15 May 1997

A University of Queensland expert on pastoral leases will give a free public lecture on issues surround the Wik debate at the University's St Lucia campus on Saturday.

Emeritus Professor John Holmes will discuss Making Wik Work: a geographer's approach to resolving Aboriginal interests on pastoral leases in room E213 Forgan Smith Building on Saturday, May 17 from 3pm to 4pm.

Professor Holmes is president of the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland and has undertaken comprehensive research on pastoral lease tenure in all Australian jurisdictions, funded by the Australian Research Council.

His lecture is one of many free talks to be given during Expo Uni, the University's free exposition of teaching and research activities open to the public on Saturday, May 17 and Sunday May 18 from noon to 5pm both days.

Professor Holmes will examine the central problem that pastoral lease tenures, which currently embrace more than 42 percent of Australia's land area, have been awarded over a wide spectrum of resource values, with marked variations in the relative balance between pastoral and Aboriginal interests.

His lecture will explore options for satisfying the most pressing concerns of both pastoralists and Aboriginal interests. These options are currently being considered by the major interest groups, including the National Farmers Federation and the Indigenous Title Working Group, as well as the Prime Minister's Native Title Working Group and other political parties.

Professor Holmes is available to discuss his lecture with the media before Saturday at telephone work 3365 6525; home 3371 2638.

Other free public lectures during Expo Uni include:

- Mini lectures on art history (Saturday and Sunday, 12.30pm, 2.30pm and 4.30pm, tower, Forgan Smith building;

- Archaeology in Roman Britain with Dr Dorothy Watts, Michie Building room 722, Saturday, 2.30pm;

- Courses and Careers talks on courses on offer at the University of Queensland, admission requirements and procedures, and life at University, room E205, Forgan Smith Building, Saturday and Sunday, 1pm and 3pm.

- Hadrian's Wall with Associate Professor Brian Jones, Michie Building room 722, Sunday, 3pm;

- Who was St Vladimir? with Emeritus Professor Boris Christa, at St Vladimir's statue, corner MacGregor Drive and College Road, Saturday and Sunday 3pm-3.30pm;

- Women: be in IT (information technology) too! with Drs Helen Purchase and Janet Wiles, room 414, Computer Science Building, Saturday and Sunday, 2.45pm-3.15pm.

- The End is Nigh: the Year 2000 software crisis and you with Professor Paul Bailes, room 414, Computer Science Building, Saturday and Sunday, 4.15pm-4.45pm.

- Is your Software Safe? with Drs Colin Fidge and Paul Strooper, room 414, Computer Science Building, Saturday and Sunday 3.30pm-4pm.

- Talks on studying classics and ancient history, room 722, Michie Building, Saturday, 12.30pm; on careers in German, room 641 Michie Building, Saturday 1pm-2pm; on philosophy, room E213, Forgan Smith Building, Saturday and Sunday 1pm; and on opportunities in geographical sciences and planning, room E213, Forgan Smith Building, Saturday 2pm-3pm;

- Lasers, astrophysics, magic and more, lecture-demonstration, room G77, Parnell Building, Saturday and Sunday 1pm, 2.30pm and 4pm;

- The Prentice Centre (computer centre) will conduct lectures on Saturday and Sunday at theatre 216, Prentice Building including:
- Cool web sites on the UQ network, noon-12.30pm;
- The hottest new notebooks, 1pm-1.30pm;
- Latest printers from Canon, 3pm-3.30pm;
- The net on the move. Mobile phones, computers and the world 4pm-4.30pm;
- The Internet demystified and jargon exposed 4.30pm-5pm.