Docklands Fieldwork

Fieldwork is described in the Australian Curriculum as an ‘essential’ skill in the study of Geography and is also a compulsory part of Units 1-3 VCE Geography. In the course of their studies of Geography at SMS our girls visit a wide range of Australian environments from Victoria’s Limestone Coast to the Great Barrier Reef of Far North Queensland.

In Year 12, the focus is on a region that has undergone great change and our selected case study for a number of years has been Melbourne’s Docklands. This is Australia’s largest urban renewal project and is now home to more than 13,000 residents and 58,000 workers, a far cry from the industrial wasteland of the 1990s. Our students explore the reasons for these changes and their impacts on people and the natural environment. During a full day field trip to Docklands we were fortunate to hear from Mr Harry Polydorou, the Docklands Development Manager who explained the planning process involved in changing land use.

We also visited a number of key sites including Southern Cross Station, 700 Bourke Street, Marvel Stadium and Docklands Park. A highlight of the day was a ‘flight’ in the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel which provided a fantastic overview of the Docklands region as well as its links to surrounding regions such as the Port of Melbourne, Fishermen’s Bend and the Central Business District.

Mr Mark Easton
Senior Geography Teacher