Australian Geographic

Australian Geographic

Frequency	Bimonthly
Founder	Dick Smith
Year founded	1986
Company	Bauer Media Group
Country	Australia
Website	australiangeographic.com.au

The Australian Geographic is a bi-monthly geographical magazine-style journal created by Dick Smith in 1986. It focuses mainly on stories about Australia, or about Australian people in other countries. The six editions published each year are available by subscription and on newsstands.

The magazine is known for the poster or sheet map included in each edition, as well as the high-quality photographs, the excellent maps from award-winning cartographers and the detailed technical illustrations. The 10th anniversary edition featured one of the country's most comprehensive maps of exploration ever produced. These maps have been used by explorers crossing Central Australia and Antarctica.

Australian Geographic has a comprehensive website which includes the entire magazine digital archive.

It was published by Australian Geographic, a privately owned organisation that also managed a chain of retail stores similarly named in Australia. Each year, a portion of the profits is given to the Australian Geographic Society, the non-profit arm of Australian Geographic which supports scientific research as well as environmental and community projects. Funds are also used to highlight and support Australian adventurers and produce related diaries, calendars and books. There are also 70 Australian Geographic retail stores which sell products including Australiana, weather stations, telescopes, books and toys, these are now owned and run separately to the magazine publication.

History

The publication's offices were originally based in Terrey Hills north of Sydney. Smith was advised to include his name on the cover to aid the journal's establishment. After two years he removed his name from the cover. Smith wanted the publication to focus on accuracy by exclusively including articles that were peer-reviewed. In 1995, when subscriptions totalled more than 200,000, the publication was sold to Fairfax.

From September 2000 to December 2001, Australian Geographic published a bimonthly science and technology magazine known as Newton Graphic Science. There were, however, only eight issues published before the magazine went permanently out of print. In 2001 the journal's offices were threatened by fires during the Black Christmas bushfires.

ACP Magazines (now Bauer Media Group) purchased Australian Geographic in 2006; today the journal is based at Park Street Sydney. The current editor-in-chief of Australian Geographic is Chrissie Goldrick, while the editor is John Pickrell.

Awards

The Australian Geographic Society Adventure Award is Australia's longest-running award for adventure. It has been in operation since 1987, and is bestowed upon Australia's most respected adventurers. The award is judged on merit; therefore, not all of the categories are awarded annually. The society bestows awards as a celebration of achievement and not as a competition, as such. The award is given in two categories – Adventurer of the Year, and Young Adventurer of the Year.

Adventurer of the Year

Year	Awardee	Achievement
2014	Jason Beachcroft	The first person to kayak around Australia, incorporating Tasmania into the route.
2013	Tim Jarvis	Leading the re-enactment expedition of Shackleton's epic 1916 journey.
2012	Pat Farmer	Marathon running from the North to the South poles
2010	Linda Beilharz	First Australian woman to walk to the North and South poles.
2009	Andrew Lock	Mountaineer who successfully climbed all fourteen of the tallest +8000m peaks in the world.
2008	Jozef Truban	Trekked 3100 km across the Carpathian Mountains in 2007.
2007	Lloyd Godson	Survived in a self-contained underwater habitat "the BioSUB" for 12 days.
2006	Tim Cope	Travelled by horse from Mongolia to Hungary on the trail of nomads during 2004–2007.
2005	Andrew McAuley	Paddled across the Gulf of Carpentaria in 2004 in a kayak.
2004	Jon Johanson	First solo flight over the South Pole in a single-engine home-built aircraft.
2003	Sue Fear	First Australian-born woman to climb Mount Everest.
2002	Jon Muir	First ever unassisted crossing of Australia in 128 days, from Port Augusta to Burketown.
2001	Tammy van Wisse	First person to swim the entire length of the Murray River in Australia.
2000	Dick Smith	Flew a balloon across the Tasman Sea from New Zealand to Australia.
1999	David Mason	Walked solo across Australia from Byron Bay to Steep Point in 1998.
1998	David Lewis	Completed the world's first circumnavigation of the planet in multi-hull vessel.
1997	Syd Kirkby	First man to venture into the Prince Charles Mountains in Antarctica with sled dogs during 1956–57.
1996	Don & Margie McIntyre	Married couple who spent a year living in a tent in Antarctica.
1995	Denis Bartell	Walked across Australia in 1984, and became the first person to walk solo across the width of the Simpson Desert.
1994	Len Beadell	Completed the Woomera town survey, and supervised the construction of +6500 km of roads in outback Australia.
1993	Warwick Deacock	Organised the first Australian climbing expedition of Annapurna III in the Himalayas during 1980.
1992	Ron and Valerie Taylor	Became the first people to film Great White Sharks underwater in 1992 without the protection of a cage.
1991	Warren Bonython	Walked across the Simpson Desert in 1973, and largely contributed to the formation of the Heysen Trail.
1990	Hans Tholstrup	First maritime circumnavigation of Australia in an open boat, and first to cross Australia in a solar powered car.
1989	Dot Butler	Conservationalist, mountaineer, explorer, and long distance cyclist.
1988	Philip Law	Scientist and Antarctic explorer.
1987	Colin Putt	Antarctic explorer and mountaineer. Amongst the first to summit Big Ben on Heard Island (Australia's Tallest Mountain).

2014 – Jason Beachcroft

In 2014 Jason Beachfroft paddled his kayak around Australia to become the first person to include Tasmania. He was largely unsupported in his trip except for occasional food drops and paddled across the Bass straight twice.

2013 – Tim Jarvis

Main article: Tim Jarvis

Tim Jarvis was awarded the 2013 Adventurer of the Year for his re-enactment of Shackleton’s 1916 journey. He has also previously made unsupported expeditions to the South Pole and across Australia's Great Victoria Desert. He is also an author of The Unforgiving Minute, Mawson: Life and Death in Antarctica and Shackleton's Epic.

2012 – Pat Farmer

Main article: Pat Farmer

In April 2011 Pat left the magnetic North Pole and began to pound a path across the Arctic through north, central and south America, and then on to Antarctica, averaging the distance of two marathons a day on a 21,000 km path to the South Pole. In the process he raised $100,000 for the Red Cross’ clean water and disaster relief projects.

2010 – Linda Beilharz

Main article: Linda Beilharz

In 2004, Linda Beilharz became the first Australian woman to ski from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole. Inspired by the journey, she committed herself to walk across the world's four largest icecaps in the Antarctic, the Arctic, Greenland and Patagonia.

In 2007, Beilharz successfully crossed the Greenland Icecap. In 2011, Beilharz walked over 780 km on a 55-day journey from Ward Hunt Island in northern Canada to the North Pole. Beilharz is the first Australian woman to trek to the pole and the first female to reach both poles on foot.

2009 – Andrew Lock

Main article: Andrew Lock

Andrew Lock became the first Australian to summit all fourteen of the world's highest peaks on 2 October 2009, after ascending Mount Shishapangma in Tibet. It took Lock sixteen years to complete his quest to climb all of the world's +8000m mountains, a feat that only seventeen other people have completed before him.

2008 – Jozef Truban

Truban began his 3100 km trek across the length of the Carpathian Mountains in July 2007. The Carpathian's rise and stretch in a jagged arc across central and eastern Europe, taking in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, Romania and Poland. The High Tatras are the highest peaks in the Carpathians and the most technically difficult to climb, the eleven peaks above 2500m. In total, Truban rode 2600 km and walked 500 km.

2007 – Lloyd Godson

Lloyd Godson is a marine biologist who survived in a self-contained underwater habitat "the BioSUB" for twelve days. The habitat was submerged in a dam in Albury, and sustained by a system which generated oxygen powered by a bicycle attached to a generator while he was underwater. In doing so, he became the first person to do so using a plant-based life-support system underwater. The system was developed by some high school students in the United States, who flew to Australia to witness the endeavour.

2006 – Tim Cope

Main article: Tim Cope

Tim Cope travelled by horse from Mongolia to Hungary during 2004–2007 on the trail of nomads, a path most famously laid down by Genghis Khan and the Mongols in the 13th century. The journey was approximately 10,000 km long, and took him 18 months to complete on horseback.

Cope also cycled a distance of 10,000 km across Russia, Siberia, Mongolia, and China in 1999; and paddled a wooden canoe along the length of the Yenisey River across Russia in 2001.

2005 – Andrew McAuley

Main article: Andrew McAuley

McAuley paddled across the Gulf of Carpentaria in 2004, an open ocean crossing of 530 km which he completed in 6.5 days. McAuley also crossed the Bass Strait three times, including the first ever direct non-stop crossing in 2003 from Wilsons Promontory to Wynyard in 35 hours (a distance of 220 km). In 2006, McAuley also led a team of Australia's leading sea kayakers on an expedition south from Hope Bay to the Antarctic Peninsula, paddling over 800 km to the Antarctic Circle.

In 2007, McAuley attempted to cross the Tasman Sea from Tasmania to New Zealand. He was lost at sea and presumed dead when on 12 February, the search for his missing body was called off following the recovery of his partly flooded kayak on 10 February near Milford Sound.

2004 – Jon Johanson

Main article: Jon Johanson

Johanson made the first solo flight over the South Pole in a single-engine home-built aircraft – the Van's Aircraft RV-4.

In 2004 Johanson was also awarded the FAI Gold Air Medal by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.

2003 – Sue Fear

Main article: Sue Fear

In 2003, Fear climbed Everest (8,848 m) from the more difficult Tibetan side on the North Col. She was the first Australian-born woman and the second Australian woman overall to do so. Fear died on 28 May 2006, when she fell into a crevasse whilst descending from the summit of Manaslu in Nepal.

2002 – Jon Muir

Main article: Jon Muir

Jon Muir completed the first ever unassisted crossing of Australia in 2001, having walked a distance of 2500 km from Port Augusta to Burketown in 128 days. Muir has also summitted Mount Everest in 1988, and has walked to both the south (1999) and north (2002) poles.

He is also the recipient of the Order of Australia medal in 1989, and the Centenary Medal in 2003.

2001 – Tammy van Wisse

Main article: Tammy van Wisse

On 18 February 2001, van Wisse became the first person to swim the entire length of the Murray River from the alps to the ocean. Starting from Corryong in Victoria's high country, it took van Wisse 106 days to reach the Murray Mouth in South Australia, a distance of 2438 km.

2000 – Dick Smith

Main article: Dick Smith (entrepreneur)

In 2000, Dick Smith made a trans-tasman balloon trip from New Zealand to Australia.

1999 – David Mason

In 1998, David Mason walked from Byron Bay to Dalby, where he picked up three camels that would carry his supplies. From there, he walked through the Simpson Desert to Uluru, then across the Gibson Desert to Steep Point. He completed the walk in 236 days, whilst raising money for the Fred Hollows Foundation.

1998 – David Lewis

Main article: David Henry Lewis

David Lewis was named the Australian Geographic's Explorer of the Year in 1998 in recognition of a lifetime of adventurous pursuit. He was the first person to circumnavigate the globe in a multi-hull vessel, sailed to Antarctica, and made multiple attempts to circumnavigate Antarctica.

In recognition of his achievements, he was bestowed with the title of Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

1997 – Syd Kirkby

Main article: Sydney L. Kirkby

Kirkby was awarded the title of 1997 Adventurer of the Year for a lifetime of exploration in the Antarctic Territory. Kirkby's many accomplishments in Antarctica include establishment of the easternmost, westernmost, and southernmost astrofixes in Australian Antarctic Territory; and becoming the first man to venture into the Prince Charles Mountains with sled dogs during 1956–57. Between 1961 and 1965, he surveyed more Antarctic territory than any other explorer.

Many geographical features in Antarctica have been named after Kirkby, and he was awarded the Polar Medal in 1957. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1965, and nominated in 1999 by The Australian newspaper as one of the ten greatest Australian adventurers of the 20th century.

1996 – Don & Margie McIntyre

In 1995, Don and Margie McIntyre spent a year living at the windiest place on earth – Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica. They are active supporters of the right-to-die concept, to prevent governments from restricting adventurers from risking their lives due to the costs associated with mounting rescues in remote regions such as Antarctica.

1995 – Denis Bartell

Denis Bartell became the first person to walk across the Simpson Desert unassisted in 1984, whilst walking across Australia from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Gulf St Vincent. He followed the 'French Line' – a route taken by the CGG surveyor Roy Elkins 21 years prior who also completed the walk but with the assistance of a support crew.

1994 – Len Beadell

Main article: Len Beadell

Len Beadell was, as a surveyor in the Australian Army, responsible for the initial Woomera town survey and identification of rocket launch sites in the Australian outback. He led a group of road-makers to create over 6,500 kilometres of access roads for scientific observations of various weapons tests, the most infamous of these roads being the Gunbarrel Highway which runs from the Stuart Highway west to Carnegie Station – a distance of 1500 kilometres.

Beadell was also awarded the British Empire Medal in 1958, and the Order of Australia in 1988, amongst other awards.

1993 – Warwick Deacock

Warwick Deacock organised the first Australian climbing expedition of Annapurna III in the Himalayas in 1980. It was the third expedition to ever be mounted to summit the mountain – the first by the Italians in 1977 which was successful, and the second in 1979 by the Germans which was unsuccessful.

Deacock was the first Director of Outward Bound Australia, and ran an adventure travel firm for 30 years with his wife Antonia Deacock in Australia.

1992 – Ron & Valerie Taylor

Main article: Ron & Valerie Taylor

Ron and Valerie Taylor are multi-award winning filmmakers from Australia who specialize in producing underwater films to promote conservation. In 1992 they became the first people to film Great White Sharks underwater without the protection of a cage, whilst testing an electronic shark repelling barrier in South Africa.

1991 – Warren Bonython

Main article: Warren Bonython

Warren Bonython is an Australian conservationist, explorer, author and chemical engineer. He is perhaps best known for his role working towards the promotion, planning and eventual creation of the Heysen Trail; and conservation efforts of the arid landscapes of South Australia.

On 26 January 1980, he was honoured as an Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of service to conservation.

1990 – Hans Tholstrup

Main articles: World Solar Challenge and The Quiet Achiever

Tholstrup was the first person to circumnavigate the Australian continent in a 4.9 meter (16 ft) open boat. He also devised the concept of the World Solar Challenge, and became the first person to make a transcontinental journey across Australia in a solar powered car.

1989 – Dot Butler

Dorothy (Dot) Butler was a conservationist known as the 'barefoot bushwalker', and often walked long distances at speed in the largely untracked and unmapped Blue Mountains. She was among the first to climb Crater Bluff – the highest peak in the Warrumbungles in 1936; cycled from Sydney to Melbourne during the 1940s; climbed several peaks in New Zealand; led the first Australian climbing expedition to the Andes in 1969; and cycled throughout Europe and Cambodia.

1988 – Phillip Law

Main article: Phillip Law

Law was an Australian scientist and explorer, and director of Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions from 1949 to 1966. He established bases in Mawson Station, Davis Station and Casey Station. He led expeditions that explored more than 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi) of coastline and some 1,000,000 square kilometres (390,000 sq mi) of territory in Antarctica.

Law was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1961, was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1975, a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1995, and was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001.

1987 – Colin Putt

Putt is an explorer and mountaineer who participated in several expeditions to Antarctica, led an expedition to the Carstensz Pyramid of New Guinea, and was amongst the first to summit Big Ben on Heard Island (Australia's highest mountain). He was also one of the founding members of the Oceanic Research Foundation.

Young Adventurer of the Year

Year	Awardee	Achievement
2014	Belinda Ritchie	Completed a 12-month trek on horseback along the Bicentennial National Trail.
2013	Ryan Campbell	Broke the World record for the youngest pilot to circumnavigate the globe solo in a single engine aircraft.
2012	Lachie Carracher	Whitewater kayaked in some of Australia's mightiest rivers, as well as those snaking through Canada, China, Laos, Nepal, Uganda, Switzerland, Sumatra, USA, the UK and Mexico.
2010	Jessica Watson	The youngest person ever to sail around the world solo and unassisted.
2009	Angus Paradice	Paradice completed two challenging horse races in Mongolia at the age of 13.
2008i	James Castrission	Completed the world's first Trans-Tasman kayak expedition from Australia to New Zealand with Justin Jones.
2008ii	Justin Jones	Completed the world's first Trans-Tasman kayak expedition from Australia to New Zealand with James Castrission.
2007	Rex Pemberton	Third youngest person in the world to climb the seven summits.
2006i	Stephen Fordyce	Completed a mid-winter traverse of the Western Arthurs range in Southwest Tasmania with Roger Chao.
2006ii	Roger Chao	Completed a mid-winter traverse of the Western Arthurs range in Southwest Tasmania with Stephen Fordyce.
2005	Rex Pemberton	Youngest Australian to ever climb Mount Everest at the age of 21.
2004i	Chris Bray	Walked from Port Davey to Strahan around 300 km of coastline with Jasper Timm.
2004ii	Jasper Timm	Walked from Port Davey to Strahan around 300 km of coastline with Chris Bray.
2003	Christopher Harris	Youngest person to attempt Mount Everest.
2002	Tim Cope	Cycled across Russia, Siberia, Mongolia, and China in 1999; and paddled the length of the Yenisey River in 2001.
2001i	Jeremy Richardson	unknown
2001ii	Jarlath Weingott	unknown
2001iii	Angus Weingott	unknown
2000	Krista Bernard	Cycled solo from Indonesia to England in 2000.
1999	not conferred	not conferred
1998	Chris Hatherly	Hatherly rode a bike around Australia in 11.5 months during 1996.
1997	David Dicks	unknown
1996i	Mark Shearer	unknown
1996ii	Eric Croker	unknown
1995	not conferred	unknown
1994i	Damon Howes	Spent a year near the Wanderer River on the South West coast of Tasmania with Deanne Howes.
1994ii	Deanne Howes	Spent a year near the Wanderer River on the South West coast of Tasmania with Damon Howes.
1993	not conferred	not conferred
1992i	James Woodford	unknown
1992ii	Adam Kerezsy	unknown
1991	Jeremy Durbin	unknown
1990	John Weir	unknown
1989	Richard Wood	Paddled the entirety of the Murray River in a Kayak. Then raised three rigs of kids. What a man.

2014 – Belinda Ritchie

In 2013 Belinda Ritchie, a young lawyer, was chosen as the AG Society's annual Nancy-Bird Walton grant to support her horseback journey along the Bicentennial National Trail.

She made good use of the $5000 windfall, riding into almost 350 sunsets as she traversed the 5330 km route, which is the longest marked, non-motorised, multi-use trail in the world. Her only constant companions were three horses: Trump, an Australian stockhorse; Clincher, a stock/quarter horse; and Ruben, a large draught horse.

2013 – Ryan Campbell

Ryan Campbell, 19, is youngest solo aviator to circumnavigate the globe. After 10 weeks of solo flying, he landed at Illawarra Regional Airport on 7 September, marking the end of a 44,448 km (24,000 nautical mile) trip.

2012 - Lachie Carracher

Lachie Carracher is a whitewater kayaker. He has paddled in some of Australia's most dangerous rivers. In 2011 he was in a kayaking accident where he fell headfirst onto a rock and due to the impact the vertebrae in his spine was compressed and he spent several months recovering. His achievemenst as well as his tenacious spirit and unbridled passion for whitewater kayaking earned him the award.

2010 - Jessica Watson

Main article: Jessica Watson

Jessica Watson became the youngest person ever to sail around the world solo and unassisted, at just 16 years old. She sailed her vessel, Ella's Pink Lady, across more than 20,000 nautical miles of ocean, including around Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope, surviving knockdowns, 10-m high waves and winds of up to 70 knots.

2009 – Angus Paradice

Paradice took part in a 10 km race for two-year-old horses and the 15 km race for 5yr old horses in Mongolia in 2008.

2008 – James Castrission & Justin Jones

Main article: Crossing the Ditch

Castrission and Jones completed the world's first Trans-Tasman kayak expedition from Australia to New Zealand on 13 January 2008. They departed from Forster in New South Wales, and arrived in New Plymouth on New Zealand's North Island 62 days later.

2007 – Rex Pemberton

Main article: Rex Pemberton

Pemberton climbed the Seven Summits within two years, and is the youngest person to summit Mount Everest at the age of 21. He was inspired by Jesse Martin, who did a solo sail around the world.

This is the second time Pemberton was awarded the Young Adventurer of the Year award, having been recognised for his successful summit of Mount Everest in 2005.

2006 – Stephen Fordyce and Roger Chao

Stephen Fordyce and Roger Chao completed a mid-winter traverse of the Western Arthurs range in south-west Tasmania.

2005 – Rex Pemberton

Main article: Rex Pemberton

In 2005, Pemberton became the youngest person to successfully summit Mount Everest at the age of 21.

1990 – Tim Macartney-Snape

Main article: Tim Macartney-Snape

On 11 May 1990, Macartney-Snape made the first climb from sea level to the summit of Mount Everest. On the summit he unfurled the flag of the Australian Geographic Society, his sponsor, and that of the Foundation for Humanity’s Adulthood (now named the World Transformation Movement).

See also

• Geographic magazine

References

• Australian Geographic 10th Anniversary Collectors Edition No. 40 Oct – Dec 1995

External links

• Australian Geographic