The study of geography draws on students’ curiosity about the diversity of the world’s places and their
peoples, cultures and environments. It enables them to appreciate the complexity of our world and the
diversity of its environments, economies and cultures and use this knowledge to promote a more
sustainable way of life and awareness of social and spatial inequalities.

In the senior secondary years, the Geography General course provides a structured, disciplinary framework
to investigate and analyse a range of challenges and associated opportunities facing Australia and the global
community. These challenges include rapid change in biophysical environments, the sustainability of places,
dealing with environmental risks and the consequences of international integration.

Geography addresses questions about the interaction of natural and human environments within various
natural and social systems. It examines the factors that impact upon decisions about sustainability, the
conflicting values between individuals and groups over sustainability and the degree of commitment
towards sustainable development.

Geography as a discipline values imagination, creativity and speculation as modes of thought. It provides a
systematic, integrative way of exploring, analysing and applying the concepts of place, space, environment,
interconnection, sustainability, scale and change. These principal geographical concepts are applied and
explored in depth through unit topics, to provide a deeper knowledge and understanding of the complex
processes shaping our world. Taken together, the ability of students to apply conceptual knowledge, in the
context of an inquiry, and the application of skills, constitute ‘thinking geographically’ – a uniquely powerful
way of viewing the world.

The course builds students’ knowledge and understanding of the uniqueness of places and an appreciation
that place matters in explanations of economic, social and environmental phenomena and processes. It also
develops students’ knowledge about the interconnections between places. Nothing exists in isolation.
Consequently, the subject considers the significance of location, distance and proximity.

Through the study of geography, students develop the ability to investigate the arrangement of biophysical
and human phenomena across space in order to understand the interconnections between people, places
and environments. As a subject of the Humanities and Social Sciences, geography studies spatial aspects of
human culture using inquiry methods that are analytical, critical and speculative. In doing so, it values
imagination and creativity. As a Science, geography develops an appreciation of the role of the biophysical
environment in human life and an understanding of the effects human activities can have on environments.
As a result, it develops students’ ability to identify, evaluate and justify appropriate and sustainable
approaches to the future by thinking holistically and spatially in seeking answers to questions. Students are
encouraged to investigate geographical issues and phenomenon from a range of perspectives, including
those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

In the Geography (General) course, students investigate geographical issues and phenomena in a variety of
scales and contexts. This may include: comparative studies at the same scale; studying the same issue or
phenomenon at a range of scales; or seeking explanations at a different scale to the one being studied.