbicides residues in sediments and seagrass from the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland heritage area and Queensland Coast in Australia. Impact of these type of compounds on the plants and animals of the Great Barrier Reef; Several compounds found in the sediments and seagrass studied.

Examines organochlorine, heavy metal and polyaromatic hydrocarbon pollutant concentrations in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Detection of concentrations of dioxins in marinepark sediments; Need for effective management strategies to protect tropical marine ecosystems.