Authenticities, deficits, 'transformations' : visitor responses to the interpretation of Aboriginal cultural heritage in Australian protected areas

Abstract

Settler-colonialism is the foundational event and ongoing structure on which contemporary Australian society is based (Wolfe 1999). A central feature of this system is that its operations are not always self-evident, particularly to settler-colonial subjects themselves. This is well illustrated in the classification and management of some parts of Australia as protected areas for the purposes of nature conservation, heritage protection, recreation and tourism. Focusing on four such areas, this thesis provides a comparative analysis of the impact of differing forms of interpretation, ranging from interpretive signage to cultural tours developed and led by Traditional Custodians, to determine if particular forms of interpretation lead to a greater understanding of Aboriginal cultural heritage. The thesis also examines the degree to which these varying forms of interpretation, some of which have affective, embodied dimensions, have the capacity to change or ‘transform’ visitors. Its overarching aim is not only to determine which forms of interpretation lead to such ‘transformations’, with a view to informing the future development of best practice interpretation, but also to ascertain the extent to which discourses of settler-colonialism, marked by stereotypes of Aboriginal peoples and the places associated with them, are pervasive and enduring. In order to reveal and explore the operations of settler-colonial power, this thesis applies a Foucauldian model of discourse analysis, as developed and operationalised by Siegfried Jäger and Florentine Maier (2016) to four case studies. These are Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in Australia’s Northern Territory (NT), Red Hands Cave and the Jenolan Caves in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, New South Wales (NSW) and Yellomundee Regional Park in the Hawkesbury Local Government area, NSW. In addition to presenting a discourse analysis focused on the policies and plans developed by the authorities responsible for managing these places, interpretive signage, digital forms of interpretation and interviews with visitors, staff of managing agencies and cultural tour providers form part of this study. Interviews were also undertaken with Traditional Custodians to obtain their views on tourism on their traditional lands and the interpretation of their cultural heritage to visitors. A decolonising methodology has been employed in planning and conducting the research, including obtaining permission of Traditional Custodians to conduct the research, obtaining their input into the methodology and providing feedback to them on the research findings.

Date of Award	2022
Original language	English