2007 graduate team

• Laura's story
• Alanna's story
• Jonathan's story
• Michelle's story
• Stephen's story
• Anthony's story

Laura's story

I originally grew up in South Gippsland, rural Victoria, but shifted to Melbourne to study Science at the University of Melbourne. I completed my degree, majoring in geology and zoology with first class honours at the end of 2006. My honours project had a soft rock focus, incorporating sedimentology, petrography and palaeontology. I primarily investigated the origin and age of the Kanawinka Escarpment in the Portland region as there is still active debate surrounding whether this feature is a fault or coastal cliff.

I had previously completed some vacation work in the mining industry and, from this, realised that I also had an interest in petroleum exploration. Geoscience Australia initially appealed to me because of its offshore petroleum programs. However, after investigating further I also realised that I was interested in many other research areas, including natural hazard research such as bushfires and tsunami modelling.

The only drawback that I could see with working at GA was shifting to Canberra. However, coming from Melbourne, which has few sizable petroleum related companies, I was resigned to the fact that I would have to shift. Overall, the shift has been entirely pain free, with everyone being friendly and willing to help. I have also noticed that the landscape is much more reminiscent of my childhood home, which is a very pleasant surprise.

My first rotation this year is working with one of the offshore research groups, identifying characteristics and common areas of source rock.

[back to top]

Alanna's story

My background prior to taking up a position at GA in the 2007 graduate program was predominantly in the field of igneous petrology.

I completed my BSc and the first year of my MSc at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. During that time I undertook courses that had a strong emphasis on natural hazards, mapping, engineering geology and igneous petrology.

I was fortunate to be offered an MSc thesis project studying basement granites in Antarctica through the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. As part of this research I spent a month in the field in the Transantarctic Mountains collecting samples and mapping exposed basement rocks as well as enjoying the spectacular views.

I began my PhD thesis, entitled ‘Investigations into the crustal processing of magmas at the Tatara-San Pedro volcanic complex, Chilean Andes’, at the University of Queensland in May 2002. The detailed mineral-scale (textural, elemental and isotopic) analysis undertaken during my research enabled me to use a selection of minerals as recorders for the different magmatic processes (e.g., magma mixing, cumulate recycling, crustal anatexis, etc) occurring within the continental crust. My research involved a month’s field work collecting samples on a remote volcano in the Chilean Andes; bulk rock elemental and isotopic analysis; textural, chemical and isotopic analysis at the mineral-scale and interpretation of SHRIMP zircon analysis. My thesis, completed in October 2006, provides insight into the source of high-silica magmas, the nature of interaction between mantle-derived basalts and the continental crust (melts and cumulates) and the relative crustal depth and timing of these interactions.

For me the major attraction of a career at GA is the considerable variety of research undertaken here and the implicit understanding that I would be exposed to diverse areas of science that did not form part of my undergraduate or postgraduate study.

My rotation at GA includes working in an area of natural hazard risk assessment, including volcanoes, as part of a joint endeavour with AusAid.

[back to top]

Jonathan's story

I graduated from the University of Wollongong in December 2006 with a double degree, Bachelor of Sience(Geosciences)- Bachelor of Mathematics, with honours in geosciences. My interests include sedimentology, geomorphology, oceanography, climate, natural hazards, structural geology and the use of mathematical methods and models in the earth sciences.

Many of these interests were reflected in my honours thesis, entitled "A quantitative approach to sediment mobility and across-shelf transport on the southern NSW continental shelf". In my thesis I used and modified existing wind and wave driven models of shelf sediment transport to predict the frequency of sediment mobilisation and direction of cross-shelf transport.

One of the attractions of working for GA was the opportunity to work on a variety of projects in different fields. I am also excited about the opportunity to work on projects that are occurring at a national, or even international scale, and to meet a variety of people with expertise in many different fields.

My first rotation involves using wavelets to explore relationships between geomagnetism and climate.

[back to top]

Michelle's story

I grew up in Melbourne and completed a BSc Hons degree at the University of Melbourne in 1999. My honours project involved examining the water chemistry of naturally carbonated mineral springs at Daylesford, north east of Melbourne, and considering the implications of over-pumping. I then spent 4 years travelling and living abroad before moving back to Australia in November 2003.

I've spent the past three years working on my PhD at James Cook University in Townsville, investigating the characteristics, source and fate of sediment in the Burdekin Dam (Lake Dalrymple) and its 2 major tributaries, the Burdekin and Suttor Rivers.

I'm really looking forward to the coming year in GA's graduate program. The program will enable me to work in, and experience each division within the organisation whilst being part of exciting and relevant research that will directly benefit the Australian public.

My first rotation includes working with Amy Prendergast, a previous GA graduate, reviewing and investigating geological records of tsunami in south-eastern Australia.

[back to top]

Stephen's story

I moved up from Melbourne after completing an honours degree in Geomatic Engineering at the University of Melbourne, majoring in a variety of spatial and remote sensing applications. In my final year research project I completed an assessment of the recently launched Network Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS system, called MELBpos, which is Victoria's co-operative GPS base station network.

My degree at Melbourne was strongly focused on the spatial sciences such as GIS, geodesy and remote sensing. The attraction in working for GA is the exposure and opportunities I will get to national scope projects not only in these areas, but areas such as geology that weren’t a focus of my studies.

In my first rotation at GA I will be working with, and reviewing earthquake data to aid in earthquake hazard mapping.

[back to top]

Anthony's story

I was born in Melbourne and lived there until moving to Canberra this year to commence the GA graduate program.

In 2003 I began a BSc at the University of Melbourne majoring in earth sciences, which I completed in 2005. In 2006 I chose to undertake an additional honours year. My research project involved the geochemical analysis of an A-type granitic body in western Victoria in order to determine its origin and formation.

After I completed my honours project, and began looking for work, I came across the GA graduate program. It was exactly what I was looking for due to the diversity and practical implications of the research in which GA is involved.

My first rotation at GA I will be using PIMA (Portable Infrared Mineral Analyser) to map out alteration minerals to identify fluid pathways.