Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Townsville'

The Townsville: Queensland Solar City is a six year trial of demand-side management and distributed PV generation on Magnetic Island in the Coral Sea off the north Queensland coast. Regional Queensland electricity distributor Ergon Energy is leading the project, to try out alternatives to an imminent and costly upgrade of the network infrastructure supplying the island. This study examines the effectiveness of the demand-side management measures implemented in the nearly two years since the project commenced. Changes in peak demand and energy consumption on the island are analysed and compared to: - changes in a control group on the mainland; and - the targets set for the project and the impacts on the supply to 7 commercial properties on the island are analysed. The study found both peak demand and energy consumption were reduced on the island, and at a greater rate than changes in those quantities in the control group, showing that the demand-side measures were having the desired effect. The project target levels of reduced peak load and energy consumption were achieved at the latest measuring points, compared to the predicted business-as-usual case, though growth in peak demand and energy consumption, and achieved reductions, were all less than modelled prior to project commencement. The individual properties analysed showed greater reductions than the island as a whole, pointing to opportunities for greater reductions, and there was evidence of the project inspiring other property owners to initiate their own energy demand management measures. Once some meter data collection problems are overcome, the code and methods developed for this study, can be applied to a wider range of island properties, to develop a much richer understanding of the impact of individual demand-side measures, both on Magnetic Island, and wherever else they're applied.

An ecological study was undertaken on four populations of Krefft�s River Turtle Emydura krefftii inhabiting the Townsville Area of Tropical North Queensland. Two sites were located in the Ross River, which runs through the urban areas of Townsville, and two sites were in rural areas at Alligator Creek and Stuart Creek (known as the Townsville Creeks). Earlier studies of the populations in Ross River had determined that the turtles existed at an exceptionally high density, that is, they were superabundant, and so the Townsville Creek sites were chosen as low abundance sites for comparison. The first aim of this study was to determine if there had been any demographic consequences caused by the abundance of turtle populations of the Ross River. Secondly, the project aimed to determine if the impoundments in the Ross River had affected the freshwater turtle fauna. Specifically this study aimed to determine if there were any difference between the growth, size at maturity, sexual dimorphism, size distribution, and diet of Emydura krefftii inhabiting two very different populations. A mark-recapture program estimated the turtle population sizes at between 490 and 5350 turtles per hectare. Most populations exhibited a predominant female sex-bias over the sampling period. Growth rates were rapid in juveniles but slowed once sexual maturity was attained; in males, growth basically stopped at maturity, but in females, growth continued post-maturity, although at a slower rate. Sexual maturity was at 6-7 years of age for males, which corresponded to a carapace length of 150-160 mm, and 8-10 years of age for females, which corresponded to a carapace length of 185-240 mm. The turtles were omnivorous, although in the Ross River they ate more submerged vegetation (by percent amount and occurrence) than those of the Townsville Creeks. Turtles in Townsville Creeks ingested more windfall fruit and terrestrial insects.

The research presents a case study of the early NBN rollout in Townsville. Interviews with businesses in the creative services subsector were conducted to come to a soci-economic understanding of how business used the NBN. The improvements to business efficiency were notable, particularly the through increased access to information and cloud computing. Cluster analysis methods were used to determine the impact of the NBN on creative services subsector employment. While there was some evidence to suggest a link between the NBN and creative services subsector employment unresolved issues in the broadband market greatly obscured the benefits of the NBN.

[Extract] This thesis will provide insight into how the locality of Townsville was affected by global conflict in the mid-1960s. It will demonstrate how Australia's defence requirements during this period became linked to the civilian development of northern Australia. This thesis investigates the events associated with the planning, development and opening of Lavarack Barracks in Townsville during its formative years from 1964 to 1966. To provide a better platform for understanding and analysing these events and their consequences, this research is centred on the factors motivating the Government's decision to expand the Army's resources and the decision to locate the base in Townsville. It also examines the events associated with the advanced planning stage of the base project in 1965.

Humans have been interacting with the Townsville Town Common Environmental Park throughout its history. This study probes the relationship between artist and The Common. More specifically, it examines this artist’s response to energies of cyclical change within the Common (growth cycle, diurnal change, seasonal change, migratory patterns and motion of tides). An account is given of the previous one hundred and thirty year history of The Common to provide a background to the artist’s interest in, and use of, the park. A scientific view of The Common is also provided to give a context to the research explorations. Particularly useful in this regard is information on the evolution and uniqueness of this park obtained by extensive consultations with wetlands ecologist J.G. Blackman, an authority on The Common. To set a visual arts context for the practical component of the study, artists using a range of mediums and featuring The Common as subject, are examined: John Olsen (gouache paintings), Jim Cox (pen and ink drawings), James Brown (oil paintings) and Hilary Mangan (lithography prints). This examination reveals the essence of each artist’s relationship with The Common. In revealing the response of the artist to energies of cyclical change on The Common, the thesis lays out the development of an idiosyncratic visual code to express the energies of cyclical change experienced during 2002. By design, this code integrates intuitive and analytical processes framed by these experiences. Predicated on personal observations and responses to natural energy cycles (Growth, Diurnal, Seasonal, Migratory and Tidal) experienced at five different sites during weekly field trips spanning a twelve-month period, intuition and analysis drive the research. From studies made during these field trips, involving diaries of drawings, field notes, forty etchings and extensive photographic records, a framework of intuitive responses (gut reactions) to, and ideas about, natural energies is established. This framework is pivotal to the development of the code by allowing changes in personal response to energy cycles to be identified. Construction of the code involves three stages. First, there is analysis of the intuitive responses involving examination of twenty field-trip etchings and supporting diary notes. Second, is extension of key features from these intuitively drawn etchings, by transposing pivotal sections from the prints into twenty exploratory study paintings. These studies determine visual devices for the code by focusing on separate design elements (line, shape, tone and texture). Third, is the application of these devices as a code in five paintings to convey the notion of energies experienced. By intention, the application of the code in these final paintings should show the expression of the artist’s responses to the energies of cyclical change. Evaluation concerning aptness of the code for capturing expression of these energies is from the viewpoint of the artist in the context of comparison between a pre-research control painting and the five post-research paintings. This comparison shows that the code integrates intuitive response and analytical thinking to convey the notion of cyclical change regarding The Common. Analysis reveals that this code also has potential for application to a much wider range of landscapes. Moreover, the three stages of its development may be a useful approach for other artists to encode their vision. The outcome of the research is presented by an exhibition of sixty-eight artworks tracing the development of the idiosyncratic visual code from driver of gut reactions in response to singular experiences, to encompassing views of energies of five cyclical changes.

Humans have been interacting with the Townsville Town Common Environmental Park throughout its history. This study probes the relationship between artist and The Common. More specifically, it examines this artist’s response to energies of cyclical change within the Common (growth cycle, diurnal change, seasonal change, migratory patterns and motion of tides). An account is given of the previous one hundred and thirty year history of The Common to provide a background to the artist’s interest in, and use of, the park. A scientific view of The Common is also provided to give a context to the research explorations. Particularly useful in this regard is information on the evolution and uniqueness of this park obtained by extensive consultations with wetlands ecologist J.G. Blackman, an authority on The Common. To set a visual arts context for the practical component of the study, artists using a range of mediums and featuring The Common as subject, are examined: John Olsen (gouache paintings), Jim Cox (pen and ink drawings), James Brown (oil paintings) and Hilary Mangan (lithography prints). This examination reveals the essence of each artist’s relationship with The Common. In revealing the response of the artist to energies of cyclical change on The Common, the thesis lays out the development of an idiosyncratic visual code to express the energies of cyclical change experienced during 2002. By design, this code integrates intuitive and analytical processes framed by these experiences. Predicated on personal observations and responses to natural energy cycles (Growth, Diurnal, Seasonal, Migratory and Tidal) experienced at five different sites during weekly field trips spanning a twelve-month period, intuition and analysis drive the research. From studies made during these field trips, involving diaries of drawings, field notes, forty etchings and extensive photographic records, a framework of intuitive responses (gut reactions) to, and ideas about, natural energies is established. This framework is pivotal to the development of the code by allowing changes in personal response to energy cycles to be identified. Construction of the code involves three stages. First, there is analysis of the intuitive responses involving examination of twenty field-trip etchings and supporting diary notes. Second, is extension of key features from these intuitively drawn etchings, by transposing pivotal sections from the prints into twenty exploratory study paintings. These studies determine visual devices for the code by focusing on separate design elements (line, shape, tone and texture). Third, is the application of these devices as a code in five paintings to convey the notion of energies experienced. By intention, the application of the code in these final paintings should show the expression of the artist’s responses to the energies of cyclical change. Evaluation concerning aptness of the code for capturing expression of these energies is from the viewpoint of the artist in the context of comparison between a pre-research control painting and the five post-research paintings. This comparison shows that the code integrates intuitive response and analytical thinking to convey the notion of cyclical change regarding The Common. Analysis reveals that this code also has potential for application to a much wider range of landscapes. Moreover, the three stages of its development may be a useful approach for other artists to encode their vision. The outcome of the research is presented by an exhibition of sixty-eight artworks tracing the development of the idiosyncratic visual code from driver of gut reactions in response to singular experiences, to encompassing views of energies of five cyclical changes.

This thesis is an ethnographic exploration of the relationship between the Aboriginal movement of Townsville and the Australian state. This relationship is the sum of a number of actions, reactions and interactions between the state and the movement. The thesis rests on the conceptualisation of both the state and social movements as simultaneously structure and agent; that is, both states and movements are made up of individual actors but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Rather than just being a collection of actors, states and movements are actors themselves. Because the key target of the Townsville Aboriginal movement is the Australian state, the two are inextricably and dialectically linked to one another on a number of levels. This thesis focuses on this relationship from the perspective of the social movement because I acted as a 'critically engaged activist researcher' while conducting field work in Townsville. I begin my ethnographic analysis at the level of the individuals who make up the social movement. Through conversations with 'activists', I discuss what the term means and how they have come to that identity. In many cases, the activist identity is nurtured through state institutions, suggesting that the Australian liberal democracy is reliant upon public dissent for legitimacy. Next, I examine the ways in which these individuals form groups and networks. The shape activist organisational structures take is heavily influenced by the level of state engagement sought by activists, and unlike some international movements this state engagement is far more important than inter- and intra-movement links. Similarly, the tactical repertoires adopted by the Aboriginal movement are restricted to actions which are recognised as legitimate in liberal democracies, such as petitions and peaceful street marches. This thesis examines these actions, which become ritualised performances directed at a specific audience: the Australian state. Unlike many other movements, however, the Townsville Aboriginal movement does not operate from a clearly discernible ideological framework. It is sometimes liberal, sometimes radical, more often both, and punctuated by autonomous spaces. I argue that this 'strategic nomadism', in which the movement changes its strategy depending on political and social factors, is a strength because it allows the movement flexibility. Throughout this thesis, I argue that the Townsville Aboriginal movement and the Australian state are linked in a dialectical relationship. Activists are opposed to the state, but they seek their changes through the state. Moreover, states themselves need social movements to maintain their legitimacy as liberal democracies. This thesis provides an understanding of this dynamic relationship, expanding the conception of both states and movements by social scientists, and offering the Townsville Aboriginal movement an in-depth look at the way it operates.

There is a growing concern within the occupational therapy profession regarding the needs of people experiencing occupational injustice within our societies. People experiencing homelessness in Australia have limited opportunities for occupational engagement and are currently a focus of the government's social inclusion agenda. An initial review of the occupational therapy literature on homelessness grounded this study in an occupational therapy perspective, which I have termed 'rebuilding lives'. Literature from other disciplines demonstrates the precarious position of the marginalised that results in poor health and high mortality of homeless people. The importance of participation in communities is reflected in government policy, and supports the potential contribution of an occupational perspective of homelessness. This study aimed to understand the occupations of people experiencing homelessness and to contribute to the occupational perspective through discovering occupations that influence subjective perspectives of wellbeing. This constructivist case study of homelessness explored the lived experience of people who were homeless using a montage of research methods including observation, interviews and focus groups with consumers and providers of homeless services. The research journey involved a pluralistic design utilising multiple methods (path) and a reflexive process of learning (way) to progressively discover the social world of people experiencing homelessness in Townsville, Australia. A purposive sample of homeless adults aged between 22 years and 60 years was recruited through different services including a homeless drop-in centre, a crisis accommodation service for homeless families, a hostel for intoxicated public place dwellers and an Indigenous camp in the city. A strengths-based approach to data collection prioritised the voices of participants and elicited situated accounts of occupations of meaning. Thirty five in-depth conversational interviews explored the strengths, resilience, agency and capacity of participants to sustain wellbeing during homelessness. Focus groups with thirty four service providers using an abridged Appreciative Inquiry model provided triangulation of the data and evidence of effective intervention strategies. Analysis and interpretation of the data as driven by the research questions resulted in the discovery of three nested cases within the homeless population. Presented as three collective narratives of homelessness (single males, women with children, and Indigenous homelessness) they illustrate how people who are homeless aim to achieve and sustain subjective wellbeing through the four dimensions of occupation: doing, being, becoming and belonging. Limited opportunities for occupational engagement due to poverty and marginalisation result in situations of occupational injustice for people experiencing homelessness. The geographical context of Townsville, proximity to Palm Island and corresponding high rates of Indigenous homelessness allowed an opportunity to explore Indigenous perspectives of homelessness. Cultural mentors proved essential in negotiating the cultural interface between Indigenous knowledge and dominant Western paradigms and an understanding of the influence of culture and colonisation to Indigenous wellbeing. The study provides an Australian Indigenous perspective to the theoretical concepts of occupation and illustrates the importance of collective occupations to the wellbeing of Indigenous people. People experiencing homelessness sustain wellbeing through engagement in occupations that ensure safety and survival, provide positive experiences, facilitate connection with others and maintain a sense of normality. Further, wellbeing is enhanced by maintaining hopefulness through occupations that support self worth and mastery. Despite limited occupational opportunity resulting in occupational injustice, acts of personal autonomy and agency guard against descending into despair and afford a sense of satisfaction with life. An occupational perspective of subjective wellbeing is supported by this study, which challenges the appropriateness of universal definitions of wellbeing for all. Individual meanings of wellbeing should be considered for each client as a goal for occupational therapy interventions. This study illustrates the socio-cultural contexts of occupations. Neither single males nor Indigenous people invest time and effort in occupations of becoming or a future focus, in contrast to women for whom the wellbeing of children depended on attaining secure housing and improved financial stability. Indigenous people experiencing homelessness achieve occupational wellbeing through being with and belonging to 'the mob'. Spending time together yarning and drinking reinforced a sense of kinship and cultural identity. Racism and dispossession reinforced the experience of marginalisation for this group and compounded occupational injustice. Some single men achieved high levels of subjective wellbeing through positive mental strategies affirming autonomy and control over life circumstances. The collective narratives represent three different voices within the homeless population in Townsville, and demonstrate the need for services to accommodate social and cultural differences within homelessness. Three additional interpretive findings propose an expansion of the theoretical basis of occupational justice to recognise the importance of 1) access to place and space; 2) occupations that support gender roles, particularly those of women and mothers; and 3) occupations that support the cultural values of individuals and groups. Banishment or exclusion from public and private spaces prevents engagement in occupations that affirm personal identity; similarly being unable to participate in occupations that support gendered and cultural roles inhibits wellbeing. The multiple meanings of human occupation are intricately affected and shaped by the social and cultural context and consistent with the gendered and cultural norms. This study supports a redirection of the occupational therapy profession to work towards just and inclusive structural policies that encourage engagement in meaningful occupations and community participation for people experiencing homelessness.

Set in three local government authorities in north Queensland, Townsville, Douglas and Mackay, this study explores the extent to which community workers and environmental planners contribute to ecologically sustainable local area planning. The concept of ecological sustainability requires a balanced planning approach in order that the well-being of humans and the non-human environment are protected, yet the potential economic benefits promised by local development projects frequently override concerns about loss of areas with a high conservation value. The approach taken by the three local authorities studied in this thesis, is planning the future of their areas is significant in its potential to contribute to attaining ecological sustainability. Land-use planning decisions have affected and will continue to impact upon not only the aesthetics of the case study areas, but also inevitably short and long term issues of quality of life. There are many conflicting objectives in the councils because they endeavour to maintain employment opportunities, clean, safe environments and manage conservation of natural resources in the face of growing local populations. <....>

The purpose of this research was to study polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and the effect they have in North Queensland, Australia, specifically in reference to a commercially important fish species, barramundi (Lates calcarifer). This thesis is separated into four main sections: determination of PBDE levels in Ross Creek, Townsville, QLD; toxicokinetics of PBDE-47 in barramundi; optimization of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of vitellogenin (Vtg) in barramundi; and assessing the (anti-)estrogenic effect of PBDE-47 in barramundi. Levels of two common PBDE congeners, PBDE-47 and PBDE-209 were measured in sediments at three sites along Ross Creek in Townsville, QLD. Levels were found to range from below detection (0.2 μg kg-1 dw) to 0.35±0.2 μg kg-1 (dw) for PBDE-47 and from below detection (0.2 μg kg-1 dw) to 0.85±0.07 μg kg-1 (dw) for PBDE-209. Male juvenile barramundi were injected with either a low (1 mg kg-1 bw) or a high (10 mg kg-1 bw) dose of PBDE-47 and then sampled over the course of 14 days in order to determine the depuration rate of PBDE-47 in barramundi. PBDE-47 was found to depurate at a rate of 0.041- 0.069 day-1, a rate which falls well within the range of the literature for depuration of PBDE-47 in fish. An optimal ELISA for the detection of Vtg production in barramundi was determined after comparing the component reagents of a pre-existing ELISA with component reagents developed during this study. Two commercially available Vtg standards, a lipophylised Rainbow Trout Vtg standard (RT Vtg standard) and a lipophylised Atlantic Salmon Vtg standard (Salmon Vtg standard) (both from Caymen Chemical Co), were compared to a purified barramundi Vtg fraction obtained after size exclusion chromatography of plasma from barramundi in which Vtg production was induced by repeated injection of large doses of 17β-estradiol (E2). In addition, a commercially available monoclonal mouse anti-striped bass Vtg primary antibody (ND-3G2, Biosense) was compared with two polyclonal sheep anti-barramundi Vtg antibodies (Sh-0404JCU and Sh-0404-SJCU) created by inoculating sheep with one of the size exclusion chromatography purified Vtg fractions. The optimal ELISA was determined to be the preexisting ELISA using ND-3G2 as the primary antibody and RT Vtg standard for quantification, although promising results obtained with the purified barramundi Vtg fractions, Sh-0404JCU and Sh-0404-SJCU suggest that further purification could lead to a better barramundi specific ELISA in the future. Finally, male, juvenile barramundi were exposed to PBDE-47 in two separate experiments to study whether PBDE-47 has an estrogenic or anti-estrogenic effect, with Vtg production measured by ELISA as the endpoint for estrogenic behaviour. In the first experiment barramundi were given either a low (1 mg kg-1 bw) or a high (10 mg kg-1 bw) dose of PBDE-47 by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection, and then sampled over the course of 14 days to determine the time course induction of Vtg production. Vtg levels in samples were not quantifiable but the qualitative data allowed for assessment of trends and patterns. Two interesting conclusions were apparent from the data. The first is that male barramundi appear to produce Vtg without exposure to xeno-estrogens, a hypothesis that is supported by literature that has found low natural levels of E2 production in males of many fish species. The second is that the high dose of PBDE-47 suppressed Vtg production between days 7 and 14 with Vtg levels rising much slower in the high dosed fish than in either the control or low dosed fish. In the second experiment barramundi were given either a single low (1 mg kg-1 bw) or a high (10 mg kg-1 bw) dose of PBDE-47 by i.p. injection then sampled 3 and 6 days after injection, or were given two low (1 mg kg-1 bw) or a high (10 mg kg-1 bw) doses of PBDE-47 by i.p. injection, with three days between injections, then sampled 3 and 6 days after the second injection. This was done to determine whether a repeated dose of PBDE-47 had more of an effect on Vtg production than a single dose. The Vtg levels in these samples was quantifiable and the results showed that a double injection of PBDE-47 significantly suppressed the production of Vtg (P<0.0001) at both a low and high dose. In addition, at 6 days post final injection there was a small, but significant difference (P=0.0355) between the fish that received a single low dose and a single high dose, confirming that a single high dose of PBDE-47 can suppress Vtg production as well.

Growth and ageing research was undertaken for squid and sepioid populations in waters off the Townsville region, North Queensland, Australia. The study species were the sepioid Idiosepius pygmaeus, and the loliginid squids Loliolus noctiluca, Loligo chinensis, Loligo sp. 1 and Sepioteuthis lessoniana. Age and growth parameters were determined by enumerating growth rings within the statolith microstructure of each of the species. Various mounting and rinding/polishing techniques were employed to reveal the growth rings. Daily periodicity in statolith growth rings was demonstrated to exist in 24 individuals in four of the study species; I. pygmaeus (6), L. noctiluca (9), L. chinensis (2) and S. lessoniana (7). Ring periodicity was determined by staining the statoliths in situ with tetracycline or calcein, and then maintaining the individuals in captivity to compare the rings laid down to the number of elapsed days. Double staining techniques were also employed to determine the rings laid down between stainings. Field captured individuals of each of the study species were aged to construct growth curves. Growth was found to be rapid and maturity was found to be reached surprisingly fast. Tropical squid and sepioid growth is more correctly measured in days rather than months or years. The ageing studies with all five species did not reveal any individuals older than 200 days. The ageing techniques developed were employed to discern any seasonality in squid and sepioid growth patterns. Regular sampling of I. pygmaeus and L. chinensis revealed different patterns of abundance, with I. pygmaeus more common during the winter period while L. chinensis was more abundant during the summer period. Comparing growth based on statolith ageing to growth based on ELEFAN analysis on length frequency data revealed two diverging results. Length frequency analysis suggested that squid growth was asymptotic and that the life cycle was perennial. In contrast ageing research revealed that life span was short and that growth was rapid and non-asymptotic. Seasonal size-at-age data for I. pygmaeus and L. chinensis revealed different patterns of growth during different seasonal periods. For L. chinensis growth was considerably slower during the winter period. For I. pygmaeus slower growth was also observed during the cooler period of the year. However, there was considerable scatter in the size-at-age data, probably as a result of greater variability in the near-shore environment. Differences were also detected in the relative statolith size in individuals of L. chinensis, with winter squids having larger statoliths for any given length than their summer counterparts. Alternatively, at comparable ages, winter squids had smaller statoliths than their summer counterparts, however, with increasing age, the longer-lived winter squids eventually obtained larger relative statoliths. Determining individual size-at-age allowed for a more detailed understanding of age specific reproductive patterns. Male individuals of Loligo chinensis matured at a greater age in July (winter) than in January (summer) and no mature females were found in July. These age specific maturity patterns could not be discerned by an analysis of individual size. Development of the nidamental gland and hectocotylus was shown to follow a similar pattern to gonad development. Mature individuals of L. chinensis were found throughout the year (except July, 1989 for females). However, there was considerable fluctuations in the gonadosomatic index for both sexes with largest relative gonad sizes achieved during October for both years studied. This pattern appeared to be real and not biased by variation in the size of individuals captured during different months of the year. Idiosepius pygmaeus showed a different pattern in gonad growth with cooler season (spring) sepioids growing older and having larger gonads than warmer season (autumn) individuals, despite the fact that there was very little difference in individual size between the two seasons. Measurement of oocyte diameters within the ovaries of two I. pygmaeus females suggested that this species was a serial spawner. Maintenance experiments of captive I. pygmaeus females confirmed that this species lays its eggs in repeated batches, rather than all at once. Maximum egg output recorded was 922 eggs produced in 15 days. Moreover, histological examination of the oocyte size distribution of all five study species suggested that they were serial spawners, since a variety of oocyte sizes were present within the ovary. More relevant tropical squid growth models could be developed as a result of obtaining individual size-at-age data. All the five study species displayed allometric growth, with Loligo chinensis and Loligo sp. 1 displaying significant differences in the length-weight relationship between males and females, while Idiosepius pygmaeus revealed sex-related differences in slope elevation of the L-W relationship. Detailed growth models were developed for L. chinensis and S. lessoniana. Loligo chinensis were shown to exhibit exponential growth with a considerable proportion of the lifespan spent as juveniles. There was no significant difference between the growth curves of male and female L. chinensis in either growth in length or weight. The growth of S. lessoniana could not be modelled with a single equation. Therefore, an exponential curve was fitted to the size-at-age data (for both mantle length and weight) for the first 70 days, while growth from 70 to 153 days could be described by a linear equation. These growth models were compared to growth curves developed for other loliginids raised in captivity. Loligo chinensis was found to grow faster than other temperate loliginids, while the growth of S. lessoniana revealed a remarkable similarity to the form of growth of the tropical S. sepioidea. Length-at-age data for Loligo opalescens was found to not differ greatly from results of growth of this species in captivity, although field individuals appeared to grow somewhat faster than captive individuals. Very clear growth rings were also observed within the statolith microstructure of the giant squid Architeuthis, which suggested that ageing research and growth modelling based on size-at-age data could be expanded to a variety of other species of oceanic squids. Statolith growth ring analysis is thus one means to obtain important growth parameters for squid species in which we have little biological information for.

This project evolved from Honours and Master of Science research focussed on sustainable urban electricity supply, use and attitudes. Researchers, planning practitioners and Australian governments’ policies of ecologically sustainable development helped shape the household questionnaire on urban travel. The main research instrument of this thesis, the survey of 400 households considered prior urban travel research and resource constraints, along with social and environment perspectives. The public research instrument and the survey stratification of sample household’s distance from the Central Business District were used to test 12 hypotheses. The hypotheses centred on relationships of home location distance from the CBD and household travel distances, fuel costs as an influence on urban travel patterns, and possible links between environmental concern and urban travel behaviour. Attitudes toward all alternative modes of urban travel were tested, while questions on easy ways to reduce car use tested hypothesis on publicly acceptable car-reduction strategies. The thesis was developed within the philosophical and practical framework of Ecologically Sustainable Urban Development. Urban car use consumes much petroleum, facilitates car dependent urban growth and is enjoyed by nearly everyone. Cars are ubiquitous, convenient and generally the preferred mode of travel, although their negative impacts are well understood. Impending petroleum depletion will trigger a defining time of change in urban travel behaviour, structures and landuse. The North Queensland research has shown that people are essentially aware of a future need to reduce car use, but are in no hurry to sacrifice the convenience of car use until something as good or better comes along, or they are forced to alternatives because of increased car costs. The research defines current urban travel in Townsville and Cairns, along with values and beliefs about future urban travel. Cairns and Townsville are ideal study sites, isolated microcosms easily representing larger, more complex transport systems. The survey was stratified to three zones; central, middle and outer, in order to test hypotheses based on choice of home location and consequent travel. Every third house in three randomly selected Collector Districts from each zone received one of 216 questionnaires. A return of 406 forms, about 60%, included written input to 20 openended questions and logged 28,000 Km of travel data from 1,068 residents for one Friday of urban travelling. This thesis documents 3,500 urban trips and analyses how householders believe they may easily reduce current car use. This substantial data set showed that cars were used for 80% of trips, covering 90% of the distance travelled. Non-motorised trips accounted for only 3.5% of the 28,000 Km travelled. Outer residents travelled about the same number of trips as other residents but averaged two to three times the distance per trip. Urban distance travelled is very dependent on home location choices and residents are very self-aware of car dependence. The main reason for central living was proximity to householder’s usual destinations, also true for the middle zones, along with property prices. Outer zone residents usually chose their homes because of natural features or a large block of land. While recognising it to be very car dependent, people were generally satisfied with their current urban travel. There was widespread belief that better public transport and better planning of trips would reduce car use. Walking and cycling were seen as healthy exercise, but dangerous. There was a uniformly high level of environmental awareness and concern. Overall, people generally understand sustainability issues and were often quite sophisticated in that understanding. A simple theoretical model was developed inductively to help link internal and external space with price signals and changed urban travel behaviour. Price signals underlie choices of home location and urban travel options. Although environmental issues associated with unconstrained car use are understood by the public, their sheer convenience means cars will dominate urban travel until other modes become safer and more attractive. The main long-term deterrent to overwhelming car dependence will only be impending and major rises in the price of fuel. Twenty-two surveyed urban travel or energy experts identified cheap, easy ways to help reduce car use by such means as making walking or cycling along more continuous and well defined paths feels safe, and by clarifying bus movements at bus stops. I hope this work makes some lasting contribution to long-term urban settlement.

Becoming a mother during the teenage years is considerably more common among young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women than in the general community. Little is known about the issues facing pregnant and parenting young Indigenous women, yet 21% of Indigenous births are to teenagers, both nationally and locally. Despite falling teenage birth rates overall, rates are rising in some disadvantaged subgroups. Teenage motherhood is generally problematised in the community, although there is debate about whether poorer socioeconomic and educational outcomes are related to the birth itself, or to pre-existing disadvantage. Some have suggested that giving birth as a young woman may be an adaptive response to an extremely limited set of circumstances and options. Initially, the literature about the epidemiology and associations of teenage pregnancy in Australia and globally is reviewed, and then policies and programs and their effectiveness are briefly considered. This project focuses on how young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Townsville “story” their past, current and future lives, in particular in terms of sexual relationships and the transition to motherhood, but also in the broader context of current lived experience, family background, and hopes and aspirations. The approach to the analysis of the data is largely data driven. However, it draws heavily on “storying the future” as an approach that fits well with the “insider” views that were central to this study, and an Indigenous worldview that emphasises networking, family responsibilities and belonging. Young people have a certain amount of agency in terms of creating their own stories, and a fierce desire to exert that agency fully and enthusiastically, however they are limited in several respects. In particular social structures such as socioeconomic status, educational disadvantage, race and racism, and gender inequality, as well as a lack of family material and sociocultural resources may limit the range of stories available to young women. A critical approach was taken, drawing on youth marginalisation theory and a “storying the future” approach to privilege the voices of the young people involved and paint a picture of how they are creating their futures in the face of the structural obstacles they face. Innovative consultative methodology was used, with a Young Mums’ Group operating on a participatory action model serving to design the project, act as key participants and peer interviewers and as a social support group. Ethical principles of consultation, reciprocity and ownership were fundamental to the design and conduct. A multimethod design was chosen, with an inductive qualitative approach based on feminist principles. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews (individual and smallgroup) and a multimedia computer-assisted self-administered survey (CASI) with peer assistance, involving 186 students from 3 high schools and a homeless youth shelter, and 10 further young mothers. Emerging findings were reported back to participants and discussed with the Young Mums’ Group on an ongoing basis. Findings from the electronic survey and small group discussions present a picture of young Indigenous people in schools and a homeless youth shelter in terms of their educational and employment aspirations, their health, relationships, sexual practices and contraceptive use, and their views about teenage pregnancy and parenthood. Many students have high educational aspirations, as do their parents, but most students have few mentors or role models, and little clear information about pathways and transitions. They feel limited by low expectations of them at school, and frequently experience racist and oppressive behaviour at school, and overcrowding and other problems at home. Like other young people, they are embarking on sexual relationships, but these are firmly enmeshed in traditional discourses about romance and appropriate feminine and masculine behaviour, with coercion towards sexual intercourse and gender-based power imbalances very prevalent and reputation being a precious commodity. Despite adequate knowledge, contraceptive use is inconsistent, although very few young people want to become pregnant as a teenager. However, if they were to become pregnant, most young people believe they would receive family support, and would not consider options other than continuing with the pregnancy. Thus in terms of these young people, young parenthood may not be so much an active choice, as a lack of alternative options, with different consequences in terms of lost opportunity or social disapproval compared to non-Indigenous young people. Young Mums’ Group discussions and interviews with young mothers paint a vivid picture of disadvantaged young women struggling with high mobility, family dysfunction and abuse within their families-of-origin, disengaged from a schooling system that was not meeting their needs and drifting in terms of hopes or plans for the future. In this context they often became involved with abusing substances and entered relationships marked by coercion and manipulation. Their pregnancies, although unplanned, were not entirely unwanted, and the birth of their children was the stimulus for a major reorganisation of their life. They viewed their children as a transformative gift, often empowering them to make a series of positive changes in their lives. However, they continued to face difficulties due to inaccessible childcare, housing and education, ongoing relationship difficulties, poverty and stigma and judgement from others. They are clearly asking for practical support to close the gap between their dreams for their family and the limited social realities. Often in the media and scientific literature, high teenage pregnancy rates are sensationalised as a problem, “epidemic”, or crisis that must be fixed. However, this work suggests that our primary aim should not be reducing the rates of teenage pregnancy. Indeed it is morally questionable to pathologise and try to reduce a path which for some may be their only avenue to a maturity recognised in our society, and the only area of their lives over which they have some control, without providing a range of alternative means by which this state may be reached. Rather the emphasis must be on addressing underlying inequalities within society in terms of educational attainment, employment opportunities, and disparities on the grounds of ethnicity and gender, whilst simultaneously providing young people with information and access to a full range of health information and pathways, and empowering them in the area of actively constructing their own futures, and taking control of their reproductive health. At the same time support for young mothers must assist them in being the best mothers they can be, and building a future for themselves and their children. Finally, the policy implications are discussed and some recommendations for further work and action are proposed.

A study on the biology of an epiphytic foraminifera (Osangularia cf. venusta) has been conducted in the intertidal zone at Shelly Bay near Townsville, Australia, during the period of 1988 to 1990. The aims of the study were 1) to understand the general biology of O. cf. venusta, 2) to investigate the temporal patterns of O. cf. venusta distribution and its relationship with the substratum (seagrass blades), 3) to obtain information on the population' dynamics of O. cf. venusta including growth rate, recolonization, and migration. Sampling was carried out during low tide (< 0.5 metres), over three different time intervals : 1) monthly, 2) fortnightly, and 3) daily. Samples were fixed by using 70% ethanol as soon as the field works were completed. O. cf. venusta specimens were collected by detaching them from the seagrass blades under a stereo microscope. Detailed observations of the specimen was made by means of a stereo microscope and a scanning electron microscope. Locomotion was observed by video recording the movements of O. cf. venusta individuals on the Halodule uninervis blades. The study shows that individuals dislodging by physical and biological forces, may influence the population dynamics of O. cf. venusta especially the "age" distribution. These factors were also suspected to affect the temporal abundance, density and the proportion of microspheric and megalospheric individuals in the population. Other factors such as the condition of the seagrass, its abundance and blade area are also strongly believed to affect the temporal abundance of O. cf. venusta. Generally, left coiled individuals dominated the population during the study period. This coiling direction preference, however, could not be correlated to the temperature variations of the surrounding environment. "Twinned" specimens were observed in the O. cf. venusta population during the study period. The study shows that the "twinned" phenomenon in O. cf. venusta was probably initiated by the creation of a second aperture whilst the juvenile had only one chamber. The juvenile, then developed two rows of later chambers based on the two apertures. The present study also reveals that O. cf. venusta maintained its existence in the harsh intertidal environment by 1) reinforcing the test, 2) producing a large number of juveniles, 3) clinging on the blades of the intertidal seagrass Halodule uninervis, and 4) rapidly colonizing and recolonizing the "empty" seagrass blades.

Cultural, scientific and political issues associated with the conservation of Australian Aboriginal rock images are discussed. The process of significance assessment and its essential role in the development of a management plan is outlined. Emphasis is placed on the need for full recognition of Aboriginal ownership of Aboriginal cultural property, and the right of Aboriginal people to decide management and preservation policies for rock images is stressed. The major causes of deterioration of painted images are summarised and some recommended treatment methods are reviewed. A project involving the removal of graffiti from a Townsville site is described. Current methods for painted graffiti removal are assessed and recommendations made. A case study of the conservation requirements of Aboriginal painted images in the Townsville region is included.

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is immunosuppressive, particularly to antigen-specific cell-mediated processes, acting via direct and indirect (e.g. vitamin D-mediated) pathways. This research aimed to examine the influence of acute and cumulative solar UVR exposure, at doses relevant to day-to-day activities, on the primary immune response to immunisation in humans. The Australian Ultraviolet Radiation and Immunity (AusUVI) Study was a prospective, longitudinal, twin-centre immunotoxicological study. Healthy adults were immunised subcutaneously with the T-cell dependent antigen, keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH). Acute personal UVR exposure was measured by electronic UVR dosimeter worn on the wrist for ten days centred on the day of immunisation; and by sun diary. Cumulative UVR exposure was quantified by microtopographic analysis of silicone impressions of sun exposed skin. Variables that might confound the association between UVR and vaccine immune response were measured, including serum vitamin D (25(OH)D) level. Participants attended for five study visits over a period of 31 days, with recruitment spread over one year. Immune function outcomes were: anti-KLH IgG1 antibody levels measured by enzyme linked immunoassay; delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to KLH antigen (reflecting T helper cell-1 (Th1) processes); and quantification of T-helper cell subsets by flow cytometry-based methods. A pilot study trialled many components of the AusUVI Study protocol and immune assays. The AusUVI Study was conducted in the Australian cities of Canberra (35o2'S) and Townsville (19o1'S) from July 2010 to August 2011. Two hundred and twenty two healthy participants were recruited (Canberra: 110; Townsville: 112). Participants' average age was 27.9 years (range: 18 - 40 years) and 63.5% were female. Participants with both parents of northern European ancestry (70.0%) predominated. 25(OH)D levels and personal UVR exposure varied by season and by site of enrolment. Townsville participants had higher 10-day clothing-adjusted UVR exposure compared with Canberra participants (2.5 vs.1.8 standard erythemal dose (SED); p=0.003). Higher cumulative UVR exposure was strongly associated with age, male sex, Townsville residence and northern European ancestry. In multiple linear regression models, anti-KLH IgG1 response at day 21 post-immunisation was associated with age (antibody titre reduced by 1.6% per year of age; p=0.001) and sex (14.6% higher titre in females compared with males (p=0.004)). No association between KLH IgG1 response and acute or cumulative UVR exposure, or serum 25(OH)D levels was demonstrated. Reduced DTH response to KLH recall challenge at day 21 post-immunisation was associated with higher acute UVR exposure on the day prior ('Day 5') to immunisation (p=0.015), and Days 5-8 and 5-9 (p=0.039 and p=0.025, respectively) that spanned the pre- and post-immunisation period. No association with cumulative UVR or serum 25(OH)D levels was demonstrated. Change in T-helper 17 (Th17) cell percentage between pre- and post-vaccination time points differed in direction when comparing the low and high UVR exposure groups (-0.39% vs. 0.31%; p=0.004). In conclusion, acute personal solar UVR exposure, at doses relevant to day-to-day activities, modulated the primary cell-mediated immune responses to KLH immunisation. Cumulative UVR exposure and serum 25(OH)D levels were not associated with immune function outcomes.

This research aims to explore and develop a framework for understanding the mediating role of dogs in people's learning processes in vocational education and training settings. Specifically, it aims to answer two questions: In what ways do people use dogs as mediating artifacts in their meaning-making processes; and what are the effects of dogs in mediating individual and group learning processes? This study examines the lived experiences and reflections of 15 students and their teachers who interacted with three dogs during a six and a half day vocational education and training course. The course was held in a major regional centre in northern Australia by a private training provider. The research employed six data collection techniques: a pre-course questionnaire; classroom observations; a critical events technique; the repertory grid technique; post-course interviews; and the researcher's personal journal. The results of this study suggest that there were four dichotomous dimensions of people's use of the dogs: Active—reFlective (A—F), Initiating—Responding (I—R), Material—Conceptual (M—C) and Spontaneous—Planned (S—P). These dimensions appear to resonate with three of the Big Five dimensions of personality. The Big Five dimensions of personality have been used to understand the different ways in which people learn. This suggests that people's use of the dogs as artifacts may share possible relationships with dimensions of personality and people's learning styles. Exploring these relationships suggested a previously hidden dimension of artifact use, Emotional—Logical (E—L), that may be congruent with another dimension of personality. Additionally, these dimensions appear to share dynamic relationships that may provide a deeper understanding of how people used the dogs as artifacts, by illustrating how they work and interact together. The results of this study also revealed Paws For Thought the functioning of individual preferences within these dimensions, which may have been moderated by a number of factors. The results of this study suggest that the mediating role of the dogs may be understood by the way they appeared to have functioned as artifacts in three domains of the learning environment: cognitive, affective and social. In the cognitive domain the dogs may be seen to have functioned as artifacts by stimulating arousal, attention, focus and concentration through positive distraction. In the affective domain the dogs may be seen to have functioned as artifacts by: triggering positive emotional responses to arousal; stimulating feelings of enjoyment, calm, warmth and peace; and by fostering a relaxed and informal atmosphere. In the social domain the dogs may be seen to have functioned as artifacts by: serving as a social ice-breaker, providing a value-free conversation starter; and by functioning in people's perceptions of others through the use of social axioms, which may have factored in the construction of their social relationships. This study is significant because it provides new knowledge by offering a framework for understanding the mediating role of dogs in people's learning processes. It therefore provides a map to understand in what ways dogs may be seen to function as artifacts and how this works. It also opens up ways of seeing and understanding what may occur in other settings, and provides new ways of being attentive to what happens in the classroom. The examination of the processes that take place during people's interaction with the dogs also provides new knowledge by offering a framework to understand how and why these interactions make the results reported by researchers possible. It may therefore open the way for improving animal assisted therapy and education programmes, and adapting them to situations beyond therapeutic and childhood education settings. This study holds significance for practitioners because it provides the opportunity to broaden traditional theories of artifacts and artifact use to include animals alongside the inanimate. It may also extend established understandings of artifacts and their use in the classroom. This understanding suggests the importance for practitioners to know how to use artifacts in different ways, and to show and teach those ways to others. This study holds further significance for practitioners because it reveals insights into how teachers may bridge the teacher—student divide by balancing their traditional focus on assessable outcomes and the task environment, with students' inherently social learning processes.

Neil Binnie investigated space as lived experience in the urban landscape of Townsville. He discovered and visualised the evolving nature of space in a regional city through practice-based research. The results contributed to local arts and culture with an exhibition of contemporary art and supporting exegesis.

Townsville's Old Gaol was the first major gaol of fixed structures in North Queensland. The Old Gaol was completed in March 1880, and was situated in North Ward, Townsville. The new gaol, at Stuart's Creek, was completed in 1891. In 1955, the Townsville Central State Primary School was erected on the Old Gaol's premises. The design incorporated the use of at least one of the original Old Gaol structures. This thesis documents the history of the original structures of the Old Gaol, in regard to the way that people and structures interrelate. The re-use of the premises by other Government departments is another major topic of this thesis. Also included are discussions on the aspects involved in the design process, and effects that the original design have had on the use and re-use of the Old Gaol.

This thesis focuses on a small, rural hamlet that was established in 1866 'at the foot' of Hervey Range in Far North Queensland. The hamlet was centred on the Range Hotel, but was also known to have had a small blacksmith shop and a cemetery. The hotel was one of five built alongside Hervey Range Road, which linked the newly gazetted port of Townsville to the inland supply town of Dalrymple and the gold, silver and tin mines of the hinterland. The research undertaken to investigate this settlement was constructed around four main questions: can archaeological evidence contribute to our understanding of the cultural landscape of the hamlet; the social role of the Range Hotel within the community; how women experienced and actively contributed to early settler life; and whether social respectability was important to the residents of a hamlet that was centred on the provision of alcohol. Archival and genealogy research revealed three new families who had resided in the hamlet, identified some of the social interactions and events, or instances of community (Yaeger & Canuto, 2000), that occurred during each of the hamlet's 18 years of occupation and provided evidence for an additional five, previously unknown, internments in the small cemetery. Archaeological surveys and excavations located the remains of the blacksmith shop that was built by John McNeill, a related rubbish dump, a stone floor that is likely part of the Range Hotel's stables and the possible site of the McNeill family home. These discoveries were used to examine the cultural landscape of the hamlet and appear to show that the settlement was probably divided into three separate, but related areas: a camping ground for the carriers and road workers, a business/residential area that included the hotel, stables, blacksmith shop and houses, and small cemetery. These areas were linked to each other and the wider landscape by Hervey Range Road. The recovered artefacts were used to assess the resident's social aspirations, using Quirk's (2007) six archaeological indictors for middle-class 'gentility' and working-class 'respectability'. Alcohol was often viewed as the 'working man's scourge' and one premise of respectability was the avoidance of this vice. The prominence of alcohol related bottles found across the excavated sites should perhaps have implied that the residents did not desire respectability and yet the recovered evidence did not support this. People in the hamlet appeared to have had comfortable, if simple homes, desired non-essential fashion accessories and used varied decorative ceramics to entertain both family and friends. These findings, therefore, suggest that respectability was achieved, even though alcohol was probably drunk by both the male and female residents. This layered theoretical approach has produced a fine-grained narrative that highlights the experiences and active roles that individual males and females played within their families and in the wider community. The results add to the understanding of how early Far North Queensland was successfully settled, with the residents' daily lives likely mirroring those of many of the other early settlers. This work also demonstrates how the community was not a 'bounded' entity, but was in fact linked across the wider landscape through the fluid movement of people and the formation of fictive-kin networks (Prangnell and Mate 2011). The discussion on gentility challenges the idea that alcohol was the antithesis of respectability, instead concluding that the type of community, the varieties of alcohol bottles found and even the identification of triggers that may have led someone to start drinking all need to be taken into account when drawing conclusions from the archaeological finds at a particular site. This thesis provides an important link to research that has already been undertaken in Townsville and on the pastoral stations and gold mines of the hinterland and also suggests further avenues of research. It also demonstrates how a layered theoretical approach can successfully investigate small communities and be used to highlight how ordinary people often led extraordinary lives. Discovering and telling their stories can help to enhance the past and reconnect it to the present.