Welcome to
The Koala History and Sustainability Research Cluster
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
- George Santayana 1863-1952
The Koala History and Sustainability Research Cluster (KHSRC) is the brainchild of a group of interdisciplinary researchers who are concerned with the long-term survival of the Koala in the wild.
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In most parts of its range, stretching inland and down from the Atherton Tableland in Northern Queensland to islands off the coast of Victoria and South Australia, the Koala is considered a threatened species due to habitat destruction and deforestation as a result of logging and urban growth, past hunting for its fur, diseases such as Chlamydia, collision with vehicles, attacks by dogs, fires and now changing climatic conditions.
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The objectives of the KHSRC team are centered on the belief that if we want to improve the long-term outlook for the koala, we need to learn from past mistakes that were made in respect to the species’s management. In order to learn from the past, we must gather historical evidence, examine it closely and suggest improvements.
About Us
The Koala History and Sustainability Research Cluster (KHSRC) is a collaborative group of researchers from various disciplines including anthropology, history, zoology, ecology, tourism, political science, policy and education who are concerned with the long-term sustainability of wild populations of koalas in Australia.
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The KHSRC team are leading experts in their respective fields and bring innovative and creative ideas to their research. The team includes:
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Dr Rolf Schlagloth (CQ University)*
Prof, Dr Fred Cahir (Federation University)*
Prof, Dr Ian Clark (Federation University)*
Dr Gabrielle McGinnis (University of Newcastle and BrodiMapi LLC)*
Dr Flavia Santamaria (CQ University)*
Dr Timothy Cadman (Griffith University)
Dr Alexandra McEwan (CQ University)
A/Prof, Dr Danielle Clode (Flinders University)
Dr Michael Danahar (CQ University)
* denotes founding members of the KHSRC
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We have produced several publications on koala related topics and are currently working on a further two.
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The KHSRC team would like to use this platform to engage with a worldwide audience concerning the need for historical koala research and to share the progress we are making with that endeavour.
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We also invite people to share their experiences and records and suggest new topics for us to explore. If you have, or know of, some funding sources to support our projects, please feel free to contact us and let us know.
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We are convinced that there are many stakeholders and researchers out there who share our interests and who will be able to add valuable information and perspectives – please contact the KHSRC.
Recent News
Koalas Creating a Buzz in Media Outlets Nationwide
Suggested Reading
Download our publications below for more Information about our research.
Authors in bold below are members of the KHSRC.
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Danaher, M., Shanks, B., Jones, B.T., Schlagloth, R. (2023) How did they get there? A history of koalas on Queensland’s islands, Australian Zoologist, DOI: https://doi.org/10.7882/AZ.2023.039
Schlagloth, R.; Morgan, E.A.; Cadman, T.; Santamaria, F.; McGinnis, G.; Thomson, H.; Kerlin, D.H.; Maraseni, T.N.; Cahir, F.; Clark, I.D.; Clode, D. & McEwan, A. (2022) Applying landscape-level principles to koala management in Australia: a comparative analysis, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, DOI: 10.1080/09640568.2022.2124154
Wedrowicz, W., Wright, W., Schlagloth, R., Santamaria, F. & Cahir, F. (2017), "Landscape, koalas and people: A historical account of koala populations and their environment in South Gippsland," Australian Zoologist, 38 (4), 518-536. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7882/AZ.2017.007
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