Question Booklet
2015 australian geography competition
I N
1
S T R U C T I O
N
S
Fill in your name, school code (your teacher will give you this), school’s
postcode, your gender and age. You must fill in the ovals, not just write the
letters and numbers, as the computer only reads the ovals. For example, a
filled-in postcode (for some other school) would look like the sample on the
right. Also fill in an oval in the school assigned column if instructed to do so by
your teacher. Otherwise leave it blank.
2
If you are 13 years or under on 31 August 2015 complete Questions 1-30.
3
If you are 14 or 15 years old on 31 August 2015 complete Questions 1-40.
4
If you are 16 to 18 years old on 31 August 2015 complete Questions 16-50.
5
Answer all questions by filling in only one oval on the answer sheet
corresponding to the most appropriate answer for each question. If you
change your mind, you must erase the wrong answer so that only one oval is
filled in for each question.
6
You have 35 minutes to answer the questions. The time to fill in the
preliminary information is extra.
7
Do not mark the front or back of the answer sheet in any other way as this can
lead to errors in the computerised marking, or to your not getting a result.
Australian Geography Competition 2015
DARWIN
Weipa
Millimetres
Kalumburu
Katherine
Kowanyama
3000
2000
Cairns
Halls Creek
Broome
1500
Normanton
Tennant
Creek
Port
Hedland
1000
Townsville
Mount Isa
600
Mackay
Telfer
400
300
Longreach
Newman
Giles
Rockhampton
Alice Springs
Birdsville
Carnarvon
200
100
Charleville
Wiluna
50
Oodnadatta
BRISBANE
0
Marree
Geraldton
Bourke
Cook
KalgoorlieBoulder
Port
Augusta
Ceduna
PERTH
Esperance
Albany
Port
Lincoln
Coffs
Harbour
Dubbo
Mildura
ADELAIDE
SYDNEY
CANBERRA
Horsham
Average rainfall
Annual
MELBOURNE
Warrnambool
Orbost
Cape Grim
St. Helens
Based on a standard 30-year
climatology (1961-1990)
Strahan
Projection: Lambert conformal with
standard parallels 10oS, 40oS.
Figure 1. Australia’s average annual rainfall
© Commonwealth of Australia
60
Start at Question 1 if you are under 16
years old on 31 August 2015. Start at
Question 16 if you are older.
From Figure 1, what is Darwin’s average
annual rainfall?
A
between 600 and 1000 mm
B
between 1000 and 1500 mm
Total = 256 mm
50
Rainfall (mm)
1
c Commonwealth of Australia, 2010
HOBART
40
30
20
C between 1500 and 2000 mm
10
D between 2000 and 3000 mm
E
2
above 3000 mm
From Figure 1, which state or territory has
the driest climate overall?
A
New South Wales
B Northern Territory
C Queensland
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Figure 2. Rainfall at Horsham Airport, western
Victoria, for 2014
Source: Bureau of Meteorology
3
From Figure 2, when did Horsham receive
the most rain in 2014?
D South Australia
A
autumn and winter
E
B
spring and summer
Western Australia
C summer and autumn
D summer and winter
E
Page 2
winter and spring
Australian Geography Competition 2015
4
Using Figures 1 and 2, was Horsham’s 2014
rainfall:
A
about average
B
above average
7
Why does Dubai, in the United Arab
Emirates, rely on the technology in Figure 3
for nearly 99% of its water supply?
A Dubai needs less water as tourist numbers
are falling.
C below average
D more than 400 mm above average
E
B
more than 400 mm below average
Dubai’s average annual rainfall is less than
100 mm.
C It is cheaper than taking water from rivers.
D It uses a lot of energy.
Sydney Water
Distribution
System
E
8
Which of these is a primary source of data
that could be used in a liveability study?
Pumping
Station
Pre-Treatment
Reverse Osmosis
Stage 1
Seawater
Concentrate
Reverse Osmosis
Outlet
Stage 2
5
Delivery
Pumps
fresh water
B
ground water
© SDP Pty Ltd
C melted ice
D salt water
E
6
A
It affects the marine environment at the
waste outlet.
B
It does not produce water suitable for
drinking.
C It takes unsustainable amounts of water
from aquifers.
D Its production is greatly reduced in times of
drought.
The text in Figure 4 describes the
settlement of:
A
Australia
B
Canada
D New Zealand
E United States of America
10
water vapour
all of the above
population pyramid
C Mexico
What do some protesters see as a
disadvantage of the process shown in
Figure 3?
E
climate graph
Figure 4. Settlement pattern
One benefit of the process shown in Figure
3 is that it uses:
A
B
European settlement started in the east of the
country and spread overland to the west. The
country’s two most populous cities are on its east
coast and its west coast.
9
Figure 3. Kurnell Plant, Sydney
census website
E
Post-Treatment
Water
Storage
Tank
A
C interviews with local residents
D newspaper article on local crime
Delivery Pipeline
Ocean
Seawater
Intake
Rising sea levels flooded Dubai’s dams.
Which of these farming practices reduces
soil erosion?
A
leaving paddocks bare between crops
B
ploughing down the slope of hills
C removing vegetation beside watercourses
D retaining stubble after harvest
E
11
tilling the soil to remove weeds
The consumption of coffee, tea and
chocolate in Australia has contributed to
the clearing of which type of vegetation in
other countries?
A grassland
B
rainforest
C savannah
D tundra
E
woodland
Page 3
Australian Geography Competition 2015
A
13
B
14
C
153°9´E
15
D
16
17
818
SP261937
BRIBIE ISLAND
NATIONAL PARK
B A N K S I A
1
B E A C H
10
105
NPW806
WHITE PAT CH
HE
AT
A
HL
ST
ND
10
1
2
LA
MI
VOYA
GE
ESP
F
N
TCH
DR
PA
GO
DR
ST
RS
2
P
LA ND
Cosmos
Park
DR
09
3
IVE
D R C OSMOS
AVE
AL
TE
08
C CT
B LV
D
105
NPW806
Banksia
Beach
S.S.
g
lki n
Wa
K A KA D
U
TRADEWIND S
ES P
08
DR
DE
N D ER
S UND ER
•
BRIBIE ISLAND
NATIONAL PARK
P ORT
09
CT
CC
Y
DR
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S O LA
SS
B A LAN
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3
TOORBUL
BRIBIE ISLAND
NATIONAL PARK
IL
T T
OPSA
PA CI FIC
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PHOE N
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AV E
AV
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OY
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PA R
Page 4
15
DR
K
AL
DR
DOO
IN
W
D O LPH
U
EM
B
O LG
JA S
B ES
Figure 5. Topographic map, 2015
E
A
ARR
06
W
D
14
5
S
Bribie Island
Police
Station
R
A
2
SP154829
9
SP237577
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ND
13
RD
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NS B
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27°4´S
06
Bribie Island
Fire Station
T EA
LA
23
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PRO
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6
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17
© The State of Queensland © Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)
6
Australian Geography Competition 2015
Legend
12
The area shown in Figure 5 is
representative of which type of landscape?
A arid
B coastal
C karst
D mountain
E volcanic
13
What runs along the eastern boundary of
Banksia Beach S.S. (B3 Figure 5)?
A 4WD track
B high voltage transmission line
C local road
D major road tunnel
E walking trail
14
In which direction is the marina (A6) from
the Fire Station (C5)?
A ENE
B NE
C SW
D W
E WSW
15
What is the distance across the water
spanned by Bribie Bridge (B6)?
A 330 m
B 740 m
C 830 m
D 1.4 km
E 3.3 km
CULTURAL FEATURES
Place of Interest ...........
Settlement
................ Major Commercial Centre
Industrial Area ............................
Built-up Area ........................
F
..................................................... Fire Station
CITY
G
"
Police Station ......................................
"
..................................... Shopping Centre
!
!
TOWN
............. Educational Facility
(e.g. School, Childcare,
University, Kindergarten)
!
Rescue Facility ..........................
R
VILLAGE
!
G
SES
................................ Ambulance Station
..................... Health Facility
!
State Emergency
Services Facility ............................
Racecourse ............................................................
!
........................................ Swimming Pool
.................................... Recreational Area
(e.g. Parks, Gardens,
Golf Courses)
!
High Voltage .........................................
Transmission
Electricity Facility .................................
Sports Field .........................................................
................... Prohibited Area
(e.g. Correctional Facility,
Detention Centre,
Military Facility)
o
Airport ...........................
Distorted Surface
(e.g. Mine, Quarry,
Waste Station) ............................................
..................................... Building
Transport
Tunnel
Freeway / Highway ........
4WD Tracks ...............
Tunnel
Major Roads ..................
Trails ...................
Connector Roads ..........
Zoomed In
Local Roads ...................
Zoomed Out
Railway ..............
Private Roads ................
Cadastre
Name
{
{
Walking
Trail Bike
Mountain Bike
Horse
Station / Siding
Open
!
@
Proposed
Abondoned
Boundary / Region
Locality ................
WI LSTO N
Local Authority ...
P A R O O
National Park .......
D'AGUILAR
NATIONAL PARK
.............................. Conservation Park
1 ............. Lot Number
RP71395 ... Plan Number
.................. Cadastral Line
.................................................... State Forest
........... Easement
State Border ....................................................
RELIEF
MT ETON
ETON
MT
104
104
130
Contour with value....................
!
100
......................... Peak
Cliff...........................................
Rock Outcrop..............................
Sand Dune........................................................................................................
VEGETATION
Sparse
## ## ## ## ## ##
# # # # # # # # # # #...............................................
#
Plantation
## ## ## ## ## ##
# ## ## ## ## ## #
## ## ## ## ## ##
########################
# ## ## ## ## ## #
## ## ## ## ## ##
# ## ## ## ## ## #
## ## ## ## ## ##
# ## ## ## ## ## #
.................. Vineyard
## ## ## ## ## ##
Vegetation ..................................
Orchard ...........................................
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
HYDROGRAPHY
.................................. Sand
Dense
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
........ Waterhole
Dam Wall / Weir ......
Swamp ......
Start at Question 16 if you are 16 to 18
years old on 31 August 2015. If you are
younger, continue answering questions.
.................. Mangrove
Watercourse ..........................
Non-Perrenial
Perrenial
Lake ......................................
..............................................Subject To
Inundation
Saline Coastal Flat ....................................
16
What is the scale of the map in Figure 5?
A 1:2,500
B 1:10,000
C 1:25,000
D 1:50,000
E 1:100,000
17
What is located at grid reference 152064 in
Figure 5?
A lake
B national park
C police station
D waterfront
E Welsby Parade
......Intertidal Flat or Bank
................................................. Reef
Claypan ...............
........................................... Shoal
................................ Wreck
........................ Offshore Rock
F
W
Cultural Features relating
to Hydrography
Marine Park .............................
Marina ..................................
Jetty/Wharf .........................
Breakwater .....................
Surf Life
Saving Club ............
!
<
Grid North
0
0.25
0.5
1
Kilometres
Page 5
Australian Geography Competition 2015
19
Open this page out to see the map at the
same time.
Using Figures 5 and 7, what is located at ‘R’
on the Landsat image?
A
Banksia Beach S.S.
B
Cosmos Park
C major commercial centre
D marina
E
A
20
B
police station
What is the land cover at ‘Q’ in Figure 7
likely to be?
A
airport
C
B
beach
D
C built-up area
D national park
E
21
E
X
Y
swamp
Compare the area in B4-C4 (Figure 5) with
the same area in the 1994 image (Figure 7).
Which of these statements is correct?
Figure 6. Terrain and land-use sketches
A
18
Which sketch in Figure 6 best represents
the terrain and land-use between points X
and Y in Figure 5?
B Fewer people now live in the area.
C The mangrove community now occupies
more area.
A
sketch A
B
sketch B
D There is an increased nursery area for
aquatic species.
C sketch C
D sketch D
E
E
The area is a good example of habitat
protection.
Urban development has replaced the
wetland ecosystem.
sketch E
Table 1. Effects of nitrogen fertiliser on yield of
canola in the Victorian Wimmera
Source: R. Norton & N. Wachsmann
Fertiliser applied (kg/ha)
R
22
Q
Grain yield (t/ha)
0
1.6
70
2.5
140
2.5
210
2.8
Which statement best fits the statistics in
Table 1?
A
Applying fertiliser above the optimum rate
is wasteful.
B
Applying fertiliser does not increase the
yield.
C Canola needs fertiliser to grow.
Figure 7. Landsat-5 satellite false colour composite
image of southern Bribie Island, 1994
© United States Geological Survey
D Yield decreases at the same rate as
fertiliser is applied.
E
Yield increases at the same rate as fertiliser
is applied.
Page 6
Australian Geography Competition 2015
10,000
South (-ve)
m³/yr
North (+ve)
15,000
5,000
0
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Spring
Total
-5,000
Figure 8. Modelled transport of material under
Bribie Bridge
Source: Moreton Bay Regional Council
Figure 9.
26
23
From Figure 8, when is there likely to be the
smallest NET transport of material under
Bribie Bridge?
A autumn
B
© FreeBigPictures.com
The vegetation shown in Figure 9 is most
typical of areas with which climate?
A
hot and wet all year
B
long hot summer, mild winter
C short summer, very cold winter
spring
D warm dry summer, mild wet winter
C summer
E
warm wet summer, dry winter
D summer and spring are equal
E
24
winter
Given the longshore drift shown in Figure 8,
which of these is most likely to form?
A
a fringing coral reef around Bribie Island
B
a sea cave at the northern end of Bribie
Island
C a sea cave at the southern end of Bribie
Island
D a spit at the northern end of Bribie Island
E a spit at the southern end of Bribie Island
25
Our island’s environment is facing serious
degradation due to over-exploitation by the ■■■
industry, according to activists. Garbage, water
scarcity, massive land conversions and traffic jams
have increased due to the island’s inability to manage
■■■.
Wayan Suardana, of the Indonesia Environmental
Forum, said the problems had resulted from massive
development in the ■■■ industry since the 1990s
that had changed from ‘cultural’ to ‘mass ■■■’.
The island’s limited natural resources have often led
to conflict, he said. “We used to be able to achieve
self-sufficiency in agriculture, but no longer.”
The reasons why people migrate can be
classified as push or pull factors. Which of
these is a PUSH factor for people moving
from rural to urban areas in China?
Figure 10. Stop over-exploiting environment
A
Cities are centres of culture and tradition.
27
B
Cities have higher-priced housing.
Source: adapted from Jakarta Post, 2 September 2011
In Figure 10, which industry’s name has
been blocked out?
C Rural areas have cleaner environments.
A
agriculture
D Rural areas have limited employment
opportunities.
B
manufacturing
E
D retail
Page 7
Urban areas are drivers of economic
development.
C mining
E
tourism
Australian Geography Competition 2015
28
With which country does Australia have the
most two-way trade?
A
China
B
Japan
If you are under 14 years old on 31
August 2015 stop at Question 30. If you
are older, continue answering questions.
C Singapore
D South Korea
E
31
United States of America
Million
8
The Balinese worldview, Tri Hita Karana,
focuses on living in harmonious balance
with people, nature and the gods. Which
geographical concept does this best
illustrate?
A
7
change
B place
C scale
6
5
D space
E sustainability
4
3
Table 2. Australians’ life expectancy at birth, 2010-12
2
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics
1
0
1973
Population group
1983
1993
Sydney
2003
Melbourne
2013
2023
Brisbane
2033
2043
Adelaide
2053
Males
Perth
Figure 11. Estimated and projected populations for
Australia’s larger capital cities
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics
29
68.0
67.3
Non-Indigenous
79.9
78.5
Indigenous*
73.1
72.3
Non-Indigenous
83.0
82.5
* Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Brisbane
32
D Perth
From Table 2, in which population group
is the gap between Indigenous and nonIndigenous life expectancy greatest?
E
A
females living in cities and inner regional
areas
Governments need to manage rapid urban
growth to:
A keep people connected through efficient
transport links
B
females living in outer regional and remote
areas
B
D males living in outer regional and remote
areas
C Melbourne
30
Indigenous*
Females
From Figure 11, which city is projected to
have the highest growth RATE between
1973 and 2053?
A Adelaide
B
Cities and
Outer regional
inner regional and remote
Sydney
C males living in cities and inner regional
areas
maintain the environmental quality of the
city’s air and water
C preserve parts of the natural landscape for
its recreational and spiritual values
E
D reduce differences in accessibility to
services in inner and outer areas
E
all of the above
Page 8
there is no discernible gap
Australian Geography Competition 2015
33
Which statement about influences on life
expectancy is correct, based on the data in
Table 2?
A People’s indigenousness has more
influence than where they live.
B
37
C Where people live has more influence than
their gender.
E
34
38
Where people live has no influence.
35
The serious outbreak of ebola in West
Africa in 2014 has severely affected Guinea,
Liberia and:
Kenya
D Sierra Leone
E
a trend
39
Tunisia
Which international organisation is
coordinating the response to the ebola
outbreak?
A
IMF
B UNESCO
C UNHCR
have better access to medical services
D WHO
C lead more active lifestyles
E
D live in environments with less air pollution
E
years of schooling
B Morocco
C Namibia
an anomaly
random distribution
The most likely reason that people living in
cities and inner regional areas can expect
to live longer is because they:
A are more likely to have office jobs
B
cultural resilience
A
C relative location
D spatial association
E
community vitality
B
E
The data in Table 2 includes an example of:
A
B
A
C good governance
D life satisfaction
People’s indigenousness has no influence.
D Where people live has more influence than
their indigenousness.
Which of these is a quantitative indicator of
human wellbeing?
none of the above
40
WMO
Which of these was NOT a factor in the
seriousness of the ebola outbreak?
A
The disease spread to densely populated
cities.
B
Ebola is very infectious as it is an air-borne
disease.
C The health infrastructure in the three
countries is very weak.
1
2
3
D Local cultural practices ensured physical
contact with the dead and dying.
E Tracking of cases across the three
countries was poorly coordinated.
Figure 12. Network models
Source: adapted from J. Willbanks
36
The three networks illustrated in Figure 12
are, from 1 to 3:
A
centralised, decentralised, distributed
B
decentralised, centralised, grid
If you are under 16 years old on 31 August
2015 stop at Question 40. If you are older,
continue to the end of the questions.
C distributed, grid, random
D radial, random, centralised
E
random, radial, distributed
Page 9
Australian Geography Competition 2015
A
B
Figure 13. Fire and regeneration
C
D
A © Scouts Australia/J. Elliott; B © N. Carson; C and D © CSIRO, Forest Phoenix
In Australia the McArthur Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) is widely used to forecast the influence of weather on fire
behavior, and is a key tool for assessing fire danger. It is based on the temperature, wind speed and relative humidity
at mid-afternoon, rainfall in the previous 24 hours, and the Drought Factor. The Drought Factor represents the
influence of recent temperature and rainfall events on fuel availability.
Figure 14. McArthur Forest Fire Danger Index
Source: adapted from Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research
Rainfall
(mm)
20
15
10
5
0
Temperature
(°C)
40
30
20
Drought
Factor
Wind Speed
(km.h-1)
Relative Humidity
(%)
10
100
80
60
40
20
0
60
40
20
0
10
8
6
4
2
0
19 Dec
2002
29 Dec
2002
8 Jan
2003
18 Jan
2003
28 Jan
2003
7 Feb
2003
Figure 15. Time series of FFDI components at Canberra for the days around the Canberra bushfires on 18
January 2003
Source: Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research
Page 10
Australian Geography Competition 2015
44
What caused the subsequent wind shift
that made the Ash Wednesday fires so
dangerous?
A cold front moving east
B cold front moving west
C Coral Sea low pressure system moving
north
D Coral Sea low pressure system moving
south
E
45
Figure 16. Synoptic chart for the Victorian Ash
Wednesday bushfires, 16 February 1983
© Bureau of Meteorology
Study Figures 14 and 15. Which weather
factors on 18 January 2003 contributed to
the Canberra bushfires?
A average rainfall, mild temperatures, low
humidity, strong winds
B
41
Which option puts the photos in Figure 13
into the shortest appropriate time
sequence?
A
B
A, D, C, B
B, A, D, C
E
D D, B, A, C
42
D, C, A, B
46
Which type of vegetation is shown in Figure
13?
A
alpine woodland
B
closed scrub
B
D soil type
E
47
3 January 2003
C 14 January 2003
D 30 January 2003
E
D steep pressure gradient in the Southern
Ocean
trough extending from WA
topography
Using Figures 14 and 15, which of these
days had the most dangerous fire
conditions?
A 24 December 2002
B
low pressure system in the Coral Sea
C low pressure system in the Southern
Ocean
E
local government area
C population density
D open woodland
E wet sclerophyll forest
Which feature shown on the synoptic chart
(Figure 16) caused the very hot weather
during the Ash Wednesday bushfires?
A high pressure system in the Tasman Sea
no rainfall, mild temperatures, low
humidity, no wind
Which important factor in predicting fire
behaviour is missing from the Forest Fire
Danger Index (Figures 14 and 15)?
A fire-fighting personnel
B
C dry sclerophyll forest
43
low rainfall, high temperatures, high
humidity, strong winds
C low rainfall, low temperatures, low
humidity, moderate winds
D no rainfall, high temperatures, low
humidity, strong winds
C C, A, D, B
E
high pressure system moving west
48
5 February 2003
A major aim of prescribed burning is to
mitigate the impacts of bushfires on life
and property, mainly by:
A
altering vegetation types
B
maintaining biodiversity
C preventing fires from starting
D reducing fuel loads
E
researching fire behaviour
Page 11
Australian Geography Competition 2015
Table 3. Causes of bushfires in Victoria, 1976-77 to
1995-96
Source: Dept. of Sustainability and Environment
Fire cause
49
Average no. Average
of fires per area burnt
ha/yr
year
Which of these statements is supported by
the data in Table 3 on bushfires in Victoria
from 1976-77 to 1995-96?
A More fires were from accidental causes,
than from natural or deliberate causes.
B
More fires were from natural causes, than
from accidental or deliberate causes.
Lightning
149
53 096
Deliberate
145
15 649
Agricultural
96
7 799
C More fires were the result of arson, than
from natural or accidental causes.
Campfires
59
1 466
D Most fires were caused by farmers.
Cigarettes/matches
41
444
Cause unknown
37
2 974
Miscellaneous (a)
26
10 009
Machinery/exhausts
15
2 551
Prescribed burn escapes
9
5 274
Public utilities (b)
7
16 256
584
115 518
Total
(a) Includes causes like burning buildings and fireworks
E
50
Most fires were caused by tourists.
Using Table 3, an individual fire from which
cause is statistically most likely to burn the
greatest area?
A
deliberate
B
lightning
C miscellaneous (buildings, fireworks, etc)
D prescribed burn escapes
E
public utilities
(b) Includes ignitions from trains and power transmission
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Photo: Northwest coast, Tasmania © Redzaal; celebrating the
International Year of Soils