Year 12 Geography Fieldwork: Breakfast Point & Barangaroo

Year 12 Geography students embarked on their compulsory fieldwork excursion to investigate how urban renewal projects transform the nature and character of suburbs. Fieldwork is a vital component of Year 12 Geography as it allows students to develop their skills in curating primary data sources and enables them to have a greater appreciation of the diversity of urban places in Sydney. 

Students firstly travelled to Breakfast Point to investigate the changing nature and character of the suburb which was previously Mortlake Gas Works. As a class students completed a transect of the commercial hub of the area as well as collecting evidence for spatial exclusion. Students looked at how supermarkets such as IGA tailor their products and services to suit the needs of the community and how the Rosecorp development has transformed the nature of the area.

From there students travelled to Barangaroo to explore the role of urban renewal in creating a financial and hospitality hub. Students created a transect which mapped the changes from an old shipping port to a finance centre. Students also collected evidence on how the urban renewal project embedded Indigenous voices and transformed the nature of the suburb economically and environmentally. 

I would also like to extend a huge thank you to Christopher Highman for leading this excursion and sharing his expertise in urban design.  

– Danielle Rodrigues
Head of Department – Human Society and Its Environment