Do people in tropical Queensland think about climate and our bodies differently to people in other parts of Australia? A Central Queensland University researcher certainly thinks so.

Associate Professor Daniela Stehlik discussed a fascinating photo-essay on life in the tropics and the vital role of women in establishing a healthy environment, which enabled settlement north of the Tropic of Capricorn.

"Taming" the Tropics: Historical Reflections on Climate and the Body was held Wednesday night this week. It's part of CQU's Faculty of Arts, Health and Sciences Inaugural Public Lecture Series.

Stehlik has gathered many photographs and slides for the presentation which takes an historical journey from the early decades of the 20th century to look at how the experiences of early settlers continue to shape ideas about living in the tropics today.

"The tropics were a death trap for the early Europeans – particularly malaria," Stehlik said. "They were seen as temporary places to live. In order to manage the present and better understand the challenges that face us now, we need to understand the past and how it has shaped the relationship between people in the tropics and the environment." The presentation looks at a 1924 medical study by the Institute for Tropical Medicine in Townsville and also at how society's fears of dropping European standards and going "native" influenced many areas of life including dress, housing, food and culture.

"People realised that instead of basing their lifestyle on European beliefs they had to start living and acting like they were in the tropics. A lot of it is "common sense" to us today, but what is really interesting about human history is that "common sense" emerges when community and society agree on something." Stehlik's interest in the topic began when she moved to Central Queensland in 1994 from southern, cooler climates.

"Living in tropical Queensland certainly is different to living in other parts of Australia."