Who We Are

The Goyder Institute for Water Research is a research alliance of the South Australian Government through the Department for Environment and Water, CSIRO, Flinders
University, the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia.

We draw on teams of researchers and experts from within these partner organisations assembling multi-organisational, multi-disciplinary teams.

What We Do

The Institute facilitates the collaboration of governments, industries, and leading researchers to identify, develop and adopt sustainable, innovative and integrated solutions for complex water management challenges.

The Institute looks at all water types (surface water, groundwater, fresh, coastal, marine), users (urban, primary producers, mining, manufacturing, transport, environment) and disciplines (biophysical, mathematics, social, economic, technology, law, governance etc).

How We Do It

The Goyder Institute provides a collaborative “one-stop-shop” to identify, develop and adopt water solutions for complex water management challenges.

Our projects involve multiple partners and include long-term, research projects as well as short-term, responsive, strategic ones. We focus on large and strategic opportunities that our partners individually would not have otherwise pursued or where collaboration is advantageous.

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

Why is it called the Goyder Institute?

George Woodroffe Goyder (24 June 1826 to 2 November 1898) was a surveyor in South Australia during the latter half of the nineteenth century, and was appointed Surveyor-General in 1861.

George Goyder observed the difference in vegetation type as a result of rainfall gradients as he traversed the state. He used this to set a limit beyond which cropping would be unsustainable. His predictions were highly unpopular at the time, but he proved to be right.

This line is now called “Goyder’s Line” and was an early example in South Australia of science being used to inform policy.

To learn more about George Goyder click here.