Jump to content

Geoscience Australia: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 35°20′36″S 149°09′30″E / 35.34333°S 149.15833°E / -35.34333; 149.15833
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
GreenC bot (talk | contribs)
Bots
2,363,920 edits
 
(42 intermediate revisions by 19 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Agency of the Australian Government}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
Line 10: Line 11:
| seal_width =
| seal_width =
| seal_caption =
| seal_caption =
| logo =
| logo =
| logo_width =
| logo_width =
| logo_caption =
| logo_caption =
| picture = Geoscience Australia.jpg
| picture = Geoscience Australia.jpg
| picture_width = 280
| picture_width =
| picture_caption = Geoscience Australia headquarters located in the [[Canberra]] suburb of {{ACTcity|Symonston}}.
| picture_caption = Geoscience Australia headquarters located in the [[Canberra]] suburb of {{ACTcity|Symonston}}
| formed = 2001<!-- {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} OR {{Start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| formed = 2001<!-- {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} OR {{Start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| preceding1 = Australian Surveying and Land Information Group
| preceding1 = Australian Surveying and Land Information Group
Line 27: Line 28:
| coordinates = {{coord|35|20|36|S|149|09|30|E|type:landmark_region:AU_ACT|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|35|20|36|S|149|09|30|E|type:landmark_region:AU_ACT|display=inline,title}}
| motto =
| motto =
| employees = 671 {{small|(as at 30 June 2023)}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://beta.transparency.gov.au/publications/industry-innovation-and-science/geoscience-australia/geoscience-australia-annual-report-2022-23-earth-sciences-for-australia-s-future |title=Geoscience Australia Annual Report 2022-23 Earth sciences for Australia's future |work=Annual Report, Geoscience Australia |publisher=[[Australian Government]] |date=2023 |access-date=24 October 2023}}</ref>
| employees = 600 {{small|(as at 30 June 2015)}}
| budget = {{AUD}}199&nbsp;million {{small|(2015)}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.industry.gov.au/AboutUs/CorporatePublications/AnnualReports/AnnualReport201415/Annual-Report-Chapter8.pdf |title=Geoscience Australia report on performance |work=Annual Report, [[Department of Industry, Innovation and Science]] |publisher=[[Australian Government]] |date=2015 |accessdate=31 October 2015 |page=184 }}</ref>
| budget = {{AUD}}207.30&nbsp;million {{small|(2020)}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/annual-report-2020-21 |title=Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Annual Report 2020-21 |work=Annual Report, [[Department of Industry, Innovation and Science]] |publisher=[[Australian Government]] |date=2020 |access-date=16 December 2021 |page=186 }}</ref>
| minister1_name = {{nowrap|[[Australian Senate|Senator]] [[The Honourable|The Hon.]] [[Matt Canavan]]}}
| minister1_name = {{nowrap|[[Australian House of Representatives|Member of Parliament]] [[The Honourable|The Hon.]] [[Madeleine King]]}}
| minister1_pfo = [[Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science#Energy and Resources|Minister for Resources]] and [[Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)#List of ministers with responsibility for northern Australia|Northern Australia]]
| minister1_pfo = [[Minister for Resources and Water]]
| minister2_name =
| minister2_name =
| minister2_pfo = <!-- up to |minister7_name= -->
| minister2_pfo = <!-- up to |minister7_name= -->
Line 43: Line 44:
| public_protector =
| public_protector =
| deputy =
| deputy =
| parent_department = [[Department of Industry, Innovation and Science]]
| parent_department = [[Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources]]
| parent_agency =
| parent_agency =
| child1_agency =
| child1_agency =
| child2_agency = <!-- up to |child25_agency= -->
| child2_agency = <!-- up to |child25_agency= -->
| keydocument1 = <!-- up to |keydocument6= -->
| keydocument1 = <!-- up to |keydocument6= -->
| website = {{URL|ga.gov.au}}
| website = {{URL|portal.ga.gov.au}}, {{URL|ga.gov.au}}
| map =
| map =
| map_width =
| map_width =
Line 57: Line 58:
'''Geoscience Australia''' is an [[List of Australian government entities|agency]] of the [[Government of Australia|Australian Government]]. It carries out [[geoscience|geoscientific]] research. The agency is the government's technical adviser on all aspects of geoscience, and custodian of the geographic and geological data and knowledge of the nation.
'''Geoscience Australia''' is an [[List of Australian government entities|agency]] of the [[Government of Australia|Australian Government]]. It carries out [[geoscience|geoscientific]] research. The agency is the government's technical adviser on all aspects of geoscience, and custodian of the geographic and geological data and knowledge of the nation.


On a [[user pays]] basis it produces geospatial products such as [[topographic maps]] and [[satellite imagery]]. It is also a major contributor to the Australian Government's free, [[open data]] collections such as data.gov.au.<ref>A search on the http://data.gov.au catalogue revealing many thousands of Geoscience Australia datasets: [http://data.gov.au/dataset?q=organization=geoscienceaustralia]</ref>
On a [[user pays]] basis it produces geospatial products such as [[topographic maps]] and [[satellite imagery]]. It is also a major contributor to the Australian Government's free, [[open data]] collections such as {{URL|data.gov.au}}<ref>A search on the http://data.gov.au catalogue revealing many thousands of Geoscience Australia datasets: [http://data.gov.au/dataset?q=organization=geoscienceaustralia]</ref> and {{URL|portal.ga.gov.au}}.


==Strategic priorities==
==Strategic priorities==
The agency has six strategic priority areas:<ref>{{cite web |title=Strategic Priorities |url=http://www.ga.gov.au/about/role |website=Geoscience Australia Strategic Priorities |publisher=Geoscience Australia |accessdate=2 August 2019}}</ref>
The agency has six strategic priority areas:<ref>{{cite web |title=Strategic Priorities |url=http://www.ga.gov.au/about/role |website=Geoscience Australia Strategic Priorities |date=14 May 2019 |publisher=Geoscience Australia |access-date=2 August 2019}}</ref>
# building Australia's resource wealth in order to maximise benefits from Australia's minerals and [[energy resources]], now and into the future;
# building Australia's resource wealth in order to maximise benefits from Australia's minerals and [[energy resources]], now and into the future;
# ensuring Australia's community safety so that Australian communities are more resilient to natural hazards;
# ensuring Australia's community safety so that Australian communities are more resilient to natural hazards;
Line 73: Line 74:
AUSLIG's main function was to provide national geographic information. It was formed in 1987, when the Australian Survey Office joined with the Division of National Mapping, which was formed in 1947. Another important component of AUSLIG was the provision of satellite imagery to industry and government, started by the Australian Landsat Station in 1979, renamed the Australian Centre for Remote Sensing (ACRES) in 1986.
AUSLIG's main function was to provide national geographic information. It was formed in 1987, when the Australian Survey Office joined with the Division of National Mapping, which was formed in 1947. Another important component of AUSLIG was the provision of satellite imagery to industry and government, started by the Australian Landsat Station in 1979, renamed the Australian Centre for Remote Sensing (ACRES) in 1986.


AGSO's predecessor organisation the '''Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics'''<ref> Townley, K. (1976) ''History of the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics'' pp.101 - 111 - in {{Citation | author1=Johns, R. K. (Robert Keith) | author2=Johns, R. K. (Robert Keith), (ed.) | author3=Australia. Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics | title=History and role of government geological surveys in Australia | publication-date=1976 | publisher=A. B. James, Govt. printer | isbn=978-0-7243-2497-2 }}</ref> (BMR) was established in 1946; with the name changing to AGSO in 1992.
AGSO's predecessor organisation the '''Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics'''<ref>Townley, K. (1976) ''History of the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics'' pp.101 - 111 - in {{Citation | author1=Johns, R. K. (Robert Keith) | author2=Johns, R. K. (Robert Keith), (ed.) | author3=Australia. Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics | title=History and role of government geological surveys in Australia | year=1976 | publication-date=1976 | publisher=A. B. James, Govt. printer | isbn=978-0-7243-2497-2 }}</ref> (BMR) was established in 1946; with the name changing to AGSO in 1992.


The BMR was a [[geological survey]] with the main objective was the systematic geological and geophysical mapping of the continent as the basis for informed [[mineral exploration]].<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-783119 Australian Geological Survey Organisation--Geoscience Australia] National Library of Australia, ''Trove, People and Organisation'' record for Australian Geological Survey Organisation—Geoscience Australia</ref><ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-609061 Australian Geological Survey Organisation] National Library of Australia, ''Trove, People and Organisation'' record for Australian Geological Survey Organisation</ref>
The BMR was a [[geological survey]] with the main objective was the systematic geological and geophysical mapping of the continent as the basis for informed [[mineral exploration]].<ref name="l">[https://trove.nla.gov.au/people/383822 Geoscience Australia] National Library of Australia, ''Trove, People and Organisation'' record for Geoscience Australia</ref>


Geoscience Australia's activities have expanded and today it has responsibility for meeting the Australian Government's geoscience requirements. This role takes the Agency well beyond its historic focus on resource development and topographic mapping to topics as diverse as natural hazards such as tsunami and earthquakes, environmental issues, including the impacts of climate change, groundwater research, marine and coastal research, carbon capture and storage and vegetation monitoring as well as Earth observations from space. Geoscience Australia's remit also extends beyond the Australian landmass to Australia's vast marine jurisdiction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ga.gov.au/about/who-we-are/history |title=Our history |work=Geoscience Australia |publisher=[[Australian Government]] |date= |accessdate=31 October 2015 }}</ref><ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-383822 Geoscience Australia] National Library of Australia, ''Trove, People and Organisation'' record for Geoscience Australia</ref>
Geoscience Australia's activities have expanded and today it has responsibility for meeting the Australian Government's geoscience requirements. This role takes the Agency well beyond its historic focus on resource development and topographic mapping to topics as diverse as natural hazards such as tsunami and earthquakes, environmental issues, including the [[effects of global warming|impacts of climate change]], groundwater research, marine and coastal research, [[carbon capture and storage]] and vegetation monitoring as well as Earth observations from space. Geoscience Australia's remit also extends beyond the Australian landmass to Australia's vast marine jurisdiction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ga.gov.au/about/who-we-are/history |title=Our history |work=Geoscience Australia |date=15 May 2014 |publisher=[[Australian Government]] |access-date=31 October 2015 }}</ref><ref name="l" />

===Summary of predecessor agencies===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=4| Predecessor agencies<ref name=whyte>{{cite news|url=https://www.anzmaps.org/wp-content/uploads/surveyors-general-list.pdf|title=Lists of British, Australian and New Zealand Surveyors-General, Government Geologists, Printers, Ministers, etc useful to cataloguers and researchers for the dating of Australian and New Zealand maps|first=Brendan|last=Whyte|year=2020|publisher=Australian and New Zealand Map Society}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/AgencyDetail.aspx?reg_no=CA%207605&singleRecord=T|title=Agency details for: CA 7605|publisher=National Archives of Australia|accessdate=9 October 2021}}</ref>
|-
! Name of agency !! Start !! End !! Responsible department
|-
| rowspan=3| Lands and Survey Branch || rowspan=3| 1911 || rowspan=3| 1932 || [[Department of Home Affairs (1901–1916)|Department of Home Affairs]] (1911-1916)
|-
| [[Department of Home and Territories]] (1916-1925)
|-
| [[Department of Works and Railways]] (1925-1932)
|-
| rowspan=3| Property and Survey Branch || rowspan=3| 1932 || rowspan=3| 1951 || [[Department of the Interior (1932–1939)|Department of the Interior]] (1932-1938)
|-
| [[Department of Works (1938–39)|Department of Works]] (1938-1939)
|-
| [[Department of the Interior (1939–1972)|Department of the Interior]] (1939-1951)
|- align=center
| colspan=4| ''1951: surveying and mapping functions separated''
|-
! colspan=4| Surveying agencies
|-
| ACT Development and Planning Branch || 1951 || 1958 || rowspan=2| [[Department of the Interior (1939–1972)|Department of the Interior]] (1939-1972)
|-
| Lands and Survey Branch || 1958 || 1963
|-
| rowspan=2| Survey Branch || rowspan=2| 1963 || rowspan=2 | 1974
|-
| rowspan=2| [[Department of Services and Property]] (1972-1975)
|-
| Survey Division || 1974 || 1975
|-
| rowspan=3| Australian Survey Office || rowspan=3| 1975 || rowspan=3| 1987 || [[Department of Urban and Regional Development]] (1975)
|-
| [[Department of Administrative Services (1975–1984)|Department of Administrative Services]] (1975-1984)
|-
| [[Department of Local Government and Administrative Services]] (1984-1987)
|-
! colspan=4| Mapping agencies
|-
| National Mapping Section || 1951 || 1956 || [[Department of the Interior (1939–1972)|Department of the Interior]]
|-
| rowspan=6| Division of National Mapping || rowspan=6| 1956 || rowspan=6| 1987 || [[Department of National Development (1950–1972)|Department of National Development]] (1956-1972)
|-
| [[Department of Minerals and Energy]] (1972-1975)
|-
| [[Department of National Resources]] (1975-1977)
|-
| [[Department of National Development (1977–1979)|Department of National Development]] (1977-1979)
|-
| [[Department of National Development and Energy]] (1979-1983)
|-
| [[Department of Resources and Energy]] (1983-1987)
|- align=center
| colspan=4| ''1987: surveying and mapping functions reunited''
|-
| rowspan=6| [[Australian Surveying and Land Information Group]] || rowspan=6| 1987 || rowspan=6| 2001 || [[Department of Administrative Services (1987–1993)|Department of Administrative Services]] (1987-1993)
|-
| [[Department of the Arts and Administrative Services]] (1993-1994)
|-
| [[Department of Administrative Services (1994–1997)|Department of Administrative Services]] (1994-1997)
|-
| [[Department of Industry, Science and Tourism]] (1997-1998)
|-
| [[Department of Industry, Science and Resources]] (1998-2001)
|-
| rowspan=2| [[Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources]] (2001-2007)
|-
| rowspan=6| Geoscience Australia || rowspan=6| 2001 || rowspan=6|
|-
| [[Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism]] (2007-2013)
|-
| [[Department of Industry (Australia)|Department of Industry]] (2013-2014)
|-
| [[Department of Industry and Science]] (2014-2015)
|-
| [[Department of Industry, Innovation and Science]] (2015-2020)
|-
| [[Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources]] (2020–present)
|}


==Facilities==
==Facilities==
It has a free place name search<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ga.gov.au/map/names/ |title=Gazetteer of Australia place name search |work=Geoscience Australia |publisher=[[Australian Government]] |date= |accessdate=31 October 2015 }}</ref> and its earthquake monitoring services can be freely accessed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/listQuakes |title=Earthquakes |work=Geoscience Australia |publisher=[[Australian Government]] |date= |accessdate=31 October 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110408171727/http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/listQuakes |archivedate=8 April 2011 |df=dmy }}</ref> The Library is the premier geoscience library in Australia providing services to geoscience organisations, universities, research centres, the [[mining industry|mining]] and [[petroleum industry|petroleum industries]] and the public.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ga.gov.au/library.html |title=Library homepage |work=Geoscience Australia |publisher=[[Australian Government]] |date= |accessdate=31 October 2015 }}</ref>
It has a free place name search<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ga.gov.au/placename |title=Gazetteer of Australia place name search |work=Geoscience Australia |publisher=[[Australian Government]] |access-date=2 August 2019 }}</ref> and its earthquake monitoring services can be freely accessed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://earthquakes.ga.gov.au/ |title=Earthquakes |work=Geoscience Australia |publisher=[[Australian Government]] |access-date=2 August 2019 }}</ref> The Library is the premier geoscience library in Australia providing services to geoscience organisations, universities, research centres, the [[mining industry|mining]] and [[petroleum industry|petroleum industries]] and the public.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ga.gov.au/data-pubs/library |title=N H (Doc) Fisher Geoscience Library |work=Geoscience Australia |date=15 May 2014 |publisher=[[Australian Government]] |access-date=2 August 2019 }}</ref>

==Economic Demonstrated Resources==
Geoscience Australia defines ''Economic Demonstrated Resources'' (EDR) as {{blockquote|resources for which [[economic profit|profit]]able [[resource extraction|extraction]] or production under defined investment assumptions
is possible|<ref>https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=isr/resexp/chapter2.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>}} For EDR, tonnages and grades are computed from samples of the resource taken from points spaced to provide assured resource continuity.


==See also==
==See also==
{{stack|{{portal|Australia|Geology|Geography}}}}
{{Portal|Australia|Geology|Geography}}
* [[Geological Survey of South Australia]]
* [[Geological Survey of South Australia]]
* [[Geological Survey of Western Australia]]
* [[Geological Survey of Western Australia]]
Line 89: Line 175:


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist|30em}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.ga.gov.au/ Geoscience Australia home page].
* [https://www.ga.gov.au/ Geoscience Australia home page].
* [https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/partner/geoscience-australia Geoscience Australia in Google Cultural Institute]
* [https://portal.ga.gov.au/ Geoscience Australia Data Discovery Portal].
* [https://portal.ga.gov.au/3d Geoscience Australia Geological Digital Twin].
* [https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/education Community and Education Geoscience Discovery Digital Atlas].
* [https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/minesatlas Australian Mines Atlas].
* [https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/minewaste Atlas of Australian Mine Waste].
* [https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/afgn Australian Fundamental Gravity Network (AFGN)].
* [https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/marine AusSeabed Marine Data Portal].
* [https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/cmmi Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative].
* [https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/geochronology Geochronology and Isotopes Data Portal].
* [https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/gadds Geophysical Archive Data Delivery System (GADDS)].
* [https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/hydrogen AusH2 - Australia's Hydrogen Opportunities Tool].
* [https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/minexcrc MinEx CRC National Drilling Initiative].
* [https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/pa Positioning Australia National Positioning Infrastructure].
* [https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/geoscience-australia Geoscience Australia in Google Cultural Institute].
* [http://www.ga.gov.au/map/names/distance.jsp As the cocky flies] distance calculator
* [http://www.ga.gov.au/map/names/distance.jsp As the cocky flies] distance calculator
* [[International Map of the World]]
* [[International Map of the World]]
* [http://xnatmap.org/ XNATMAP's home page preserving NATMAP's (The Division of National Mapping) history and maintaining contact with the people who were part of that history].
* [http://xnatmap.org/ XNATMAP's home page preserving NATMAP's (The Division of National Mapping) history and maintaining contact with the people who were part of that history].

{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Commonwealth Government agencies of Australia]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Government agencies of Australia]]

Latest revision as of 23:34, 9 June 2024

Geoscience Australia

Geoscience Australia headquarters located in the Canberra suburb of Symonston
Agency overview
Formed2001
Preceding agencies
  • Australian Surveying and Land Information Group
  • Australian Geological Survey Organisation
JurisdictionAustralia
HeadquartersSymonston, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
35°20′36″S 149°09′30″E / 35.34333°S 149.15833°E / -35.34333; 149.15833
Employees671 (as at 30 June 2023)[1]
Annual budgetA$207.30 million (2020)[2]
Minister responsible
Agency executive
  • Dr James Johnson, Chief Executive Officer
Parent departmentDepartment of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources
Websiteportal.ga.gov.au, ga.gov.au

Geoscience Australia is an agency of the Australian Government. It carries out geoscientific research. The agency is the government's technical adviser on all aspects of geoscience, and custodian of the geographic and geological data and knowledge of the nation.

On a user pays basis it produces geospatial products such as topographic maps and satellite imagery. It is also a major contributor to the Australian Government's free, open data collections such as data.gov.au[3] and portal.ga.gov.au.

Strategic priorities

[edit]

The agency has six strategic priority areas:[4]

  1. building Australia's resource wealth in order to maximise benefits from Australia's minerals and energy resources, now and into the future;
  2. ensuring Australia's community safety so that Australian communities are more resilient to natural hazards;
  3. securing Australia's water resources in order to optimise and sustain the use of Australia's water resources;
  4. managing Australia's marine jurisdictions in order to maximise benefits from the sustainable use of Australia's marine jurisdiction;
  5. providing fundamental geographic information in order to understand the location and timing of processes, activities and changes across Australia to inform decision-making for both natural and built environments; and
  6. maintaining geoscience knowledge and capability in order to maintain an enduring and accessible knowledge base and capability to enable evidence-based policy and decision-making by government, industry and the community.

History

[edit]

Geoscience Australia came into being in 2001 when the Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG) merged with the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO). Its history dates back almost to Federation in 1901 when it was decided to set aside land for the national capital. This decision led to the establishment of the Australian Survey Office in 1910, when surveying began for the Australian Capital Territory.

AUSLIG's main function was to provide national geographic information. It was formed in 1987, when the Australian Survey Office joined with the Division of National Mapping, which was formed in 1947. Another important component of AUSLIG was the provision of satellite imagery to industry and government, started by the Australian Landsat Station in 1979, renamed the Australian Centre for Remote Sensing (ACRES) in 1986.

AGSO's predecessor organisation the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics[5] (BMR) was established in 1946; with the name changing to AGSO in 1992.

The BMR was a geological survey with the main objective was the systematic geological and geophysical mapping of the continent as the basis for informed mineral exploration.[6]

Geoscience Australia's activities have expanded and today it has responsibility for meeting the Australian Government's geoscience requirements. This role takes the Agency well beyond its historic focus on resource development and topographic mapping to topics as diverse as natural hazards such as tsunami and earthquakes, environmental issues, including the impacts of climate change, groundwater research, marine and coastal research, carbon capture and storage and vegetation monitoring as well as Earth observations from space. Geoscience Australia's remit also extends beyond the Australian landmass to Australia's vast marine jurisdiction.[7][6]

Summary of predecessor agencies

[edit]
Predecessor agencies[8][9]
Name of agency Start End Responsible department
Lands and Survey Branch 1911 1932 Department of Home Affairs (1911-1916)
Department of Home and Territories (1916-1925)
Department of Works and Railways (1925-1932)
Property and Survey Branch 1932 1951 Department of the Interior (1932-1938)
Department of Works (1938-1939)
Department of the Interior (1939-1951)
1951: surveying and mapping functions separated
Surveying agencies
ACT Development and Planning Branch 1951 1958 Department of the Interior (1939-1972)
Lands and Survey Branch 1958 1963
Survey Branch 1963 1974
Department of Services and Property (1972-1975)
Survey Division 1974 1975
Australian Survey Office 1975 1987 Department of Urban and Regional Development (1975)
Department of Administrative Services (1975-1984)
Department of Local Government and Administrative Services (1984-1987)
Mapping agencies
National Mapping Section 1951 1956 Department of the Interior
Division of National Mapping 1956 1987 Department of National Development (1956-1972)
Department of Minerals and Energy (1972-1975)
Department of National Resources (1975-1977)
Department of National Development (1977-1979)
Department of National Development and Energy (1979-1983)
Department of Resources and Energy (1983-1987)
1987: surveying and mapping functions reunited
Australian Surveying and Land Information Group 1987 2001 Department of Administrative Services (1987-1993)
Department of the Arts and Administrative Services (1993-1994)
Department of Administrative Services (1994-1997)
Department of Industry, Science and Tourism (1997-1998)
Department of Industry, Science and Resources (1998-2001)
Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources (2001-2007)
Geoscience Australia 2001
Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (2007-2013)
Department of Industry (2013-2014)
Department of Industry and Science (2014-2015)
Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (2015-2020)
Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (2020–present)

Facilities

[edit]

It has a free place name search[10] and its earthquake monitoring services can be freely accessed.[11] The Library is the premier geoscience library in Australia providing services to geoscience organisations, universities, research centres, the mining and petroleum industries and the public.[12]

Economic Demonstrated Resources

[edit]

Geoscience Australia defines Economic Demonstrated Resources (EDR) as

resources for which profitable extraction or production under defined investment assumptions is possible

— [13]

For EDR, tonnages and grades are computed from samples of the resource taken from points spaced to provide assured resource continuity.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Geoscience Australia Annual Report 2022-23 Earth sciences for Australia's future". Annual Report, Geoscience Australia. Australian Government. 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Annual Report 2020-21". Annual Report, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. Australian Government. 2020. p. 186. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  3. ^ A search on the http://data.gov.au catalogue revealing many thousands of Geoscience Australia datasets: [1]
  4. ^ "Strategic Priorities". Geoscience Australia Strategic Priorities. Geoscience Australia. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  5. ^ Townley, K. (1976) History of the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics pp.101 - 111 - in Johns, R. K. (Robert Keith); Johns, R. K. (Robert Keith), (ed.); Australia. Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics (1976), History and role of government geological surveys in Australia, A. B. James, Govt. printer, ISBN 978-0-7243-2497-2 {{citation}}: |author2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ a b Geoscience Australia National Library of Australia, Trove, People and Organisation record for Geoscience Australia
  7. ^ "Our history". Geoscience Australia. Australian Government. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  8. ^ Whyte, Brendan (2020). "Lists of British, Australian and New Zealand Surveyors-General, Government Geologists, Printers, Ministers, etc useful to cataloguers and researchers for the dating of Australian and New Zealand maps" (PDF). Australian and New Zealand Map Society.
  9. ^ "Agency details for: CA 7605". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Gazetteer of Australia place name search". Geoscience Australia. Australian Government. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Earthquakes". Geoscience Australia. Australian Government. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  12. ^ "N H (Doc) Fisher Geoscience Library". Geoscience Australia. Australian Government. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  13. ^ https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=isr/resexp/chapter2.pdf [bare URL PDF]
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geoscience_Australia&oldid=1228197689"