A Geography of South Australia

Geography centres around change and, as this book demonstrates, there is no greater illustration of human and environmental change than South Australia. European settlement has had a shaping effect on the heritage of the state, as demonstrated by its effects on the landscape and in the growth of Adelaide, known as the city of churches. Europeans introduced farming methods which have had considerable effect on the fragile ecosystems, and the soils in particular have suffered as a result. This has led to many changes within South Australia. Fewer people are now farming the land and huge areas of the state have become national parks and Aboriginal nation states. Industry is becoming more globally competitive. Adelaide itself has responded to a need for change and is now the home of many high-tech industries. The ways the state has responded to change and how it looks at future change has important ramifications for every state in Australia.