diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/models.py b/django/contrib/gis/models.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 466efcee9a8..00000000000
--- a/django/contrib/gis/models.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-from django.db import connection
-
-if (hasattr(connection.ops, 'spatial_version') and
-        not connection.ops.mysql):
-    # Getting the `SpatialRefSys` and `GeometryColumns`
-    # models for the default spatial backend.  These
-    # aliases are provided for backwards-compatibility.
-    SpatialRefSys = connection.ops.spatial_ref_sys()
-    GeometryColumns = connection.ops.geometry_columns()
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.8.txt b/docs/releases/1.8.txt
index 395cf2dba6c..1c78627ecfe 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.8.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.8.txt
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ Minor features
 :mod:`django.contrib.gis`
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
-* ...
+* Compatibility shims for ``SpatialRefSys`` and ``GeometryColumns`` changed in
+  Django 1.2 have been removed.
 
 :mod:`django.contrib.messages`
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^