GEO 101 World Human Geography
Fall 2009
About the Images

The photos for this semester's web site were taken at Streets Beach in Brisbane, Australia. Going to the beach is often cited as an essential feature of Australian culture. Looking at a map of population density for Australia, it is easy to see that most Australians live near the coast. Brisbane, however, is located some distance from the coast on a river. The Streets Beach offers residents and visitors a safe and clean place to swim. The Streets Beach might be consdered to be one example of how humans produce nature. Instead of simply installing a swimming pool, the architects included features designed to simulate a beach. Many other locations along the Queensland coast also have similar municipal swimming lagoons because sharks, jellyfish, and currents make swimming in the ocean dangerous. These lagoons are not just about providing people with a place to swim. They are also features that help draw residents and tourists to business districts and further goals for economic development. Finally the Streets Beach and places like it serve as important public spaces where one can see and experience the diversity of Australias' multicultural society.