Science, Technology and Engineering

Environmental Geoscience

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Dr Gresley Wakelin-King

Research Associate

Contact Details
Email: g.wakelin-king@latrobe.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 9479 2145
Fax: +61 3 9479 1272

Room 268
Physical Sciences 4 Building

Environmental Geoscience
La Trobe University
Bundoora, Victoria 3086
Australia

• Australian arid-zone rivers
• Geomorphology in rangeland management
• Geomorphology as a tool for seismic hazard assessment
• Mud-aggregate sediments and their relationship to massive mudstones in hydrocarbon provinces
• Australian Neogene palaeoclimates

Qualifications
B.Sc. (Hons.) Geology and Mineralogy, University of Queensland, 1984. Thesis: Clastic sedimentation and morphologic evolution of a delta in an ephemeral saline lake: Lake Buchanan, Queensland.

Ph.D., Department of Earth Sciences, La Trobe University, 2005. Thesis: Modern fluvial process and prior landscape history in an arid-zone river: Fowlers Creek, N.S.W., Australia

Biographical Notes
In 1985 I joined the Northern Territory Geological Survey (Alice Springs) in the regional mapping division. Since my Honours topic was Cainozoic geology, naturally my first NTGS project was in the heavily metamorphosed and structured Proterozoic Arunta Block. Later I was involved in mapping the sedimentary rocks of the Amadeus Basin, along with the Cainozoic sediments, duricrusts, playa lakes, and landforms of the Kulgera 1:250,000 map sheet.

In 1990 I left the public service, and spent four years as a geological contractor. I also did some occasional work for ABC Radio (Regional and National) and chaired a consultative committee on water use. I have had contract work in the mining and exploration industries, done interpretative geology (teaching landscape interpretation to tour guides, writing or providing information for park signs and pamphlets, and appearing in a Japanese TV documentary), and been the staff geologist for an Aboriginal Land Council.

In 1994 my family and I came to Melbourne. My doctoral research, undertaken on a part-time basis, was completed in 2005. My field area was Fowlers Creek in western New South Wales, and I used geomorphology, sedimentology, and Optically-Stimulated Luminescence dating to gain a greater understanding of arid-zone fluvial processes. Since 1998 I have also been one of the directors of, and consultants for, the geoscientific consultancy Wakelin Associates. My services to clients have included OSL interpretation, advice on arid-zone geomorphology, identification of significant geomorphology along the Murray River, and presentations to the petroleum exploration industry on arid-fluvial mudrock.

Outside work, my interests include my family, martial arts, Asian philosophy and medical theory, aromatherapy, linguistics, gardening, and food.

Recent Publications
A complete list of recent publications is available.