Dear Colleagues,   On behalf of the Australian Geoscience Council and the broader geoscience community in Oceania, I have great pleasure in inviting you to the 34th Session of the International Geological Congress (IGC), in Brisbane, Australia, in August 2012. We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming delegates and providing you with an intellectually stimulating and socially memorable Congress.   The IGC was first held in 1878, and the Oceania region has only hosted the event once in its prestigious history. High level political and scientific support secured in Australia and New Zealand for the Congress will underpin this outstanding event.

Under the theme “Unearthing our Past and Future” the IGC will showcase the Oceania region's geoscience strengths, innovations and natural wonders, through an exciting range of pre and post Congress field trips.

The Congress will be staged at the highly acclaimed Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, a world class venue that has hosted numerous large and very successful international meetings. Brisbane offers great August weather, value for money and proximity to geo-tourist features such as the Great Barrier Reef.

AUSTRALIA 2012 will include a GeoExpo, an education outreach program, and a support program to encourage young delegates to attend. The IGC will demonstrate the crucial role that geoscience plays in the quest for sustainable development and show how geoscience contributes directly to the future of its resource-based industries, land and water management and mitigation of geohazards.

We are looking forward to making your trip to Australia in 2012 a great success.

Yours sincerely

Dr Neil Williams PSM

President 34th International Geological Congress

Chief Executive Officer

Geoscience Australia