Ageing in Victoria: an electronic social atlas

Perhaps the only generalisation that can be made about the aged is that they are not all the same; variability is arguably the prime characteristic of the aged population. Many approaches might be taken in describing, analysing and explaining this variability, but insofar as all ageing people are located in a particular place, there is a spatial dimension to all other aspects of demographic and social variation which provides a useful and meaningful basis for presenting an account of the variability of the aged population. This presentation is made in the form of a Social Atlas of Ageing in Victoria. The Atlas can be seen as an outcome of a close association beb1een geography and gerontology that has characterised the development of interest in ageing in Australia. Urban and social geographers with interests in demography and migration have made a significant contribution to understanding the patterns and processes of population ageing in Australia, and have often brought their research to bear on applied issues of planning and policy development.