Creating Waves
Thursday, August 3rd 2023
Join us for a night of personal tales from those who are uniquely connected to Australia’s Humpback Whales. We will start with voices of our traditional owners who will explain the importance of the whales that visit the bay to the Butchulla peoples and how Whale Songlines connect First Nations along the entire East Coast of Australia. Learn how citizen scientists and technological advancements have been making it easier for individual whales to be tracked through “Happy Whale”. Finally, meet the researchers working out of Hervey Bay and learn about the pressures that our most treasured visitors must face, from climate change through to boat interactions. Together they are Creating Waves.
Proceeds of this event go to Turtle Rehabilitation and Research Centre
Main Lecture Hall, Building B
UniSC Fraser Coast Campus, Pialba
6pm – 8pm
Event Schedule
6:00pm – Jade Gould
Welcome to Country and cultural importance of whales and connection to sea country
6:15pm – Dr. Kathy Townsend, (MC and WWHSSC/USC)
Introduction to The Whale Heritage Site Steering Committee and Hervey Bay’s Vision to be the World’s Pre-eminent Whale Heritage Site.
6:20pm – Dr Jodi Edwards (Research Fellow RMIT University)
A proud Dharawal woman will present her work on “Whale Songlines that connect First Nations along the East Coast of Australia.”
6:35pm – Dr. Wally Franklin (Founder Oceania Project)
Presentation on latest paper
6:50pm – Dr Olaf Mynecke (Academic Griffith University)
“Whales and climate change”
7:05pm – Dr. Barry McGovern (Pacific Whale Foundation)
“Long term humpback whale research in Hervey Bay” OR Jane McFee-Frew (University of NSW) “Identifying Orca rake marks on Humpback whales using AI.”
7:20pm – Georgina Hume (University of the Sunshine Coast)
“Dolphins of the Great Sandy Straights.”
7:35pm – Julia Lennan
“Historical and contemporary abundance and emigration patterns of Humpback whales in Hervey Bay”
7:50pm – Ianuk (Nuk) Athien-Hayes
“Humpback whale migration and shark migratory pathways overlap and interactions”
