Program & Speakers
GEOFEST 2024 Sydney Workshop
Thursday 18 July 2024
Venue: New Law Building, The University of Sydney, Eastern Avenue, Camperdown NSW 2050
Workshop Convenor: Dr Young Ng, Chair Working Group 6, National Geotourism Strategy Steering Committee.
Master of Ceremony: Dr Melinda McHenry, University of Tasmania
Morning Session
0745 Posters/booths set up, registration begins
0900 Welcome to the Country Ceremony
0915 Welcome speech. Dr Jon Hronsky OAM, Chair of National Geotourism Strategy, Australian Geoscience Council
0920 Opening speech. His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Siswo Pramono, Ambassador to Australia, Republic of Indonesia
0925 The Australian Geoscience Council’s National Geotourism Strategy: A Key Initiative to Grow the Opportunities for Geoscience in Australia. Dr Jon Hronsky OAM, National Geotourism Strategy, Australian Geoscience Council.
0945 The imperative of building sustainable tourism in regional and remote Australia: Cultural landscapes of volcanic tourism. Professor Phil McManus, School of Geosciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
1005 Ijen UNESCO Global Geopark: Impacts of Volcano Geotourism and Geopark on Economic Development for Banyuwangi Regency. Mrs Ipuk Fiestiandani Azwar Anas, Regent of Banyuwangi, Banyuwangi Regency of East Java, Indonesia.
1025 Q & A
1035 Tea Break
1055 The development of Natuna Geopark: a foreign policy perspective. H.E. Ambassador Dr Siswo Pramono, Republic of Indonesia.
1115 Indonesian Geoparks Development: Managing Volcano Geotourism Destination to Sustain Local Communities. Mr Mohamad Farid Zaini, Chairman of the Indonesian Geoparks Network, Indonesia.
1135 Q & A + Panel discussion – Geotourism and sustainable development (All morning speakers, hosted by Dr Peter Mitchell OAM & Dr Noel Scott)
1220 Lunch, Foyer, New Law Building, University of Sydney
Afternoon Session
13:30 - Beginning of afternoon session & housekeeping announcements
13:35 - Destinations and current development of volcanic geotourism in Australia. Dr Patricia Erfurt, Research Scientist, Geotourism Australia.
13:55 - Identified Roles of geoscientists in geotourism and geopark development in Indonesia. Professor Mega Fatimah Rosana, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Geology, Padjadjaran University in West Java, Indonesia.
14:15 - Guiding and interpreting volcanic landscape in Far North Queensland, volcanic geotour organisation and challenges. Russell Boswell, Manager, Savannah Guides, Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Vulcanism and Tourism in Tropical North Queensland.
14:35 - Q & A
14:55 - Tea break
15:15 - Geotourism in the Waitaki Whitestone UNESCO Global Geopark, New Zealand. Sasha Morriss, Geoeducator and Geoscientist, Waitaki Whitestone UNESCO Global Geopark, New Zealand.
15:35 - Estimation of the social and economic impacts of geotourism of Gunung Rinjani National Park of Indonesia. Dedy Asriady, Head of Genung Rijani National Park Office, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
15:55 - Harnessing digital technology for volcanic geotourism and opportunities for Geoscientists. Mark Williams, Geoscientist & Lecturer in Physical Geography and Spatial Science at the University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
16:15 - Q & A Panel Discussion – Geotourism opportunities for geoscientists (All afternoon speakers, hosted by Angus M Robinson, Dr Jon Hronsky OAM)
16:45 - Closing & housekeeping (dinner & fieldtrip arrangements)
16:50 - Campus Tour (School of Geosciences & The Quadrangle)
Welcoming Dinner
Venue: Holme Building, (Cullen Room), Science Road, University of Sydney NSW 2006
1800 Reception
1845 Speech - Elizabeth Thurbon PhD, Professor of International Political Economy, School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australia
1855 Speech – Mrs Ipuk Fiestiandani Azwar Anas, Regent of Banyuwangi, Banyuwangi Regency of East Java, Republic of Indonesia
1905 Cultural performance (Australian aboriginal/Indonesian joint performance – TBC)
1905 Dinner begins
2035 Closing
Field trips on Friday, 19 July 2024, as part of the Sydney Workshop, will depart from The University of Sydney at 8:00 am and return by 6:00 pm, covering the Iconic Blue Mountains, Royal National Park, and Ku-ring-gai Georegion, led by specialists in geoscience, tectonics, and environmental studies. These excursions aim to explore significant scenic areas and provide insights into geotrail development. See details on the Field trips page.
Additionally, the Special Wildlife Tourism Australia session, hosted by Wildlife Tourism Australia and led by its President, Dr. Ronda Green, will take place on Saturday, 20 July 2024, at 9:00 am in the School of Geosciences, Madsen Building, The University of Sydney. See details on the Wildlife Tourism page.
